48mm Aogami Plane by Komori-san

This 48mm plane by third-generation smith Hideki Komori san is hand-forged with a blue paper steel (aogami) cutting egde, fitted to a generously sized Japanese white oak body (dai) and crafted with aesthetics that are beyond compare.

The first thing that struck us about Komori-san's work is the height of the blade out of the plane, and it's overall length. Almost double the length of some other Japanese blades, this blade will have a huge working life no matter how often it is honed, and that length is carried through to the chipbreaker, too. This gives the plane height in the hand and off the bench.

As can be expected of any smith-made plane from Japan, the blade is forged from Aogami, also known as blue paper steel. A high-performance high-carbon steel favoured by Japanese smiths for its excellent edge retention and durability, this plane will take a razor-sharp edge, though it will need to be stored with care to negate it's susceptibility to rust.

The finish that Komori san has chosen for the visible surfaces of his plane blades is as beautiful as it is distinctive. The blade is a lustrous pewter colour with forging marks still visible, while the chipbreaker retains a traditional etched finish.

With beautifully formed bevels and a wonderfully worked ura on the back of the blade, the quality of Komori-san's tools is truly special.

The block used by Komori san even continues to set these tools apart. Higher than most comparably sized plane bodies, there is a lot of timber in this plane, meaning there is plenty to grip when you're flying across the boards. This beautifully processed Japanese white oak is all oriented in the proper directions - all the details you'd expect to be taken care of have been attended to by hands and eyes that not only have a lifetime's experience, but also generations of knowledge instilled in them.

We have immensely enjoyed setting up and working with our demonstration tool, and know that our customers will too. Every customer who purchases a plane by Komori-san has the option of making an appointment for a tutoring session at our Sydney workshop to tune their new tool to it's full potential our full range of sharpening and tuning equipment with our guidance. For those further afield, we can offer a live video session discussing the process. If you would like your plane to arrive to you sharpened by us, please write to us at info@japanesetools.com.au before purchasing to discuss our set-up rates. 

Specifications:
• Blade width at cutting edge: 48mm
• Blade length (useable-approx): 108mm
• Chipbreaker Width: 42mm
• Plane body length: 245mm
• Plane body width: 64mm
• Plane body height: 35mm
• Blade bedding angle: 40 degrees