Handplane Basics - A Better Way to Use Bench Planes - Review

For anyone interested in learning more about handplanes or making sense of all the planes available this is a great place to start. The DVD walks through three different types of bench planes, the purpose of each type, how to sharpen and set them up, and how to plane a board in an efficient manner. There are also some extras on the DVD-ROM.

Before owning the DVD I always found myself laying aside my planes in frustration after trying to use them on projects, vowing to someday take the time to learn how to properly add their use to my arsenal of tools.
Now I can say with confidence that the day has finally come where I feel like I'm headed in the right direction. I'm by no means an expert and may never be but I can honestly say that the information on this DVD has allowed me to increase my skills exponentially. From the first time I watched it I could feel the tumblers clicking in to place as the mystical secrets of hand planning were finally beginning to unlock themselves. I found the style of teaching easy to understand and absorb and have found myself referring back to it multiple times as a refresher.


I ordered it from the Woodworkers Bookshop at the regular price with some birthday money. Of course, as is typical with my luck, it went on sale after I had ordered it and before I had received it in the mail. I decided to e-mail the customer service team and explain the situation and asked if I could get the discount even though I ordered it before it went on sale. Not more than a couple of hours went by and I received a reply telling me they would be happy to refund the difference between what I had paid and the current sale price. It goes without saying that I was extremely happy and sent an e-mail back to customer service telling them they had just earned a repeat customer.

I'll close by saying I highly recommend this DVD if you are like me and want a clear direction on getting started with or increasing your skills with handplanes.