Largest Plane Blade?

[Jim Koepke]

One of the people who I have purchased from in the past has a blade listed as the largest ever on eBay.

It is about 5" wide.

Do you tie that thing to a horse to smooth beams?

jim

[Steve Clardy]

Draft horse....:D

[mike rawl]

I have seen plane blades here in Japan that are well over a foot wide and they are for one person only.

I was at a Kezuro-kai a few years ago and there was a really nice gentleman making full width, impossibly thin shavings that were about 10ft long with a plane that was at least a foot wide. The skill that those guys can either be inspiring or can make you want to go home and cry. The cost of those planes will only make you want to cry.

check out the planes on this link
http://www2.odn.ne.jp/oak/yoita-kezuroukai-5.htm

[george wilson]

I saw a very old German cooper's jointer plane that had about a 10" wide blade in it. This jointer was also coffin shaped,and about 7' long. Must have been at least 18th.C.. Someone's pride and joy,I suppose.

[Jim Koepke]

I have seen plane blades here in Japan that are well over a foot wide and they are for one person only.

I was at a Kezuro-kai a few years ago and there was a really nice gentleman making full width, impossibly thin shavings that were about 10ft long with a plane that was at least a foot wide. The skill that those guys can either be inspiring or can make you want to go home and cry. The cost of those planes will only make you want to cry.

check out the planes on this link
http://www2.odn.ne.jp/oak/yoita-kezuroukai-5.htm

The shavings in that one picture put us western plane users to shame. What kind of wood holds together with such thin shavings?

jim

[mike rawl]

I am pretty sure that the wood that they were using was very carefully selected Japanese red cedar. I can't imagine that they would be using anything else because most of the buildings I see are made from it. All of the wood that they are using is quarter cut, and tight grained, which helps it stay together. Port Orford cedar, which is the preferred wood for shoji, is really good for super thin shavings too. I think any good tight grained, quater cut cedar would be good.

Some of these guys check the edges of their planes with microscopes. I am not kidding when I say that even a slight breeze would turn those shavings to dust. The truly impressive thing though is the finish it leaves on the wood. It isn't much of an exaggeration to say it almost sparkles.