Woodriver Low Angle Block Plane With Adjustable Mouth

Definitely the best hand plane I’ve ever had. I’ve been a carpenter (mostly finish and cabinets) for 27 years. In the past I’ve had a few big box block planes. Once the sole was flattened and the blade sharpened and honed I thought, that’s good enough. However, this plane came out of the box very flat (not perfect but I’m not a machinist) and the 1/8” thick blade was sharp enough to test plane some 1x white oak I had. I looked at more expensive and less expensive planes, some of which seem like they are intended to be more of a decoration rather than a woodworking tool. This one meets the need with only a little chrome.. The plane does weight a lot (cast iron body compared to the pot metal that likely makes up the cheap ones I’ve had). The very best part for me is the quick release frog/chipbreaker. The blade advance is so easy compared to other planes. I read some reviews that it keeps popping up/loose. It did that to me a couple times so I gave the tension screw a quarter turn tightening and presto! I love this tool so much that I plan to use it for all the fillers and baseboards I need to fine tune the scribe with. I even made a nifty leather pouch so I can keep it on my belt at all times.

Love this plane. I have been using this plane for several months now. I did sharpen the blade, thanks to Rob Cosman's videos on how to sharpen blades. But I love smoothly taking edges off for a nicer finish.

After being a hobbyist woodworker for years I’ve been trying to learn and use more traditional hand tools. I’ve rehabbed half a dozen garage sale Stanley planes over the last few years, getting use to the tools before dipping my toes into the pricier options. I finally decided to step up to the Wood River low angle block plane to replace a much cheaper low end box store plane. I couldn’t be happier. I wanted to see how well this plane worked right out of the box with out spending the customary hour or two fine tuning blade and sole. I cleaned up the minimal amount of packing oil with mineral spirits, adjusted the blade and put it to work on some very well seasoned ash. Out of the box it’s producing great shavings on the long grain and trueing up the end grain without tear out. I guess you really do get what you pay for. As useful as a block plane is, I know this will be getting lots of work in the future…it’s pleasant to use a plane I’m not regularly fighting with. Fit and finish are spot on. Can’t wait to see how it’ll run fully tuned. I would definitely recommend this plane.

I really appreciate the feeling (comfort) of this plane. It's very easy to set your blade after sharpening or as required with different types of wood. This is much more refined than my earlier planes. Heavier, but that's because it's built right!

Great plane for the money. This is a big upgrade over a stanley block plane. Buy once, cry once.

I ordered this as an alternative to waiting for something from another supplier and because it was on sale. The plane arrived in good condition and was well packed. Setup was not simple as neither the blade nor the sole of the plane was flat. The back of the blade has a significant cup to it and it took some time on the sharpening stones to get it flat enough along the front edge to be put to use. Mine arrived with a casting flaw above the finger placement "hollows" on the right side. The flaw does not interfere with the function of the plane, so no deductions for that. I decided to leave the sole without subjecting it to additional flattening since unlike the blade I think it is "flat enough" for my current project. The sides appear to be square with the bottom (at least within my ability to measure) so that is good. The blade holds an edge as well as can be expected for a high carbon blade and I was unable to detect any tempering flaws in the blade. Being high carbon, the blade sharpens quickly (the tradeoff for edge retention) on almost any type of sharpening stone which is good since you will find yourself taking the blade to the stones more often than a blade made from another steel. Mechanically everything works well and seems very well machined. If you don't mind spending a more time in setup and like high carbon blades, this is a good plane and a good deal.

This is a well made piece, but not $130 worth. I hoped it would be perfect, because it's the most I've spent on a new one. Good flat sole, nice heavy blade. It's irritating I have to loosen the clamp to adjust blade depth, but doable. Fit and finish is good. HOWEVER, when using it, about one time out of 6 or 7, the pressure of my hand pops the knuckle cap open in the middle of operation. Not acceptable. Unfortunately it'[s too late to return or I surely wood. What an odd design.

I have no idea what sheerness and thickness relate to on a plane so I rated those both three stars. This is a high quality plane that was ready to use right out of the box. Is it worth the approximately $130 I paid for it? Comparing it to a $50 standard Stanley low angle block plane, it is a much better plane, but it is $80 better? You'll have to make that decision for yourself. If you are doing general carpentry save the money and buy the Stanley. With a good tune-up, set-up and blade sharpening, it will more than meet your needs. If you are using this for precision woodworking or as the primary plane for your small shooting board, this is an excellent choice.