Why plane

I love all of my tools, but the ones I love the most are the ones I use and rely on. Not many woodworkers use hand planes compared to say a hundred years ago. The pinnacle period for planemakers was in the mid 1700s. Imagine that if you will.

“The earliest known plane, with a stock of wood, or in the form of an iron sole with side plates and a wooden core, were used by Roman joiners at the beginning of the Christian era.”

Now to the fondness of hand planes.

My planes matter greatly in my work. That’s not really the case for most woodworkers. Most have never known the sheer beauty of the shavings ankle deep around the workbench. I cannot imagine living as a craftsman without such memories but there you are. My workbench as a boy was rich with such memories. The smell of Russian redwood, of Makore, Sapele, Kerruing, Parana pine and many more. I watched the crisp ribbons rise from the plane’s throat like a cobra. and spill without noise to its place amongst those previously formed. The rich browns and greens and reds seemed to me like a quilted coverlet of cream fabric and the swoosh of shavings like the dried Autumn leaves before the winter sets in. Can any other hand tool belonging to the carpenter match the plane in producing such controlled and pristine refinements. I dont think many, perhaps the spokeshave. Now there’s another lovely plane to use.

 

Good night my friends.