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Dick Holt
07-23-2003, 10:35 AM
This is my first venture into this side of the creek. Hope the water is warm! I would like to learn more about planes, specifically how to choose, use and maintain them. I am interested in buying a good book about planes and hope someone might recommed one. Thanks.
Dick

Don Kugelberg
07-23-2003, 11:00 AM
The book you are looking for is called "The Handplane Book" by Garrett Hack. Its readily available from any bookseller and is hands down the best book on the subject of planes.

You are aware that you are about to open Pandora's box, I assume.

Dave Anderson NH
07-23-2003, 1:24 PM
While Garrett's book stands far above all of the rest, don't take all of what he says as gospel. Consider it as a good place to start and a fine grounding on the subject. I say this for several reasons, first and foremost because Garrett has modified some of his positions since he wrote the book. Secondly, the section on makers of planes has in a short few years become grossly out of date. To expand on this, we are now in the beginning of a new and second Golden Age of hand tool makers. In addition to such plane makers as Carl Holtey, Bill Carter, Lie-Nielsen, reviewed or mentioned in his book, there are a host of others. In wooden planes we have Crown Plane, Clark & Williams, Steve Knight, and some custom makers. In metallic and infills we have Lee Valley/ Veritas, St James Bay Tool Co, Clifton, Sauer & Steiner, Shepherd Tool, and custom makers like STeve Thomas and Wayne Anderson. Then there are a host of far eastern makers who I'm too unfamiliar with to mention.

Garrett has also modified his ideas on sharpening slightly and does quick touchups on his plane irons with a diamond paste on scraps of maple plywood. He is constantly experimenting, and worse still for his pocketbook, continuing to acquire handplanes.

After getting, reading, and playing with some of the knowledge from Garrett's book you will be in a position to begin looking at some of the more specialized books like Mike Dunbar's book on using, tuning, and repairing old woodworking tools. Danger, Warning, Steep and Slippery Slope Ahead.

Paul Barnard
07-23-2003, 8:56 PM
Garrett has also modified his ideas on sharpening slightly and does quick touchups on his plane irons with a diamond paste on scraps of maple plywood. He is constantly experimenting, and worse still for his pocketbook, continuing to acquire handplanes.

He's also taken to putting diamond paste right on his oils stones to 'spice' them up a bit for the exotic tool steels.
Seems he talked himself into needing a 15 1/2" panel plane last week as well. Once on the slope it is difficult to get off :)

As an all round reference and a good read to boot Garretts book is probably the best starting point