KAKURI Woodworking Japanese Plane

Update: After a few days playing with it and watching master craftsmen using their tools, I finally figured out how to tap the blade out. I have most success using a steel hammer, I don't have access to a brass hammer. I did not find any success using a plastic mallet. I also changed the grip from having my index on the blade to using my thumb instead. I also applied a decent amount of pressure onto the blade. I believe the increased pressure increases its inertia which makes the tapping more effective. It has a learning curve compared to western style metal planes. I am changing my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars because all my struggle was inexperience not the fault of the tool. It is well made with a amazing hardwood body. I am a beginner woodworker so I had a few trouble setting it up. When I got it out of the box, I wanted to hone the blade like many woodworkers recommended but I could not get the blade to budge. I followed their guide hitting the chamfer (the daigashira) alternating corners rhythmically. I suspect that this is not a manufacturing error but more so that the wood shrunk as it was dried sitting on store shelves and applying excessive pressure to the blade. Or I might just be doing it wrong. In my process I accidentally split the wood at the mouth so please be careful when you try to set it up. After giving up getting the blade out, I striked the blade further in to try and get a shaving. It was working very well out of box, got a really nice shaving. I won't be getting the thin shavings that Japanese woodworkers could get in their competition, but it was far better than the planes I got from Harbor Freight. eventually I got the blade out by using a vise grip locking plier with its tip wrapped in multiple layers of electrical tape as to not scratch the blade steel. Then I proceeded to whack the chamfered edge and got it out. It is a very nice plane for the price. I would highly recommend it despite my initial struggles.

I bought the 60 mm version years ago and it's become my favorite hand plane, even compared against various Stanleys, so I bought this 42 mm one to try. It's a beautiful little plane, and works great after a little tuning. The bed needed flattened, which is an inevitable thing with wooden planes. The blade needed sharpened and honed, which involved regrinding it a bit as it had been made with a slight chamfer (which makes it easier to use and more forgiving for some things), but I prefer a flat grind. All back together (after about 20 minutes of work overall) the blade depth adjusted nicely and it works perfectly, and has a really nice feel and control to it; no complaints at all.

For the price and size, this is an excellent plane, but be aware that some care will be necessary to bring it up to snuff, and it will never serve as a proper smoothing plane. The bed is very slightly off on this plane, and so it was necessary to carefully shave a tiny bit off to even it out. I had to take my time on this so as not to make it worse. I also had to take a little time to clean up the edge of the iron. Not a surprise for such a low price. I use this as a block plane, both pulling (like it was intended) and pushing the plane. Because it is a bevel-down iron, one would think that it would not be effective on end grain, but the bed angle is different from a western plane and the iron itself is thicker than a western plane iron (although it is *very* thin compared to a quality Japanese plane iron). The cap iron/chipbreaker is a little flimsy, and so I wonder how long it will hold up; still, after several months of frequent use, I have no complaints. I have trimmed a lot of different hard woods (birch, mulberry, walnut, poplar, including the end grain of all of those) with this plane and it has handled them with ease. It slices easily through soft woods. In comparison to a modern block plane, this is a little better: it is lighter than a metal block plane, the iron is noticeably thicker (so there is no chatter on tough woods), the bed angle is higher (making it easier to push through difficult grain), and the iron holds an edge for a lengthy period without need of additional honing. I don't like the uncomfortable shape of Japanese planes, but since I only use it as a block plane and not a smoother, that isn't a problem. It's *great* for cleaning up dovetails after glueing, since it handles end grain so cleanly.

