Which plane to get

[Prashun Patel]

What hole are you trying to fill? How and when you use planes in your work is highly personal to your method of working. Identify your need first.

[Rob Luter]

Lots of good suggestions here. May I offer another?

Like many have offered, consider a plane that will offer the greatest utility. I started out with a hardware store block plane similar to what you have. Even well fettled it wasn't good for much but breaking edges. I'd consider a Lie Nielsen #102 or a Lee Valley Apron Plane. It will offer up a couple things. First, it will give you a feel for what a decent plane can do. Secondly, it will be super handy for all sorts of small jobs. I have a #102 and it gets used a bunch.

The second thing I'd do is fettle the daylights out of the #4 you have. Tune it to the enth degree so you have a well functioning small smoother. Do the same with the #5, but camber the blade slightly so it functions as a proper jack.

Now build some stuff. As you prepare stock and run through the build process, what you need will become obvious. That is if you need anything.

When I started my journey I acquired a large number of bench planes I thought I needed but ultimately never used. I just got done selling them off. I wish I'd purchased what I knew I needed versus what I thought I'd needed. Had I spent more time in the shop building things than I did out on rush hunts I'd have been better off for it.

[John Isgren]

I am only a few months ahead of you but I think you have a good start. I also got vintage 4,5 and 7. The 5 had not been touched in years, and the 7 needed some clean up and the 4 had already been tuned. I have not done a full restoration on the 5 and 7 yet but did spend time flattening the back of the blades and sharpening and I am getting great results from them. In addition to the really good threads here, Paul Sellers has a good video on restoring a plane.

At this point I would spend your money on a router plane and a good set of diamond stones. This in addition to some basic chisels will let do almost any type of joinery.

[Carl Beckett]

I have the LA jack, and also a skewed rabbet block plane. I use the skewed block plane more (more often than not reach for my standard bench plane instead of the LA).

The skewed block plane I do use for cleaning up tenons and shoulders and other joinery touchups.

I dont put either one of them at the top of my list. Standard bench planes (couple different sizes). Good standard block plane (but to your point yes I feel a rabbet version can substitute). Then 'for me', I use my small 212 scraper plane a lot. And a 'shoulder plane'. Then I would put the small 'router plane' just behind the skewed block plane in use.

I would put scrapers third on the list (after a block plane).

Of the two, I would use the rabbet block plane more than the LA jack.

But I do a combination of machine plus hand work.