Thread: How to fettle a plane

I often wonder how many of the japanese planes are bought and fettled, used on a test piece like this and then used very little in actual work because planing a case or a dimensioned board is an entirely different proposition than planing a test piece narrower than a blade.

I'd imagine that japanese planes here in the states have by far the lowest average time on them, and often get put away only to be found tight and needing fettling a few months later.

(the sellers of premium planes generally use a test like that shown - mild agreeable wood, narrower than the plane blade - to make the experience as pleasant as possible - thin shavings just like that are necessary, too).

Once you put japanese planes to work in making things, then the ideals go out the door until the very last passes smoothing - it becomes more of a fight to protect the irons because chipping blades are punishing, and their edge life is about the same as O1 steel tempered properly in a western plane.

They do make for spectacular videos, just like the infills meant for thin shavings like the brese plane demonstrations.