Groz Hand Planes

High quality carbon steel blades hold an edge longer than standard plane blades! Planes are engineered to exact tolerances while maintaining traditional standards of workmanship, design and performance. Choose from Low Angle Block Plane, #4 Smoothing plane and #5 Jack Plane.

Technical Details: Blades are 95% carbon steel with a hardness of 58-62HRC. (Hardness Rockwell C) Guaranteed sole flatness to within 0.003''. Simple and precise adjustment of plane iron alignment, depth of cut and throat opening Handles on #4 smoothing plane and #5 jack plane are hand-rubbed hardwood.

Customer Reviews and Photos for: Groz Hand Planes Average Rating: 2.6 (19 customer reviews) Add your review...

1) Submitted by Bob, from Frankton, IN on 8/2/2009 Customer Rating: Like some of the guys, I too had to flatten shoe & hone the blade. This was no big deal to do. It will throw a real fine shaving, but it did not perform as well on end grain. Will try different angles on blade to help that problem.

2) Submitted by Steve P, from Las Vegas, NV on 5/20/2009 Customer Rating: The plane may not be optimal right out of the box. But as with any piece of equipment, you have to fine-tune it. I spent about an hour on the plane to tune it and it works very good. Could not be happier.

3) Submitted by Robert Haines, from Naperville, IL on 2/7/2009 Customer Rating: You get what you pay for is especially true with handplanes. So many things wrong with the #5 I purchased that I returned it the next day. I had no problem with the return. Workmanship was poor and the blade would not stay alligned. Save your money and buy [another or a] rehab from your local flea market.

4) Submitted by John, from Hamilton, OH on 2/14/2009 Customer Rating: Planes are pretty hard to manufacture incorrectly. It isn't like they require tolerences as fine as a three mile long cyclotron. Nonetheless, *all* planes require tuning from time to time, and when you buy a user plane you can expect some setup and adjustment. I do not buy expensive planes. It would save on the setup time as, out of the box, they come with a steady blade and they are very flat. This is what you pay for when you drop 300-400 dollars on a plane. Used planes that require some flattening and blade work have *always* given me excellent results. Groz planes have *always* given me excellent results. Yes, they required some flattening and blade work - but it takes just a few hours, and it is like you are paying yourself 150 to 250 bucks to, end the end, get the same result as an expensive plane. As an analogy of what is going on: a few years ago, a shooting magazine wanted to find out if yellow shooting lenses *actually* improved accuracy. They had 50 people go to a range and shoot targets with amber lenses, then asked them to shoot without the lenses. Out of the 50 people, there was *one* who's accuracy declined - and his accuracy declined incredibly so. I really enjoy using my Groz planes - and my Stanleys, and my no-name ones. I keep them tuned. They *always* give me wispy, transparent if need be, shavings. Buy the Groz. Tune it so you learn the plane, then use it regularly.

5) Submitted by Cecilia Turriff, from Green Bay, WI on 6/26/2008 Customer Rating: I bought the low angle plane without knowing what it's real purpose was. I was looking for a small plane. Then I read an article that said it is for across the grain cuts. So I tried it and found it to work well.

6) Submitted by John, from McChord AFB, WA on 3/30/2006 Got the #5 jack plane a week ago... my first plane ever. Easy to set up and fun to use. Feels good in the hand and easy to adjust. I don't know too much about planes, I had thought it would be more difficult to use. I planed a 2 x 5 table top and its still sharp.

7) Submitted by David W, from Los Angeles, CA on 12/26/2009 Customer Rating: I'm a novice. Having said that, I bought the low angle block and the #4 about 8 months ago. I used the scary sharp system to sharpen the sole and plane irons. both planes needed a lot of sharpening. I spent about 10 hours and a dozens of pieces of sandpaper; there are still areas that aren't flat on the #4 but they are away from the mouth and edge. I sharpened up to 1200 grit (didn't see any point in going farther since they weren't perfectly flat). the low block plane worked out well; it cuts oak face (paper shavings) and oak end grain. (I rate it a 3-4; good-very good). I am satisfied with the low angle block plane; it does what I want it to do. the #4 is still digging in the wood--I cannot set it to a more fine cut that ~1/32". I can get shavings ~ 1/4" long but it still doesn't perform as well as the low angle block plane. I wish I had another brand's #4. I rate the Groz #4 poor to fair. (1-2) I learned how to "tune-up" a plane; learned how to sharpen with the Groz. it's a good practice and learning experience, if you have the time and inclination. if you don't have the time, and have the money, buy a higher end's #4 instead.

8) Submitted by Chris Shpeherd, from Norcross, GA on 1/14/2010 Customer Rating: I am fairly competent at rehabbing and restoring old planes. I bought a Groz out of curiosity and because it was on sale. I spent a couple of hours tuning it, but at the end of the day the only was I could get it to do anything was to screw the lever cap down as tight as it would go to get a shaving. It works fine for rough planning, but I would not buy one of these as a smoother.

