The angle of the blade is important when it comes to blade adjustment, including the blade on Japanese planes and chisels.
The angle of the blade we generally use is 28 degrees for the blade of the plane. This is the angle that is used on soft wood in Japan.
For hard wood, it is about 30 degrees.
For super hard wood, it is 32 degrees.
The angle is changed by about 2 degrees for harder wood.
Instead of changing the angle of the blade, you can also change the angle of the blade position in the base.
Japanese planes are usually 38 degrees for soft wood, 45 degrees for hard wood, and 52 degrees for super hard wood. The angle is changed by about 7 degrees to be used with different levels of hardness of wood.
You can change both the blade angle and the position angle, or just one or the other to use it on softer or harder wood.
For chisels, this is 30 degrees for soft wood. 32 degrees, 34 degrees, and so on for harder wood. Actually use the chisel on hard wood, and change the angle to a wider angle if it chips.
Try it on different types of wood to figure out what angle works best.
We, Suikoushya, plan to establish a school building in Ile de France in 2022.
This is a project that we want to build with Suikoushya graduates and professional woodworkers. Through this real construction project, Takami would like to pass not only Japanese woodworking techniqs and craftsmanship but also the spirit of the Japanese people involved in making things.
If you are interested in this project, Please check it out ★
2022 One month course in Île de France
The angle of the blade is important when adjusting the blade.