I’d be lost without my block plane. Though small, this tool has a big place in my woodworking, and I use it at least a dozen times each day when I’m in the shop. I trust it to bestow the critical finishing touches on a project, like carefully fitting a drawer into a carcase. The plane’s small size makes it easy to control on an assembled piece, say for chamfering a table edge, and well-suited for jobs like removing machine marks from the edges and ends of a board, planing curved edges, and trimming joinery flush.

Because a block plane gets so much use, it’s important that you get a very good one, one that fits your hand, cuts well, and adjusts easily. Choose wisely and you’ll have a trusted friend for life. Choose poorly, and you’ll kick yourself many times over.