A block plane is a small metal-bodied woodworking hand plane which typically has its blade bedded at a lower angle than other planes, with the bevel up. It is designed to cut end grain and to do touch-up or finish work, and it is typically small enough to be used with one hand.
Facts
Introduced When (Circa)Small metal-bodied block planes were designed and produced beginning in the 1860s; the source states the term was not used for any earlier tool. 1 OriginStanley's own marketing material traces the name to carpenters who called one-handed, cross-grain end-planing blocking in; a separate tradition instead credits the name to leveling butchers' blocks, built with the end grain facing up. 1 Introduced era (class) Connections
Used In
Block Plane is used in Woodworking.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Block Plane (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOrigin section, closing sentence
Historically, the term “block plane” was not used before it was applied to small metal-bodied planes, which were designed and produced beginning in the 1860s.
Origin section, opening two sentences
A Block Plane was first made to meet the demand for a Plane which could be easily held in one hand while planing across the grain, particularly the ends of boards, etc. This latter work many Carpenters call 'Blocking in', hence the name 'Block' Plane. Tradition also claims that the block plane gets its name from its traditional use to level and remove cleaver marks from butchers' blocks that were built with the end grain facing up.
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