Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #122780 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 262 pages

Customer Reviews

Beautifully presented, well written and very informative
I have had more pleasure from this book than almost any other. Lest this seem an overstatement, the quality of the book is such that it can be used as a resource for historical information or as a practical guide to the best use of handplanes. The photographs, taken with a real artistry by the photographer John S. Sheldon, link with the text to perfection. There are many sidebars (panels) that expand the detail given to a particular topic. A technical book of this quality is rare. The writing is outstanding, the text elegant and unobtrusive. For all these qualities, this book will find a place, not only on the shelves of the craftsman, but also amongst the books of those who admire good writing and design.

Handplanes are valuable tools that should get more use.
I have recently purchased a new Lie-Nielson plane that worked great out of the box after a little honing of the blade. It will never replace the now tuned Stanley transitional plane. This book showed me the value of a well-tuned tool, old or new, and deepened my appreciation of hand tools. Having grown weary of noisey power tools, I have shifted my focus towards more traditional hand tools. These tools don't come with manuals, which makes this book all the more valuable to have. After reading of some specialty planes. I know which I should look for while searching flea markets, garage sales, and woodworking catalogs.

This an excellent book for novice and expert woodworkers.
This book covers all aspects of almost every type of handplane including their tuning, uses, and specialty items. There are many great tips that I have found invaluable. This a book that on first glance I thought would be boring or uninformative, but instead I found it to be very interesting, well written and illustrated, and of high quality.