Hand planers for woodworking | Many manufacturers in a very large selection

Planes

Wooden Planes
Classic planes with wooden bodies in the finest tradition are offered by the company Emmerich (brand name: E.C.E.) from Remscheid. These classic wooden planes are appreciated in many countries for their quality.

We are pleased to present you with a now considerable selection of Japanese planes, ranging from economy-super-affordable to the finest handcrafted model.

For those who are a bit inexperienced in handling the hammer for adjusting the shaving thickness or simply seek comfort, a plane with fine adjustment is recommended. If you plane infrequently, a plane with a white beech sole is sufficient; for more frequent use, the harder lignum vitae is advisable. You can recognize it by its greenish color, sometimes greenish-brown.

Metal Planes
While in continental Europe, with the exception of Holland, wooden-bodied planes prevail, in England and North America, you mostly see cast iron planes. The Dutch, being an old trading nation, were always overseas-oriented and readily adopted the English models in the 19th century. These are heavier than wooden planes but not as sensitive. Which type of plane is better cannot be said in general terms.

A carpenter who has worked with wooden planes all his life will reject iron planes – and vice versa. But one thing can be said with certainty: the small iron pocket or single-handed planes (also called „block planes”) have no serious competitor made of wood in their versatility, and they truly live up to their name: they actually fit in your pocket and are thus an indispensable companion in the workshop and on the construction site. Most iron planes have an iron fine adjustment. A tip for this: Loosen the cap a bit (not completely) with the help of the cam or knurled screw before making the fine adjustment. It should move easily; never apply force! If you do not heed this, you will ruin the thread!

Building Planes Yourself
You can also build planes yourself. The planes made by James Krenov are very suitable for replication. The irons for these are manufactured by Ron Hock in California. You can find these excellent irons on our DIY page. Plans are available as well.