Some might call this type of hand plane exotic, eccentric — even antiquated, but Japanese planes are attracting increasing notice and attention, even in today’s world where modern tools and machines offer instant ease and results. The Japanese plane, known as Kanna to the native speaker, appears to be simplicity itself. Historically, this plane was comprised of only two parts, the Dai or body, and the blade. But this apparent simplicity is deceptive because the designing and crafting of each part is a complex and exacting process steeped in history.
Fortunately, using a Japanese plane, at least at a basic level, is far easier than making one. In this video, Japanese tool expert Craig Vandall Stevens introduces us to this interesting, useful, even powerful hand tool. He’ll break down the basic construction of the plane and take a closer look at the uniqueness of the Japanese forge welded iron & hardened steel blade. Craig also demonstrates the correct methods — the hand & body positions and the unique pulling motions for enabling maximum success. (6 Minute Woodworking Video)
Comments
What a great video, well done Keith and Craig! A couple video suggestions for the future:
1. Using a kanna to smooth a wider board (so far we’ve only seen Craig plane edges).
2. Using other types of Japanese planes (jointer, block, whatever they use).
Does the kanna have a cambered blade? What’s the most common way to sharpen it – waterstones? Anything tricky about sharpening a Japanese blade?
Keith’s Note: Thanks Eric for all your kind words and support (from Malaysia!). Great comments and yes, I’ve got more videos in the pipeline. Viewers should make sure they subscribe so they don’t miss new stuff coming out – on the subjects you mention above and other vidoes from my travels in the world of wood.
Yes, great video! Shouldn’t jump in, but yes Eric, it needs to be cambered. I have a Japanese smoother that needs a bit more camber, it makes a nice clean cut but you can see an feel the edges of the cut still. I need to camber it a bit. Bob
Keith’s Note: Bob – Thanks for your thoughts on this video. On cambering – I’m not taking a position on what, if any, amount of cambering is correct, because where views differ there are always several approaches. Craig’s approach (who is in Japan teaching artisans in plane use, right now as I type) is to not camber the blade of his smoothing plane. He says that the final cuts are so fine, so whisper thin, that it is not necessary. Craig is very interested in the reflectivity on light on his work, so he has told me he generally wants a perfectly uniform surface. Still, when I speak with him next, I’ll ask Craig for clarification on his view. All that said, there are many outstanding artisans who camber their plane blades, so there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat. (Wink!)
Funnily enough, woodworking tools are about engineering, not religion. A brand new Stanley jack-plane (and it doesn’t get much better) is about $100 (plus a bit for two extra blades – – guess why?) and NOT $300-$700. So, if you are serious, stay with your Western engineers. So, unless of course you want to do “Zen and the art of planing”, take a modern plane (forget the collectibles: modern steel is a different animal from what our grandparents had access to), take a diamond stone to the base to get five years polish in afternoon, and go do some serious work. One other point: you punch forwards, not backwards, and a javelin is thrown forwards, not over the shoulder. Yes, rowers face backwards, but that’s because their power comes from their legs. You don’t plane with your thighs: you use your back. Planing is about upperbody muscles.
Keith Note: Most viewers and visitors to WoodTreks like to remain open to — and celebrate — the wide variety of approaches to the craft. That said, I’m glad you’ve found an approach that works for you.
If you follow Christopher Schwarz, who is one of the most knowledgeable people in the craft when it comes to hand tool usage, especially hand-planes, he will explain how planing (with a western style plane) should use the muscles in your legs, NOT your arms. Your leg muscles are much larger and tire much slower. You should “walk” the plane down the wood, lunging forward smoothly with your legs. You can plane for far longer, especially when planing long stock, than you can if you just “shove it” with your arm muscles.
Anyway, Japanese have studied body movement and how to best do things for longer than we have had western planes. I’m sure they have invested far more time in finding the best way to use the body for planing than we have in “engineering” a Stanley Jack plane.
Anyway, everybody knows Lie-Nielsen is king of the hill in brass and iron western style hand planes. Stanley is not even close in quality. Come on, aluminum cap on the new SweetHeart? the threads were nearly strippen on the brand new, in the box plane that I inspected. Total junk.
Old Stanley’s, awesome, will never say otherwise. New stuff in junk, period.
And as for “steel technology” being better now, that may help with the blades, but as for the bodies, they’re cast iron, and old cast iron is better than new for many reasons. One major reason is new iron is usually made in China, with very few manufacturers using American foundries for casting plane bodies and other parts. Chinese cast iron is junk, with a very high silica content, very brittle and hard with no malleability, not near ideal for a plane.
Again, Lie Nielsen leads the way in that area of technology, with Stanley lagging FAR, FAR behind.
Stanley was King, they never will be again. NEVER.
Keith’s Note: Thanks for the thoughts Kenny. As with most things having to do with the craft, opinions will vary but overall you’ve captured the essence of what most hand-tool users generally agree on regarding hand planes. And I’d clarify, and I think you agree, that the old pre-war Stanleys/Baileys are still highly regarded and bear no similarity to their modern cousins.
Thoroughly enjoyed the video.
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