Japanese Hand Planes

In this weekend course furniture maker and educator, Andrew Hunter, will guide students through the process of setting up a new Japanese plane. What seems like a simple tool, a blade and a block of wood, the Japanese plane (Kanna) is actually a very complex instrument with many subtle qualities. The first challenge most woodworkers face when learning to use a Kanna is that they don’t come ready to use out of the box. You are only supplied with great ingredients, and it is up to the user to get the fit between the blade and the block just right.

Andrew will work with each student to get their new plane into working order. We will cover sharpening and shaping the blade, fitting the blade to the block and profiling its sole for optimal performance. Of course, we will also spend time using your new plane, learning to work with your whole body, not just your arms. The weekend will wrap up by putting our new planes to use with a friendly planing contest (kezurou-kai). By the conclusion of this class, each student will take home a fully operational Japanese hand plane and have the know how to keep it working correctly.

Student Tool List: 

Students should bring sharpening stones.

Class fee: $400

Material fee: $220 (includes a Japanese hand plane)

Andrew Hunter bio