Replies

1. 
   TomHigby | Apr 20, 2004 11:45pm | #1

   To answer your question one must know your level of experience, and whether you will use the planes or just look at them.  Why specifically wood planes?

   Tom

2. 
   wop | Apr 20, 2004 11:45pm | #2

      Smoother, ECE primus reform, 50° pitch; planes like an infill plane but is missing the mass of an infill. As such you have to provide the extra in muscle ,but the results are the same.

                                                                                 Philip

      mine is an Ulmia which I think is a bit better plane but Ulmia went out of business two years ago.

3. 
   TomS | Apr 21, 2004 12:02am | #3

   http://www.planemaker.com/sample/

   http://www.ilovewood.com/handmade_woodworking_tools.htm

   http://www.crownplane.com/

   http://www.knight-toolworks.com/

   Tom

4. 
   joker | Apr 21, 2004 12:57am | #4

   Just a suggestion, but you can make your own. They really are not that difficult and for the price of a blade and literally scraps of wood  laminated together if necessary,you can have a really good plane any length you would like shaped the way you like. A blade from Ron hock runs about $48.00 and then what ever cost you may have in wood. I think he even sells a kit you can put together and learn from.

   I learned to make them off of the plans I down loaded from the College of the Redwoods website. You can easily make one in a weekend. Anyway, just a suggestion.

1. 
   RRusso | Apr 21, 2004 04:46am | #5

   Mitch,

   I have a Knight smoother and love it. Easily the most used plane in my shop.

1. 
   DBishop | Apr 21, 2004 06:11pm | #7

   Me Too!  Steve Knight is great guy too!

5. 
   BG | Apr 21, 2004 01:54pm | #6

   Mitch,

   I've been thinking about the same thing as you....using a wood plane. I used to have a beautiful smoother that my father bought me many years ago.  I kept it wrapped up and in its box until the day would come when I could learn how to use it.  Alas, it was stollen in one of my three moves and I never got to try it out.

   I would buy a smoother first because I want to get a great surface and eliminate sanding as much as possible.  My sense is the wooden plane would not stand up to the heavy work as well as a metal one and, therefore, the smoother would used in conditions better suited to its materials. 
1. 
   MitchRoberson | Apr 21, 2004 11:34pm | #8

   Thanks for the responses.  It seems like people really love their smoothers.  However, I'm going to buy all the planes now.  Should I buy a new smoother and then get used jack and jointer planes?

1. 
   BG | Apr 22, 2004 12:55am | #9

   Mitch,

   That is what I would do.....and I'd consider doing it this weekend up in Nashua, NH at the antique auction show.  The dealers have tons of planes...many are user planes, not collection quality, and they just want to get rid of them...prices are quite good and fit just about anyones budget.  I also have a #3 which I have set up to use as a scrub plane....I salvage a lot of 4 by timbers..