Krenov Style Planes Vs. Metal Bodied Planes

[@Ammed_KN6STX]

I was in the woodworking industry for 38 years when I stumbled across Rob Cosman. I took his class at the Ventura California Woodcraft and I thought I knew how to do hand tool woodworking. The lessons I learned from Rob changed me forever!!! Thank you Rob!!!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Just because I introduced you to Luther!

[@Ammed_KN6STX]

@ Since that happened I have never been the same…..!

[@gregblake2764]

Rob, thanks for an interesting video. I've been a professional woodworker for 55 years. Originally trained to use a Stanley #5 for everything. I started making wooden planes 23 years ago out of scraps just for the fun of it. I now use a mix of metal and wooden planes, taking advantage of the best characteristics of each. For hogging off a lot of material to flatten a large, wide board I reach for my 16" wooden razee style fore plane made using the Krenov method. Even though it's lighter than an equally sized Bailey 5 1/2 it glides through the cuts and is less fatiguing to use. My preferred jointer is a Lie-Nielsen #7. My smoothers are now mostly wooden planes, but I recently bought a Woodriver # 4 1/2 to smooth large panels. It does a beautiful job. Adjusting my wooden planes with a small light hammer is quick and easy and takes no more time than adjusting a Bailey metal plane, but I've been doing it for 20 years and it's become intuitive. I still use my old Stanley #5 as my go to utility plane out of familiarity. I upgraded it with a Hock iron and chipbreaker over twenty years ago. If I could only have one plane that Stanley #5 is the one I'd keep. It all comes down to personal preference and what gets the job done with the least amount of fuss.

[@davidclark9086]

A very well-made and informative video.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thank you!

[@gr_woodworking]

Thank you so much Rob!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You are most welcome!

[@kentboys5017]

Great video as always. Thank you for sharing. Take care!👍🏻

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You are most welcome!

[@Brough_builds]

Great informative video as usual, merry Christmas and happy new year from the UK

[@davidhaworth7152]

Thank you Rob

[@J.A.Smith2397]

Always love your advice

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I am glad you find it helpful!

[@ronbingham1587]

Thanks Rob, merry Christmas to you and yours,

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thank you and best Christmas wishes to you as well!

[@davidmontgomery1016]

I have a wooden plane that I made specifically for my shooting board. To get some heft in it I bored one inch holes through the center section and glued in steel plugs during the glue up. Comes in at just over seven pounds. Works great on the shooting board. Otherwise I use my metal body planes that are around 100 years old. Once I learned your method of sharpening they became a joy to use.

[@tatehogan5685]

I've played with those wooden planes and still have to say that I prefer the 5 1/2. Thanks again for sharing the knowledge and thanks to Frick for the youtube handling! (Or Jake if it's you)

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks for seconding the 5 1/2 motion!

[@natepeterson7145]

Happy holidays Rob!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Merry Christmas to you and happy new year!

[@BrantAerials]

Merry Christmas Rob.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks and merry Christmas and happy New Year to you yours!

[@ashgiles4401]

Great video Rob. Like hearing of your early days. I'd love to hear more from your time with Allen Peters, cheers.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I’ll have to dig up some more stories about those days!

[@georgejohnson1498]

I have a British wooden plane. I never have used it, but it cost £1 from a junk shop. I wondered how you could ever set it up! No doubt once you get the hang of it, it might become second nature, but no doubt for most of us, it would be finicky! I have a nice made in Britain really old Stanley, about eight inches long [do not know the model], which even an amateur like me can use, and keep working nicely! Really only used for adjusting sticky doors, but that is okay. Love your videos. Always an education! Best wishes from George

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks George, Merry Christmas to you!

[@robohippy]

Well, I am about 2 years into learning how to use hand planes. It has been a journey. I have both metal and wood planes. Most of my wood planes are pull type, but I do have some that need to be restored that are push planes. While the mouth on a wood plane is not very adjustable, adjusting the iron is pretty simple. However, if I lay off of them for a while, it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. Just picked up a Chinse style plane from Heartwood tools which can be used as a scraping plane or a smoothing plane. The slip through handle is removable for push or pulling. I do use an upholster's tack hammer for adjusting the blade. A hammer that is too heavy does tend to drive the blade too deep on one tap. I will make some wood ones eventually, but I think I prefer the more traditional rather than the thicker ones. All of the antique planes I have have lots of cracks and checks in them. I figure it is because they are so thick the wood never reaches equilibrium and that is why the cracks happen. Pretty sure I can make a push plane out of 6/4 stock. Always experimenting....

[@bigjgordon]

Do you know anyone who can turn that wooden hammer for you??😂 Merry Christmas sir!

[@robohippy]

I have 6 lathes.... I need to make one out of some lignum I have. Last one had a mountain mahogany head on it. Numerous carver's mallets too.

