Skew Block Plane

Modern hand planes continue to be popular, and this low-angle block plane excels at trimming tenons, rabbets, and end grain.

Tool: Skew Block Plane Buy Now

Manufacturer: Veritas

MSRP: $229

When you pick up the Veritas Skew Block Plane, you’ll notice that the blade is skewed at 15°, side to side. When using a regular plane, you’ve probably noted that holding it at a skewed angle to the work makes the plane easier to push. Skewing the blade—as this block plane does—produces the same effect.

How does that work? Consider this: It’s easier to ride a bike up a hill if you go on a slant, right? The lower the angle of attack, the less effort is required. The same is true when planing wood: The lower the blade’s angle of attack, the easier it is to push the plane. Skewing the blade, or the plane, essentially lowers the blade’s attack angle, just like skewing your bike to the face of that hill.

While this plane can perform all the functions of a standard block plane, such as trimming doors, it will really come in handy for paring tenons, when you only have to take off a shaving or two to make the joint fit. A standard plane won’t work, because it can’t cut right up to the tenon’s shoulder. This block plane will work, because it has one open side, like a rabbeting plane. It will take a shaving up to 1-1/2″ wide, so you can shave the entire width of most tenons in one pass, unlike a standard rabbet plane.

Additional features of the plane include an adjustable mouth, a removable fence, a retractable scoring spur, lateral adjustment, and a choice of A2 or O1 blades. It’s available in left- or right-hand versions.