Construction and Design Details

Construction & Design Details

	The Cutting Irons
	I use tapered, slotted irons manufactured to my specifications. They are not available for separate purchase at this time. The dimensions are closely based on typical 19th-century irons: They taper from about 3/16" at the cutting edge to 3/32" at the top.	The irons are O1 high-carbon tool steel, hardened to 58-60 RC. They take and hold a wonderful edge. The irons are normally bedded at 47.5 degrees, the traditional bed angle used in early English double-iron planes. However, I'm happy to accommodate requests for custom bed angles from 45° - 50°.
	The Cap Irons
	My cap irons (or chipbreakers, if you prefer) are unlike any other on the market today. Most modern cap irons have a bend in the middle and a single flat bevel. My cap irons, like all 18th- and 19th-century cap irons, hook sharply at the bottom and are gracefully curved to facilitate shaving escapement. These cap irons are made in-house.
	The Wooden Stock
	Like most traditional planes of the last 300 years, mine are made of quartersawn beech, with the bark side oriented down.
	The Mortise and Escapement
		The earliest double-iron planes had elegant, efficient mortises and escapements that required a great deal of labor-intensive handwork to produce. Later 19th-century planes were often made more cheaply, in large factories that used unskilled labor. My planes return to the older method of construction.
	The Finishing Touches
	My planes feature the traditional finish details of period planes: Bold long chamfers on the sides, and stopped chamfers finished by gouge cuts on the ends. When the plane is done, I test it thoroughly, finish it with oil, test it again, and send it out into the world.

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