History
Most hand planes are categorized as either bench or block planes and have been around since Roman times.
In the early days, the most basic ones were made from wooden blocks with a rectangular slot cut across the centre for the metal blade to slot in. The blade (also known as the iron) was secured with a wooden wedge. Examples recovered from excavations at historic sites in various parts of the world indicate more "modern" methods of construction. Some of the Roman planes resembled modern planes, consisting of a wooden core wrapped in iron. Even bronze was used in some instances.
Leonard Bailey started producing a line of cast iron-bodied hand planes in the mid 1800s. The patents were later transferred to Stanley who, to this day, still manufactures the Bailey designs.
Modern hand planes are still made of very much the same combination of materials consisting of cast iron and wood with bronze in some instances.
Types of Hand Planers
Block Planers are used for smoothing and flattening uneven and curly pieces of timber. The blade is at a fairly shallow angle with an upward bevel. With their low blade angle, block planes are designed to shear off end grain, making them very useful for trimming and fitting