Contour Planes

[Doomwolf]

I was trolling through the Lee Valley website and noticed that they sell something called "contour planes". Is that just a fancy name for a wooden-bodied spokeshave, or are they meant for something different. I like the physical look of them, and was contemplating finding a use for one. 

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=46321&cat=1,230,41182,46334

 

 

[G S Haydon]

Looks like their take on a wooden spoke shave. Derek Cohen will be your man for all things LV, he'll know better than I.

[Argus]

I think that LV know a good tool when they see one. I believe that it's a Chinese-made spoke-shave, by an outfit called Mujingfang.

 

Before you knock 'em off the perch, Mujingfang make the only wooden planes (called, oddly enough, Hong-Kong-style planes)  that I know of bedded at half-pitch, (60 degrees). They are excellently made, with surprisingly good steel when sharpened up, and are my first choice for dealing with wavy grain that is liable to tear up with a conventional plane.

 

Here's the knowledgeable Derek Cohen on the subject:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/toolreviews/the%20hnt%20gordon%20smoother%20and%20trying%20plane.html

 

I don't know who came first, Chinese-pattern planes or H N T Gordon, but they are almost identical - except for the price!

 

 

 

All best

[ChrisG]

Yes, they are made by Mujngfang. They are for essentially low angle wooden spokeshaves.  I have the pair. Great little tools, especially for the money. The blades require a little setup, and they are not the easiest things to hone, but that's true of any tanged spokeshave blade. I reshaped  the sole/toe of the small one and use it for shear tight inside end grain curves.   I'm happy with them and everyone else I've seen mention them has liked them too, but again, they do require a little bit of setup.