Knight smoother kit

[Clint Jones]

About a month ago I finished one of the Knight smoother plane kits and have been using it here and there. Here it is. I have used it on hardwood (gnarly cocobolo) and soft and it works great (although I did get some small chips on the blade edge when I hit some twisted grain on the coco).

I dont know if Steve is still making these kits but I believe these are a great value.You can get the performance of a high dollar plane for a fraction of what one should cost. I would reccommend that you know how to properly tune a wooden plane before you buy one. Also that you know what makes a wooden plane perform well. The biggest tip of all is to let the kit set a month or so in your shop before you put it together to make up for any wood movement.

The plane is purpleheart with an ipe (I guess) sole. I added a strike button on the top but just for looks as I have been beating on the back side of the plane to adjust depth.

This one has a new home...Time to start on the razee smoother. I would appreciate the others that got the kits to post pictures and their thoughts on the planes.

[Jamie Cowan]

Great looking plane, and a good idea to save a few bucks. Those shavings make my heart race a little bit.

[Bill Moser]

Cute -- and functional. The pic of the shaving is awesome! Is that a 1/4" thick iron?

[Clint Jones]

Cute -- and functional. The pic of the shaving is awesome! Is that a 1/4" thick iron?

Yes I believe the iron is 1/4" . I think all of steve's planes have 1/4" irons.

[Mike Henderson]

Wooden planes are pretty easy to make. You can purchase a Hock blade and chipbreaker for about $50 and use scrap wood for the body - especially as you're learning. For fairly detailed step-by-step instructions, you can use the book "Making and Mastering Wood Planes" by David Finck. It's no longer in print but used copies are available. Get the 2005 edition if you can - it has color pictures while the 2000 edition is in black and white.

Mike

[If you want to go even cheaper, you can purchase an antique blade and chipbreaker on eBay - one of the thick irons with a laminated steel blade. I've bought them for about $5 plus shipping - maybe $12-13 total. The negative is that you have to do a lot of prep on the blade (they're NEVER flat), and they're long so they stick up high above the plane body. I personally think the Hock blade is worth while.]

[Steve knight]

I still make them. they have changed a fair amount now. they are more accurate they come with a non adjustable mouth and an adjustable one. I do agree it is cheaper to make one your self but it's not as easy.
Plus you can get razee styles with d handles and such. plus it is the easiest to build kit out there. everything self aligns.