A woodworking plane is a tool that is used by a carpenter to shape and smooth wood. Hand woodworking planes were first used in ancient times and they are just as valuable to the craft of wood working today. The woodworking plane contains a sharp blade that literally shaves off pieces of the wood into the cutter's desired shape. There are a number of different types of planes used for woodwork and each plane performs a different function, creating a different type of cut.

Today, there are a number of different types of power tools that are readily available for use. They are fast, high energized, and can turn a laborious project into a quick and easy task. However, many people still prefer to use hand woodworking planes. Wood working planes allow the carpenter to have more control over each cut and the carpenter can take off thin layers of wood at a time. Some of the planes on the market today include:

The Bench Plane- designed to be adjustable

Block Planes- these are used on the end pieces of wood; they are often small enough to be used with one hand

The Jointer Plane- shapes edges so that they may fit together

The Jack Plane- used for rough surfacing

Chamfer Plane-used for making beveled edges

The Smooth Plane-used for finishing

Circular Plane- used for both concave and convex surfaces

Combination Plane- uses interchangeable cutters

Scrub Planes- cuts away excess

Beading Plane- used for creating moulding with beadwork

Bullnose Plane-has the cutting edge at the top

Fore Plane-a plane between a jack and a jointer plane

Tonguing and Grooving Plane-used for creating the tongues and grooves on matchboards

Rabbet Plane- used for cutting rabbets

Router Plane-used for making grooves

Woodworking planes can be used for a variety of smoothing, trimming, and shaping tasks, and a good selection of planes will prove invaluable to an woodworker.