9) Submitted by Dan Westfall, from Council Bluffs, IA on 1/2/2009 Customer Rating: Pretty good quality except for the blade. I got two and both were warped. Not a bad plane if you want to buy a Hock blade for it.

10) Submitted by David, from Scott, IL on 1/10/2009 Customer Rating: Trying to put together a basement hand tool shop on very low budget. I had not used hand planes before, only big power planers. After reading for hours about hand planes on the Internet, I realized that there are some serious hand-plane snobs who believe that if you don't shell out 3-400 dollars for a Veritas or Lie Nielson, or some pre-WWII Stanley models, you are throwing your money away, and single out the Groz as something to stay away from. Well, for [price], some sandpaper (garnet and wet-dry) and a marble plate (which you should have for sharpening anyway) I have a plane making the coveted "wispy" curlies from red oak, all in about 4 hours. I can't imagine needing "wispier" shavings than I was getting, but in the world of hand plane snobs, someone will always claim to be shaving molecules in half. Maybe later I will put a Hock blade in it, but I honed the standard blade face (1500 grit) and bed to where I have no chatter. I did all this using instructions easily found on the internet. I honed the sole of the plane on the marble plate starting with 220 and working down to 1500 grit, then jewelers rouge directly on the marble plate till I could see my reflection in the sole and it is quite beautiful to look at. You will end up doing all this anyway if you buy a $130 dollar 100 year old Stanley off Ebay, but I didn't have to deal with any rust or missing parts. At[price], people won't mind putting in the work, I didn't. It was a nice way to start a Saturday morning.

11) Submitted by Ray, from Houston, TX on 12/16/2008 Customer Rating: Bought a #6, Groz Hand Plane, not impressed with the "fit" of the blade against the sides of the bottom and the "gap" of the blade with the mouth. Why? No matter how much I tighten it, the blade does not stay straight to the mouth and after a few passes, the blade is at an angle with the mouth. Constantly readjusting it. I think buying a bigger blade and chip break would definitely help. Since you will invest time/resources fine-tuning this plane, why not look for an old Stantley and go that route. I have both, and there is a noticeable difference.

12) Submitted by Richard Noel, from Ponce, PR on 6/19/2008 Customer Rating: Low Angle Block plane: I needed to spend about two hours setting it up. Flat sole but with some deep milling marks. I used sandpaper/plate glass (180, 320, then 600 grit) to make toe, heel and flat just in front of the opening planar. The sole still has a number of milling marks in less critical areas. The blade also showed milling marks, but more even. I treated it to the same sharpening system, but ended with 1500 grit. The blade was flat where it needed to be and sharp enough to cut arm hair. This was the first time I've ever gotten a blade so sharp and it surprised me. I actually shaved almost a square inch because I didn't feel a thing and before I knew it, the hair just fell right off my arm. I thought it was really cool - so did my 9 year old son and he also opted for a bit of arm hair removal. My wife still doesn't get it, but she's a glass artist not a woodworker. I applied paste wax and then took it to mahogany - thin, curly shavings with no effort. Then I tried cedar - same, and no tear out. It took a bit of work and it still shows milling marks, but none in the areas needed for its function. You get what you pay for and at $25, if you are willing to put in the work, you end up with a very good low angle block plane, though it is not pretty. Then again, I use the plane to make the wood look good, and for that, this is a really good deal. But you have to be willing to work on the body and the blade for a while. If not, look elsewhere and be prepared to pay 3x or more.

13) Submitted by Jeff, from Colorado Springs, CO on 6/17/2006 I received this plane yesterday and spent all morning setting it up. BLUF (bottom line up front): This plane would be a real bargin if the blade were better. The sole is flat as advertised, I can just make out some sunshine between my straightedge and the sole on the toe of the plane. I can't get a feeler gauge in there so, it is under 0.003. The heel end of the plane is absolutely flat. I probably will lap the sole not because it's required but it is good therapy:) The frog is good, needed just a little flattening, and the mouth took minor filing. I agree with John, this plane is comfortable. The handles may be a little small for larger hands. My biggest problem was with the blade, I thought I might have bought a scrub plane because the blade appeared curved. After further observation I noticed the blade was concaved. The cap iron fit only on the two edges not the middle. I managed to get it relatively flat with a sharpening stone, but I plan on buying an aftermarket (thicker and flatter) blade.

