Hand planes have been flattening, smoothing, and shaping wood for thousands of years, and the basic designs have barely changed. Walk into a woodworking store and the wall of planes looks overwhelming — bench planes numbered 1 through 8, block planes, rabbet planes, shoulder planes, scrub planes, router planes. You do not need all of them. Most woodworkers use three or four planes regularly and the rest gather dust. Here is what each type does and which ones belong in your shop.

Hand Plane Types Explained

The Bench Plane Family

Bench planes are the workhorses. They flatten faces, straighten edges, and smooth surfaces. They are numbered by size, and the number tells you the function.

No. 4 Smoothing Plane (9-10 inches)

This is the most used hand plane in woodworking. Its short sole bridges local high spots, and a finely set blade produces gossamer-thin shavings that leave a surface smoother than any sandpaper. The finish from a well-tuned smoother has a luster that sanded wood cannot match — the blade compresses the grain instead of tearing it.

A new Stanley or Buck Bros No. 4 costs $40 to $60 and works after sharpening and tuning. The Lie-Nielsen No. 4 ($375) and Veritas No. 4 ($290) are buy-once-for-life tools that arrive ready to use. Vintage Stanley Bailey No. 4 planes from the 1940s through 1960s are excellent tools available for $30 to $80 at flea markets and estate sales.

Get this plane first. It handles 70 percent of hand planing tasks in a home workshop.

No. 5 Jack Plane (14 inches)

The jack-of-all-trades — hence the name. Long enough to straighten moderate-length boards, short enough to be nimble. With a slightly cambered (curved) blade, it removes material quickly for rough dimensioning. With a straight blade set fine, it acts as a short jointer for edges.

The No. 5 is the second plane to buy. It bridges gaps that the shorter No. 4 rides over, making it better for flattening wider boards and shooting edges for glue-ups.

No. 7 or No. 8 Jointer Plane (22-24 inches)

The long sole spans valleys and only cuts the high points, progressively flattening a surface or straightening an edge. Essential for hand-tool joinery where two boards must meet in a perfect, gap-free joint.

These are large, heavy planes (7 to 10 pounds). The Lie-Nielsen No. 7 ($450) is a beautiful tool. For budget shops, a vintage Stanley No. 7 ($80 to $150) does the same work after restoration and sharpening.

Most home woodworkers who also own a powered jointer and planer rarely need a jointer plane. Buy it if you do hand-tool woodworking seriously; skip it if your machines handle dimensioning.

No. 3 Smoothing Plane (8 inches)

A smaller smoother for tight spaces, small projects, and chamfering edges. Not essential if you own a No. 4, but nice to have for detail work and kids’ woodworking projects where the full-size smoother is too heavy.

Block Planes

A block plane fits in one hand. The blade sits at a lower angle (12 to 20 degrees) than a bench plane, with the bevel facing up instead of down. This low angle excels at end grain work, trimming, and chamfering.

Standard-angle block plane (20 degrees): The general-purpose block plane. Trims door frames, end grain, miters, and small parts. The Stanley 12-220 ($20 to $30) is cheap and functional. The Lie-Nielsen 60-1/2 ($175) is the gold standard.

Low-angle block plane (12 degrees): Even better on end grain and cross-grain work. The Veritas Low-Angle Block Plane ($115) adjusts mouth opening and blade depth precisely.

A block plane is the third plane to buy. It lives on the workbench and gets grabbed constantly for quick trimming, fitting, and easing edges.

Specialty Planes

Rabbet Plane

The blade extends to the full width of the sole, allowing it to cut into corners and shoulders. Used for trimming rabbets, cleaning up tenon cheeks, and fitting joints. The Stanley 78 ($40 to $60 vintage) and Lie-Nielsen No. 78 ($175) are the main options.

Needed only if you cut joinery by hand. A router does this work for most home shops.

Shoulder Plane

A narrow rabbet plane with precise milled sides and sole, designed specifically for trimming tenon shoulders and cheeks to fit. The Veritas Medium Shoulder Plane ($145) is excellent.

Again, a hand-tool joinery tool. Not needed for general workshop use.

Router Plane

Not a powered router — a hand tool that cuts grooves and dadoes to a consistent depth. The blade projects below the sole and is adjusted up or down. Used for cleaning up hinge mortises, inlay recesses, and through-tenon mortises.

The Veritas Router Plane ($165) is the modern standard. Vintage Stanley 71 models ($50 to $100) work after sharpening the blade.

Scrub Plane

A bench plane with a deeply cambered blade set for aggressive stock removal. It takes thick, narrow shavings and quickly reduces a board’s thickness. Essential for hand-tool shops that dimension rough lumber without machines. Unnecessary if you own a powered planer.

Any old No. 4 or No. 5 with a crowned blade ground to an 8-inch radius becomes a scrub plane. No need to buy a dedicated tool.

Choosing Your First Planes

For a home workshop with power tools:

1. No. 4 smoothing plane — handles final surface prep, edge easing, and fitting work
2. Low-angle block plane — end grain, chamfers, trim fitting, quick adjustments
3. No. 5 jack plane — when you need to flatten something larger than the No. 4 handles

These three planes cover every hand-planing task that comes up in a shop with power sanders and a planer/jointer.

For a dedicated hand-tool shop, add a No. 7 jointer, a rabbet plane, and a router plane. That kit handles full furniture construction from rough lumber to finished surface.

Setup and Maintenance

A hand plane fresh from the box — even a good one — needs tuning before it performs well:

1. Flatten the sole on sandpaper adhered to a granite surface plate or plate glass
2. Sharpen the blade to a mirror edge at the correct angle (25 degrees for bench planes, hone at 30)
3. Set the cap iron (chip breaker) tight to the blade edge — 1/64 inch gap for smoothing, 1/32 inch for general work
4. Adjust the mouth opening: tight for fine smoothing, wider for heavy cuts
5. Wax the sole with paste wax for smooth gliding

A sharp plane blade is everything. A dull plane tears grain, chatters, and requires excessive force. Sharpen frequently — every 15 to 30 minutes of active use.

Bottom Line

Start with a No. 4 smoother and a block plane. Learn to sharpen and tune them properly. These two planes handle trim fitting, edge easing, surface cleanup, and the hundred small shaping tasks that arise in every woodworking project. Add a jack plane when you start flattening larger surfaces by hand. Skip the specialty planes until a specific project demands them.