Some tools are so well crafted that I keep them on my desk and fiddle with them as I contemplate things to be written or read. But if a pretty tool doesn’t also function well in the shop, I’d just as soon forget it. The new detail rabbet planes from Veritas are at home in both places.

The planes are available in both imperial (1⁄4 in., 5⁄16 in., and 3⁄8 in.) and metric sizes (6mm, 8mm, and 10mm). They have a ductile iron body, with a brass tongue and palm rest, and a fixed mouth. Blade adjustments—depth and lateral—are made by loosening the blade clamping screw and moving the blade with your fingers or a small slotted screwdriver, which takes some getting used to. Another learning curve is sharpening the small blade, which has to be done freehand (fortunately, it’s delivered sharp).

But after that, these tools deliver flawless performance, both with the grain and across it, and are perfect for cleaning up narrow dadoes and rabbets, say for box parts or the dividers in a desk gallery. They are a pleasure to hold and to use, and to keep on your desk.

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