I'm interested in trying out a Japanese plane but have a couple of questions. First, I'm not sure what type I need apart from wanting something that can help me knock off stock—so I guess akin to a jack plane. Also, I'm looking at this particular model. It's not too pricey, and it's from a reputable company, so I'm wondering if it's worth considering. Here's the link for reference: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/planes/japanese/41221-japanese-smooth-wooden-plane?item=44P0101.
2 Answers
I'd suggest looking into the Kakuri 50mm model. It features a traditional chip breaker which gives a good feel of how kanna work. If you want something fancier, you could consider their Blue Steel 48mm kanna. Kakuri is known for making quality Japanese tools, and their kanna are a good way to learn the ropes. Also, check out Adrian Preda on YouTube for a straightforward setup guide; he makes it pretty easy to understand!
A good Japanese plane will likely set you back a few hundred bucks. They have a different setup than Western planes, but it’s not a huge leap. You’ll be pulling instead of pushing, which is a key thing to get used to. They adjust similarly to coffin planes. By the way, I think there was a broken link you shared, could you check that?
Thanks for the heads up! I fixed the link here: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/planes/japanese/41221-japanese-smooth-wooden-plane?item=44P0101
Oh awesome, I’ll definitely check that out! Thanks for the recommendation!