Three generations of shoulder plane

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Here stand three generations of shoulder planes. The first one is a sand-cast model ‘stuffed’ with some figured mahogany and the owner of this used an old blade reground to fit into the body. It works very well with the tap-adjust method used on pre-adjuster planes, and feels surprisingly comfortable to use.

My friend Caleb from Texas just asked me on Facebook about the difference between Preston and Record. The are both good planes, well engineered substantialI own both. The E Preston in the middle is a favourite and has very tight tolerances around the mouth opening. You don’t need a wide opening because most shoulder work comprises thin shavings .500” or so.

The Veritas I really do like too. This one is probably the plane I reach for the most in the everyday of life and the full width and longer sole means it trims the cheeks of tenons nice and flat and true.