Sauer and Steiner Toolworks - Smoothing Plane No. 7
A handcrafted No. 7 smoothing plane from Sauer and Steiner Toolworks features a cocobolo infill and an M2 high-speed steel blade.Konrad Sauer and Joe Steiner, operators of Sauer and Steiner Toolworks in Ontario, Canada, are making hand-crafted infill planes in the tradition of legendary toolmaker Stewart Spiers. These truly handmade planes are produced with a modest investment in equipment but demand great skill and attention to detail.
I tested a No. 7 smoothing plane with a 45° bed angle and a 9-in. sole. The 5/32-in.-thick by 2-1/4-in.-wide blade, made in England by Ray Iles, uses M2 high-speed steel, a durable alloy hardened to Rc 61. This stout blade helps minimize vibration and chatter. It is secured firmly to the plane bed by a bronze, screw-tensioned lever cap. The sole is hand-lapped and has a narrow throat suitable for fine shavings and minimal grain tearout.
Infilled with cocobolo, a dense wood that adds heft and vibration-dampening qualities, the plane’s only shortcomings were a blade and chipbreaker that required a little extra work beyond the standard honing. The blade is adjusted with light hammer taps (there’s no adjustment mechanism) once I set the blade, it stayed put. Subtle microadjustments are made by slightly tightening or loosening the lever-cap screw.
To give the plane a workout, I used it for 90 minutes, without any rehoning, to remove various planer and saw marks from a cherry bed frame with moderately figured wood. All of the surfaces cleaned up nicely. Then, after a touch-up honing, the plane handled the curly grain headboard just fine, with only a few areas needing some light scraping.
At $850, this is an expensive tool. It planes as well as any smoother I’ve used. Admittedly, a few other planes on the market cut as well at half the price. But this one has an especially solid feel that’s hard to define yet easy to appreciate. And, of course, it looks beautiful.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in