Shepherd - 1-1/2-in. Steel Shoulder Plane
This steel shoulder plane from Shepherd Tool Co. is patterned after an 1860s-era Spiers No. 8 shoulder plane. It is no longer available since the company went bankrupt in 2005.
Aug 01, 2004
The Shepherd Tool Co. is a small outfit that makes handplanes and kits in Ontario, Canada, reproducing infill planes based on the patterns of legendary planemakers Stewart Spiers and Thomas Norris. The shoulder planes I tested were two sizes of a Spiers style No. 8. (see also 3/4-in. Brass Shoulder Plane) The bodies, made from plates of steel or brass joined with interlocking double dovetails, were appealing because they don’t have the internal stresses that can distort a cast plane body. The sides of the planes, however, were slightly out of parallel from bottom to top; this is a situation that would make tuning the planes a challenge. The company assured me that the planes are warranted and that any manufacturing defects would be corrected or the planes replaced.
The dovetail body is filled with attractive cocobolo, which is secured in place with steel pins that are riveted from side to side. The blade is supported its full length by a bed of wood and steel that readily dampens vibration. A sculpted wedge, which doubles as a palm rest, holds the blade in place. Blade adjustments are made with a hammer, and the hook at the rear of the iron makes it possible to retract the iron. On each plane, the blade is much wider than the body and required shifting from side to side in use. I’d make it narrower.
There’s nothing quite like an infill plane. If you have shied away from them because of the scarcity of antique originals or because of high-priced reproductions, a Shepherd plane in kit or finished form may be the answer.
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