[@musamor75]

It's always a joy to watch (and listen to) your most instructive videos. You are an inspiration to a myriad of woodworkers; I see your name come up often in plenty of woodworking sites and groups. You are actually one of the very few who has had the privilege of a proper grounding and genuine training. Therefore you belong to the real cabinet making school, and can be considered- prematurely- as one of the future "old boys" (I say that affectionately). There are a hell of a lot of amateurs out there, posting stuff as if they really knew what they were talking about. I watched one of your comparison videos, where in fact you compared two no. 5 1/2's: the Lie Nielsen and this one you use here: the Wood River, which did not get 1st prize. Is that still your view? I live in France- an expensive and isolated place to live in- and I decided to call the Lie Nielsen firm directly, because I entertained the idea of acquiring the superlative no. 5 1/2. Every other European country was out of stock. They would sell direct to a private customer (one Dollar less than 500$ US), but I would have to pay half again in Customs Tax- the highest on the planet. So no go. When I looked up the Wood River model it looked like it wasn't available any more. You claim that you sell them, but i didn't find any link to a tool catalogue under the video. Could you kindly point me to your site? Do you ship to Europe? Once again, thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. I really appreciate fine souls like yourself, who enrich the woodworking world with their extensive knowledge. By the way, I'm a woodworker myself (41 years of cabinet work and a very intense experience in Antique furniture restoration (17th, 18th, 19th and some 20th century)). I also have a fondness for wooden planes, but agree with you on the practicality of the metal plane (that's why they were invented, right?) Greetings from France. Ralph

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

robcosman.com/collections/planes/products/woodriver-no-5-1-2-jack-plane-with-prep

[@janvanderlinden1965]

Hello Rob, greetings from the low countries. I enjoy watching your video's. Jan van der Linden

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I enjoy making them so it is nice to hear the audience benefits! Happy new year!

[@mark2talk2u]

Nice video. If one is going to discuss weight, shouldn’t Rob’s wood plane be compared to a something like a Woodriver #4.5 plane? That one is 10.375” long with 2.375” wide blade.

[@Fusion_Woodworking]

If you think this comparison is bias, you are correct. This is Mr Cosman's opinion and from his experience. There are wood planes with blade adjustment mechanisms, but wood will move more than a metal body plane over years. You can get the body resin infused to gain more weight and stability, but buying them will cost more than buying good metal body ones.

[@jaoxer]

Man, you've sold me on those adjustars ...I'm in the uk, and use old refurbished stanleys ...would they fit mine? Can I get them here?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Should fit, Classic Hand Tools carry our goods.

[@erichold-z1p]

Stanley made a 2 3/8 " #5 1/2 , it wasn't a Bedrock though i have one in my shop .

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yep, the bedrock was 2 1/4”

[@erichold-z1p]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking Also another alternative would be a Stanley transitional plane , i have several and i enjoy them .

[@ChristiannTyler]

Is there any consensus on why the Japanese style saws and planes cut on the pull and western styles cut on the push stroke?

[@Ham68229]

I can only speak for myself here. Having partially torn tendons in both shoulder area's. Using Japanese pull saws and hand planes, makes woodworking much easier. Less strain on my shoulders.

[@ChristiannTyler]

@ I do enjoy some of the Japanese pull saws though I haven’t tried that style of hand plane. I will say after trying a premium conventional dovetail saw I will be ordering one of Rob’s it made cutting dovetails much easier.

[@Ham68229]

@ChristiannTyler I don't remember the gentleman's name but I believe he teaches the proper method on using Japanese hand saws. It is the two hand method and, it does take a lot of practice to get them down. Just remember, use what works best for you. Cheers

[@Kiskobold]

Having such a small length of the sole behind the blade compared to the front is probably one more reason. I've not tried those but having a big reference surface on the front makes more sense in terms of flattening something with it. Them being so blocky and unergonomic would probably make it really uncomfortable to push. It's always easier to pull than to push something though, so it makes sense

[@Ham68229]

@Kiskobold In Japan I believe they hold a competition for the thinnest shaving with hand planes. It's a sight to see. :)

[@fayz44awad]

❤🙏

[@1deerndingo]

And the shavings on the 5 1/2 were that thin they were annoyingly sticking to his hand. Yes, you can do that with a coffin smoother, but you have to be an enthusiast for working with old tool technology. And that's a whole nother thing.

[@lukasoldani2472]

Agree Rob. However, I never understood why to use a metal scrub plane. The main argument of an easy adjustment does not match here as one takes big shavings. A wooden scrub plane is cheaper and slides beautifly on the rough wood.

[@kimmosaarinen2780]

To each to their own. I like my scrub plane to have more weight, cause it's a scrub plane. For jointing I like to use my wooden plane. For smoothing I would like to use wooden but I use what I got, and that is Frankenplane #4, for jack plane I use my Frankenplane #5, and for smaller stuff etc I use my Stanley 220. And yes, the 220 is great (for me and my jobs), no matter what some woodworking guru says. When you're not made of money and don't like the idea of throwing money towards the problem when you have one. Work what with you got, make do. Do you understood now? Even a tiny little bit?

[@lukasoldani2472]

@@kimmosaarinen2780 Well, I think generally I understand quiet well. And of course I agree: to each to their own. I just never understood why they made this metal version and argue at the same time that the main reason for the metal body plane is the easy adjustment. Personally, the weight is nothing I missed on my wooden scrub plane. And if it boils down to this aspect, I come to a different conclusion.

[@dannyjacobsen1677]

Merry Christmas Rob

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!