Buying Vintage Hand Planes

Buying vintage planes requires checking specific wear points and damage indicators.

Critical Checks

1. Sole Flatness

Sight down the sole. Slight wear is fine (you'll flatten it), but twisted or severely worn soles require extensive lapping.

2. Cracks in Casting

Check around the mouth, frog mounting area, and handle mounting points. Cracks render the plane unreliable or unusable.

3. Threads and Adjustments

Turn adjustment wheel and move lateral lever. They should move smoothly without excessive play or binding.

4. Iron Condition

Heavy pitting near the edge means grinding away significant material. Prefer irons with edge intact.

What's Fixable

What's Not Fixable