I’m sure that I’m not the only woodworker who finds the cost of good handplane a bit of a stretch, so I thought these bargain-priced ebony planes from Woodline deserved a look.

Curved handle, low-profile rabbet plane—Measuring 6 in. long, this handy little plane ($45; product No. ERP55) has a 1-in.-wide cutter held in place with a wooden wedge. Unfortunately, the cutter sticks out above the plane body, making for an uncomfortable grip. And only one side of the plane was square to the sole—a problem when planing rabbets.

Asian-style plane—I was tickled to find this 8-in. plane ($46; No. EP9), which is meant to be pulled rather than pushed, works as both a standard- and high-angle model. Putting the blade in upside down produces a 70° cutting angle, allowing me to plane a piece of deeply figured walnut with virtually no tearout. The standard bevel-down blade position provides a more typical 45° cutting angle. Unfortunately, after a month in my shop during the very dry Midwest winter, a fine shrinkage crack developed along the side, which would be a problem had it occurred on the sole or the blade bed.

European-style plane—This 10-in. smoothing plane ($50; No. EP3) did a fine job on hardwood right out of the box, but its shape makes it uncomfortable to use.
Reminiscent of earlier plane technology, the cutting edge of the 2-in. blade is ground on a piece of heavy tool steel that’s brazed to a larger piece of mild steel, a nice touch.

Bottom line—All of these planes have good blades that perform pretty well right out of the box. They sharpen easily and hold an edge for a surprisingly long time. But each one had its problems. Also, generally speaking, I find adjusting wedged blades with a small hammer a bit of a hassle. Since the blade on the Asian-style plane can be turned bevel up or bevel down, I think it’s worth taking a chance on. I’d steer clear of the others, unless I was on an extremely tight budget.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Tite-Mark Marking Gauge

These gauges can be easily and precisely adjusted with one hand, which allows you to set the tool while holding a ruler or workpiece in the other. The quality is exceptional, and all have sharp cutters that offer great visibility.

Buy at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks

Starrett 12-in. combination square

This accurate, robust, well-machined, easy-to-read combo square is as great as ever.

Buy at Amazon

Veritas Micro-Adjust Wheel Marking Gauge

The adjuster runs through the beam from a small knob at the back end right to the cutting wheel, which moves in and out as you turn the knob. This arrangement works well but makes adjustments a two-handed operation, requiring a little more effort.

Buy at Lee Valley