Best Planes for Beginners
If you can only buy three planes, buy these:
1. Low-Angle Block Plane
Veritas, Lie-Nielsen, or vintage Stanley 60½. For end grain, small work, chamfers. Used constantly.
2. No. 4 Smoothing Plane
Vintage Stanley from 1940s-1960s, or modern Lie-Nielsen/Veritas. Your daily workhorse for surfaces.
3. No. 5 Jack Plane
The most versatile bench plane. Vintage Stanley or modern premium. Can smooth, joint, and dimension.
Buy these three before buying any specialty planes. They handle 95% of hand plane work.