It’s not supposed to be this easy. That was my immediate impression after using the new skew rabbet plane from Veritas. I’ve used many rabbet planes over the years and, to various extents, all were less than ideal. This plane, though, sets a new standard for quality, usability, and value.

The plane cuts rabbets of various depths, up to 11?2 in. wide. It’s also perfect for making long tenons, like those on breadboard ends, or fielding a raised panel for a door.

It was easy to set up and use. Blade alignment-critical in rabbet planes but only done once-was nearly effortless, thanks to a pair of setscrews in the body of the plane. It also was easy to control the rabbet width, thanks to a fence that glides effortlessly on two steel rods. You lock the fence by turning a pair of brass screws. Setting the depth of cut is simply a matter of turning a brass knob.

Flawless cross-grain cuts were the norm, thanks to a scoring cutter that slices the wood just ahead of the blade. This was the first rabbet plane I’d seen that uses a setscrew to adjust the cutter. As a result, it was a no-brainer to get the cutter perfectly aligned with the blade, and once set, it stayed put.

The blade is skewed in the body, a feature that has several advantages. As the plane is pushed, the blade draws the plane into the cut, making it easy to register the fence against the stock. Also with this design, the shavings are thrown more easily from the plane. Then, too, this configuration reduces cutting resistance, leaving a smoother surface, especially on cross-grain work.

The Veritas Skew Rabbet Plane sells for $250 and is available in either right-hand or left-hand models. The left-hand model is just the ticket for lefties. A case can be made for owning one of each, as it allows you to choose the plane that works best based on the grain direction at the cut. But, with care and light cuts, I had no real problems working with just one plane.

For more information, go to www.leevalley.com.

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