I am an advanced hobbyist woodworker, and a retired carpenter (served a four year apprenticeship). I have a number of Japanese tools among my many, many tools. Some of the chisels I love (some hot so much), some of the saws are better than OK, but I'm committed to Western style. Let's see, I began my apprenticeship in 1975, and worked along my dad for a decade or more prior to that, so I'm a bit long in the tooth! I've been intriqued with Japanese hand planes for a number of years but never enough to take the plunge. A week ago I decided to dip my toes with this block plane. It's OK! Then why five stars? Price is cheap, for one thing and it has the basis for being an excellent plane. While it can make a shaving right away, you are better off thoroughly reading the instructions and experimenting with a piece of straight grain softwood. So, what do you need to do? I can understand how some reviewers have said the blade is stuck (I thought so too, until I learned exactly where to tap the back). Some say the blade is razor sharp. Well, to the not so experienced, it might be, but spend a bit of time on a very fine grade stone on the bevel and face of the blade. It took about ten minutes to sharpen. Don't forget to also smooth the wedge, both the part the touches the blade and the two bent points at the rear. Experiment with inserting the bladefor proper projection, then lightly tap the wedge into place (don't over tighten-not needed). Now begin experimenting, pulling the blade towards you. Thirty minutes after opening the package, I was making .001" thick shavings-very nice, but it was on softwood! I need to learn more about this plane and maybe replace the metal wedge with One made from white oak. I may try to refine the bladebevel a it more. Remember, this is just an experiment, as I have well over hundred handplanes already, including several dozen western metallic planes. For $20.00 bucks and change, this is a cheap, fun way to try Japanese style hand planes, but remember, it is not fully ready to go, right out of the box, but a bit of time invested, will reward you with satisfactory results!

Really nice authentic Plane tool! It took some concentration to put it together exactly right... I had a drawer that was sticking and was able to shave off very fine slices to get it just right!

So this is my second time buying this plane, and let me just say it’s a good plan for the price but you get what you pay. My first plane’s sole warped over time but I was abusing it, leaving it in the car during summer, so it’s kinda expected with wood planes. So I got a new one recently and I was checking the sole naturally. To my disappointment there’s a slight twist (not just a bow or cup, but a twist). So I’m going to return it. The blade is sharp out of the box from my experience but I will probably get a Lee Nielsen or veritas in the future to save the headache. Again, these are not bad for the price, but I think I’d rather spend a bit more rather than constantly making the soles flat.

I've used hand planes for maybe 2 years as a hobbyist woodworker, and being very intrigued by Japanese style woodworking, I've always wanted to try one of these types of planes. Observing master craftsman adjust these planes always seemed intimidating to me, but when I found this listing on Amazon for such an affordable price, I figured why not try? Immediately I felt like I was holding a premium tool in my hand, with the body of the plane being smooth as glass, heavy weight, and the wood being a beautiful glassy surface. I couldn't believe I paid almost $200 for my western plane when I could have started with this. I don't have a brass hammer (which is softer than steel and preferred for adjustments), so I used my cheap rubber/plastic mallet for adjustments. With a few knocks, and in less than 2 minutes, I had it ready to go. I just used my eyes and lightly brushed over the mouth opening of the plane to see when the blade had come out enough, and with a little time I was producing shavings on padauk and hard maple that were better than my $200 plane ever made! I couldn't recommend this to woodworkers enough, and I think I would even tell beginners to start with one to get an easy and cheap entry into hand tool woodworking.

Wow! This is a great plane. The iron is sharp and ready to go write out of the box. Adjustment of the iron is really easy with just a few taps of a hammer. This is my first Japanese plane and I am really impressed in how great it is. I've never had a plane that is ready to go straight out of the box. I can't believe how inexpensive it is as well. I am amazed!

Used it on different projects and it cuts very well. The tapping to position the blade needs some getting used to. But it’s a fun and great tool to have in your toolbox. The woods surface of the plane is also great, as it is less likely to scratch the woods you’re working on when you slip.

Türkiye'ye sipariş verdim ve gümrükte sorun yaşamayı mı bekliyordum? ama benden sadece 2 dolar vergi ödememi istediler. çok hızlı geldi. çok iyi yapılmış bir ürün.

I love this tool. very well made. very sharp

Very sharp and easy to use.

Pelo preço não se pode esperar muita coisa, porém a lamina parece que foi cortada e feita de um simples estoque de barra chata de aço. Mais uma vez, estou ciente que pelo preço não podia esperar muita coisa, mas o objetivo todo era ao menos a lâmina ser um pouco mais elaborada que isso.