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Japanese Hand Planes

Japanese planes (kanna) pull towards the user, giving excellent control and a superb surface finish.  Their laminated blades and wooden bodies produce fine shavings with minimal effort.

What are Japanese planes used for?
Japanese planes, or kanna, are traditional hand planes used to flatten, smooth, and refine wood surfaces. Unlike Western planes, they are pulled toward the user rather than pushed, offering greater control, precision, and connection to the material. They are prized in fine woodworking and joinery for producing razor-thin shavings and glass-smooth finishes.

How are Japanese planes different from Western-style planes?

  • Pull action: Japanese planes are pulled toward the body, allowing for greater sensitivity and control

  • Construction: Typically feature a wooden body (dai) and a laminated blade (hagane and jigane), with no mechanical adjusters

  • Adjustment: Blade depth and squareness are set manually using light taps with a hammer
    These differences make Japanese planes more tactile and customizable, but they may require more skill to set up and use effectively.

How do I set up and maintain a Japanese plane properly?

  • Flatten the sole (dai) regularly with a straightedge and sandpaper or a scraper for optimal contact

  • Set the blade with light taps, ensuring it sits firmly and square to the sole

  • Sharpen the blade using waterstones, maintaining the traditional hollow grind and flat back

  • Store in a dry environment and avoid metal striking hammers to prevent damage
    With practice and care, Japanese planes offer exceptional performance and unmatched surface finishes in precision woodworking.

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Kakuri | Mini Plane, White Oak Body, 42mm - BPM Toolcraft Sold out
R 599.00
R 599.00 - R 599.00
R 599.00
R 499.00
R 499.00 - R 499.00
R 499.00

Kakuri | Mini Plane White Oak Body 42mm

Kakuri

42mm Mini Plane This Kakuri Plane is a Traditional Japanese Style Plane which cuts on the pull stroke The blade and chip breaker are held in plac...

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R 599.00
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R 599.00
R 499.00
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R 499.00
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Kakuri | Smoothing Plane, White Oak Body, 50mm - BPM Toolcraft
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R 1,069.00
R 1,069.00 - R 1,069.00
R 1,069.00
R 899.00
R 899.00 - R 899.00
R 899.00

Kakuri | Smoothing Plane White Oak Body 50mm

Kakuri

50mm Smoothing Plane This Plane is a Traditional Japanese style plane which cuts on the pull stroke The blade and chip breaker are held in place ...

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R 1,069.00
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R 1,069.00
R 899.00
R 899.00 - R 899.00
R 899.00
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Kakuri | Smoothing Plane, White Oak Body, 65mm - BPM Toolcraft
Kakuri | Smoothing Plane, White Oak Body, 65mm - BPM Toolcraft Sold out
R 1,499.00
R 1,499.00 - R 1,499.00
R 1,499.00
R 1,299.00
R 1,299.00 - R 1,299.00
R 1,299.00

Kakuri | Smoothing Plane White Oak Body 65mm

Kakuri

65mm Smoothing Plane This Kakuri Smoothing Plane is a Traditional Japanese Style Plane that cuts on the pull stroke The blade and chip breaker ar...

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R 1,499.00
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R 1,499.00
R 1,299.00
R 1,299.00 - R 1,299.00
R 1,299.00
Sold out
Sold out
R 799.00
R 799.00 - R 799.00
R 799.00
R 599.00
R 599.00 - R 599.00
R 599.00

Kakuri | Plane Rabbet Double Corner Cut

Kakuri

Rabbet Plane -Double Corner Cut A plane for shaving the edge and corner of wood The width of the cut can be adjusted by adjusting the guide It c...

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R 799.00
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R 799.00
R 599.00
R 599.00 - R 599.00
R 599.00
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Sold out
R 599.00
R 599.00 - R 599.00
R 599.00
R 499.00
R 499.00 - R 499.00
R 499.00

Kakuri | Plane Mini Eco Oak Body

Kakuri

42mm Mini Hand Plane - Eco Oak Body When making the plane body, the heartwood closer to the pith is not typically used because of its darker appea...

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R 599.00
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R 599.00
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R 499.00
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R 2,599.00
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R 2,599.00
R 2,199.00
R 2,199.00 - R 2,199.00
R 2,199.00

Kakuri | Plane Mini 24mm Curved Sole

Kakuri

Mini Hand Plane - Curved Sole 24mm Japanese Mini Hand Plane: Small planer for the wood craft Ideal for precision woodworking, making musical i...

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R 2,599.00
R 2,599.00 - R 2,599.00
R 2,599.00
R 2,199.00
R 2,199.00 - R 2,199.00
R 2,199.00
R 2,499.00
R 2,499.00 - R 2,499.00
R 2,499.00
R 1,559.00
R 1,559.00 - R 1,559.00
R 1,559.00

Kakuri | Plane Sole Flattening 42mm

Kakuri

Dai Naoshi Plane (Sole Flattening Plane) 42mm This plane is used to adjust the bottom surface of the plane base Specifications Overall Leng...

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R 2,499.00
R 1,559.00
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R 1,559.00
Sold out
R 799.00
R 799.00 - R 799.00
R 799.00
R 699.00
R 699.00 - R 699.00
R 699.00

Kakuri | Plane 18mm Compass No.06 Ebony Mini

Kakuri

Mini Plane -Compass -Ebony Body 18mm This is a small plane for concave surfaces The blade can be easily adjusted by turning the screw Specifica...

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R 799.00
R 699.00
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R 699.00
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R 3,199.00
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R 3,199.00
R 2,399.00
R 2,399.00 - R 2,399.00
R 2,399.00

Kakuri | Plane Compass 42mm

Kakuri

Oak Wooden Compass Plane 42mm The arc-shaped body of this plane is used to cut concave surfaces of wood Material Blade: Double-layer steel (c...

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R 3,199.00
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R 3,199.00
R 2,399.00
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R 2,399.00
Sold out
R 799.00
R 799.00 - R 799.00
R 799.00
R 649.00
R 649.00 - R 649.00
R 649.00

Kakuri | Plane 18mm Flat No.1 Ebony Mini

Kakuri

Mini Plane -Flat -Ebony Body 18mm This is a small planer for flat surfacesThe blade can be easily adjusted by turning the screw Specifications ...

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R 799.00
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R 799.00
R 649.00
R 649.00 - R 649.00
R 649.00
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R 2,399.00
R 2,399.00 - R 2,399.00
R 2,399.00
R 1,999.00
R 1,999.00 - R 1,999.00
R 1,999.00

Kakuri | Plane Mini 24mm Flat Sole

Kakuri

Mini Hand Plane -Flat Sole 24mm Small planer for wood craft Ideal for precision woodworking, making musical instruments, DIY, and hobbies The ...

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R 2,399.00
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R 2,399.00
R 1,999.00
R 1,999.00 - R 1,999.00
R 1,999.00
R 999.00
R 999.00 - R 999.00
R 999.00
R 649.00
R 649.00 - R 649.00
R 649.00

Kakuri | Rabbet Plane 18mm

Kakuri

18mm Rabbet Plane The perfect balance between price and quality, our beautiful, well-crafted Japanese hand planes are an excellent choice for all ...

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R 999.00
R 999.00 - R 999.00
R 999.00
R 649.00
R 649.00 - R 649.00
R 649.00