Krenov referred to the hand plane as the “Cabinetmaker’s Violin,” indicative of his penchant for their use in his craft. In making his own planes, Krenov was able to fashion a wide range of tools for a variety of tasks used in the execution of his work, …

Jim remembered airplane drops of goods and supplies onto the snow for the villagers. In one of those bundles was a good steel jack-knife. "From the time I was 6, I was making my own toys with the jackknife," Jim told. "It was a joy to me that I could rely on my hands and my eyes to produce things." Eventually, the family moved to Seattle.

This Krenov style plane, named after James Krenov, is quite easy to make. And, when fitted with a Hock iron, it is sure to cut every bit as nicely as a high-end bronze low-angle plane.

If you want to build a wooden plane but need a little guidance the first time out, these are the plans for you. Each 11" by 17" plan is a Krenov-style design and uses a Hock plane iron (not included).

Below is a series of photos to guide you through the building of a Krenov-styled plane. This one was constructed from West Australian She-oak. It will be a small smoother, just 7” in length, with a 55 degree bed to work the local interlocked woods.

Apr 7, 2023 · Holding a plane the way a Krenov style plane would be held IS the traditional way. That’s the way one held a lot of types of wooden planes centuries before Bailey patented his stuff.

This precision-made kit makes it a snap to make your own wooden plane. Complete with a Hock plane blade assembly (blade and cap iron), the kit includes everything you need to make a Krenov-style, flat-bottom wooden plane. The body and sides are accurately milled jatoba.

This “Krenov” style hand plane is of a genre made popular by James Krenov who believed that the hand plane was the woodworker’s violin. He felt that a properly tuned plane that a woodworker built himself was an experience in the finer side of our craft that few woodworkers experience.

Our Krenov-style plane kit by Hock Tools is a fast and simple way to build your own wooden hand plane so you can begin to enjoy the pleasure of planing wood by hand. Included in the kit are the front and rear plane body sections, side panels, wedge, dowels and one of the excellent Hock plane irons with cap iron.

So what differentiates a Krenov style plane? The shape is simple and designed to be comfortable either pushing or pulling the plane, and to allow a comfortable grip over the top of the blade. The blade is short (around 90mm), thick (4–5mm) and has a chipbreaker. Blade widths range up to 2 inches and have either straight or curved cutting edges.