A little while back, wooden planemaker, Jeremiah Wilding contacted me to get some feedback on a plane he was developing. He had been fine tuning a “Yankee” style fore plane and wondered if I could give it a test run. This plane was a joy to use. Because of the precision of his workmanship and the lack of warpage (from a century of neglect) this plane adjusted easily and predictably—a luxury not every antique plane offers.
Wilding explained that the “Yankee” style planes lacked carved eyes and had rounded edge chamfers and flat end chamfers. It’s a simple and classy look that I quite like. The plane Jeremiah sent me was made of maple and was 15-3/4” long with a 2” single iron.
The thing about this plane I love over others that I’ve seen on the market is the small, off-center tote, much like many 18th-century examples. This is very similar to Jonathan Fisher’s tote and enables me to comfortably use a two-fingered grip as my pinky lays down the side of the plane. I’ve found this grip to be incredibly helpful when doing stock prep. The standard 19th-century shape (with its high center of gravity) and centered position honestly feels a bit awkward to me now. I’ve brought my Fisher plane copy and a standard 19th-century wooden plane around to woodworking shows and just about everyone that compared the two in use lit up and told me that they completely agreed: this tote (and grip) is much more comfortable. As I was testing Jeremiah’s plane, I felt much at home. For me, this is the biggest selling point of this plane. You’ve simply got to try this tote. It’s incredible.
Drop Wilding an email to order one of his incredible planes. If you don’t have a wooden fore plane, you don’t know what you’re missing.
- Joshua