14) Submitted by Jeff, from Colorado Springs, CO on 7/28/2006 This is a follow-up to my previous comment. I replaced the blade and chip breaker on my plane and now I have a very good plane. I first tried pine, not expecting much. I made traditional carpenters curls from the 2X6. Next I tried maple and could make the "see through" shavings we all like to see. Why buy a $45 blade and chip breaker set for a $45 plane? Cause it works! Also, I don't think you can find a good quality jack for $90. My local wood working store was having a sale a I got a good deal on a 2" set by Hock, which fit exactly. Groz should really improve the quality of their blades it would make this plane a great deal better and would increase the cost only modestly. I still think this plane is good but a new blade and chip breaker made it great.

15) Submitted by Gregory Cissell, from Zion, IL on 6/29/2008 Customer Rating: I own several planes, but wanted to get a number 5. The sole was flat. When placed along my straight-edge, there was no visible sunlight. Still, there were milling marks that I had to lap for an hour or so. I started with 220 grit and worked up to 1000 grit. The frog required a little flattening, but the the blade is another story. When planing maple, I got horrible chatter, and the blade did not keep an edge even after initial sharpening. I replaced the original blade with a hock blade, with much better results. The plane is not very heavy or comfortable, my old #4 stanley is much smaller, but weighs significantly more. I like my planes to have a lot of heft. It is an average plane, but it may lead to frustration. Without proper TLC and set up (and a new blade), it may just collect dust. My advice is to check local flea markets and yard sales first.

16) Submitted by Casey Osksa, from Plentywood, MT on 12/5/2008 Customer Rating: I bought 8 smooth planes for school use. Right out of the box, I couldn't make a decent cut. I spent hours sharpening the knives. They cut a little better, but not as good as my 40 year old planes that I was trying to replace.

17) Submitted by Andrew, from Phoenix, AZ on 2/9/2009 Customer Rating: The low-angle block plane is a waste of money, and more importantly, time. The steel in the blade is junk and the adjustment mechanism is shoddy. I found just how bad the blade is very quickly. After my initial sharpening to 6000, I found that it chipped and lost it's edge quickly. Light end-grane planing (like rounding over an edge or applying a small chamfer) of red oak resulted in a blade that looked serrated, with deep chips in the blade. Undeterred, I thought maybe a steeper angle would help it keep it's edge. I adjusted my blade holder to 27.5 (up from 25) and ground a new edge. I tested it again on red oak, and got the same result - chipped blade. Along the way I looked at the rest of the moving parts. The blade adjustment mechanism and cutter lock lever are very chintzy design, made with stamped steel. The cap iron drilling isn't even centered on the blade, leaving the cap iron offset to one side, making it impossible for it to apply even pressure across the blade surface at the throat. If the rest of the plane were not so shoddy I'd think about sinking the money for a Hock blade to make it usable. What a waste.

18) Submitted by Al R., from Clewiston, FL on 10/28/2009 Customer Rating: I bought the whole set (3). If I count all the planes I have, including some micro-little ones I have smaller than my hands I should have so far around 20 hand planes (I need more), it includes brand names as Lee Valley-Veritas, Stanley, Buck Bros, Craftsman, and some from India. These are from India and usually items that come from India are a little bit better than the ones coming from China, so I will compare it with the Buck Bros that you can buy at Home Depot made in USA (at least it says that on the body). My Jack plane Buck Bros is similar than this one (better quality), when I bought it I had to tune it for quite some time to be the one it is now: cutting very good. These ones Groz brand labeled are made in India. I’m sure it will work after tuning it, because in general-reality a plane is just a body that holds an Iron at an angle, but it will take twice the time I spent with the Buck Bros, because its finish is worse, I already dissembled it and found that the frog front is awful not squared, same with the iron-cap, the blade is cheap but not flat at all plus the need to be sharpened. The sole is pretty much flat but it needs to be tuned as well because is far from been polished, with marks. If I could now I got better the Buck Bros again than this one, but I like the process of tuning it so I will keep it and in the future I will buy a better quality Iron for it. Conclusion: now it is a 2 stars quality before tuning it. It will become 4 stars after hrs of tuning it with patience and adding a better Iron, at the end it will cut as any other more expensive plane. Additional by Al R., from Clewiston, FL on 11/7/2009 This is an update to my previous review. I returned all of them after hrs of tuning them.

19) Submitted by Greg Cissell, from Zion, IL on 11/19/2007 Customer Rating: I purchased this at my local Rockler because of the price. I've used a Stanley block plane for years, but I wanted something to flatten wider boards. Out of the box, the bottom was fairly flat, but it was concave near the opening, which required minor filing to remove burrs. After flattening the sole, I began to work on the blade, which as stated in a previous review, was a bit warped. The chipbreaker though, would not fit properly without some serious grinding. I decided to order an after-market blade. With a new Hock blade and chipbreaker tuned-up and installed, the plane cuts smoothly. There isn't any chatter, and I was able to plane curly maple and some walnut burl with ease. Not good on end grain, but that's more of a function of blade ange and bevel, not the plane itself. Not a bad buy, but needs a better blade/chipbreaker.