Last week I was in Salt Lake City, visiting frequent FWW contributor Chris Gochnour, when Matt Hodgson stopped by Chris’ shop with a tote full of his handmade infill smoothing planes. Chris and Matt are part of a local group of woodworkers who gather frequently to chat about all things woodworking.

Matt’s story is interesting. His family is steeped in woodworking traditions, with skills handed down from three generations. His dream had always been to pursue woodworking–he made his first handplane when he was 12 years old–but he lived a corporate life for a while as a sales and marketing manager for a major hotel chain. A few years ago, he gave up the suit and tie to chase his dream of being a luthier. Soon, though, his interests expanded to include making custom handplanes, and a company was born. Although he still makes guitars, Matt devotes most of his time to designing and making what he hopes will be classic planes that will stand the test of time. Each tool is built to order, making each plane one-of-a-kind.

Before last Wednesday, I had never used an infill smoothing plane. But what an eye-opening experience it was. The infill smoother he brought was as comfortable a tool as I’d ever used. I must say these handmade gems were sweet to hold and even sweeter to use.

The Gabardi & Son line of planes is small right now. But Matt has high hopes. For more information, visit the Gabardi & Son web site.

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