Hand Plane Buying Guide
Last reviewed on 2026-04-24
Buying a hand plane well — vintage or new — means knowing what to look for, what to avoid, and what to pay. This is the top-level buying guide for wplane. Follow the links for deeper articles on specific situations.
First Questions Before You Buy
- What kind of work will you do? A furniture maker, a restorer, a luthier, and a green-woodworker all need different plane collections. Start with the plane type that matches your actual work, not the most interesting tool in the catalog.
- Do you enjoy tool restoration? If yes, vintage planes are excellent value. If not, budget for new premium tools.
- What is your budget per plane? Vintage user-grade planes run roughly $30–$80. Premium new planes run $250–$450. The gap is large and affects how many planes you can own.
The Core Three
For most woodworkers the first three planes are the same three, in this order:
- Block plane. A low-angle block plane (Stanley 60½ type) handles end grain, chamfers, joint fitting, and small work. The most-used plane in many shops. Beginner plane guide
- No. 4 smoothing plane. The finishing plane for face grain. A vintage Stanley No. 4 is the classic recommendation. Smoothing plane guide
- No. 5 jack plane. The general-purpose plane — flattens, thicknesses, and handles rougher work. Jack plane guide
Add a No. 7 jointer when the work demands it, and a shoulder plane or router plane when the joinery does.
Vintage or Modern?
Both are valid; they suit different priorities.
- Vintage planes are inexpensive, abundant, and educational. A restored vintage Stanley works as well as anything — but you will spend an evening or more restoring each one. Best for patient woodworkers who enjoy the process. Buying vintage guide
- Modern premium planes (Lie-Nielsen, Veritas, Clifton) arrive ready to use, with thick irons, heavy castings, and precise tolerances. Best for woodworkers who want to plane, not restore. Vintage vs modern comparison
Buying Guides
Best Planes for Beginners
A clear starting sequence: which three planes to buy first, in what order, and what to avoid.
Read the guideBuying Used Planes
What to check on a vintage plane before you pay — cracks, sole wear, adjustment mechanism, iron condition.
Read the guideVintage vs Modern Comparison
A head-to-head on cost, performance, and the time each path demands from you.
Read the guideBudget Hand Plane Setup
How to get a working plane setup for the least money without ending up with tools that frustrate you.
Read the guideBooks, Tools, Suppliers
The canonical book list and the suppliers worth knowing for planes, irons, sharpening, and parts.
Read the guideWhat to Avoid
- New big-box store planes under about $30. Soft irons, poorly ground soles, loose adjustment. These discourage beginners and have a small chance of ever working well.
- Vintage planes with cracked castings. No amount of tuning fixes a cracked frog receiver or a cracked mouth.
- Collector-priced vintage planes. Pristine Stanley Bedrocks and early Bailey types are beautiful but far too expensive for learning. Buy a user-grade tool.
- Too many planes too fast. A sharpening backlog grows quickly if you buy six planes before learning to sharpen one.