Top tools
Block planes
A low-angle block plane with an adjustable mouth, for trimming edges and end grain, easing corners and fitting parts, chosen from independent tests and reviews.
Our picks
Low-angle block plane
WoodRiver low-angle block plane with adjustable mouth
Our pick for one block plane: a low-angle plane with an adjustable mouth. Wood Magazine's testers said a low-angle model is the one to buy first (their own top picks, from Lie-Nielsen and Veritas, cost more).
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Photo credits
- WoodRiver low-angle block plane with adjustable mouth: Image: WoodRiver product image
Each price is the one we saw at that store on the date beside it. Prices change, so check the store before you buy.
What to look for in a block plane
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Low angle or standard angle. A low-angle plane (a bed of about 12°) slices end grain cleanly, and you can sharpen its blade steeper for tricky grain. Wood Magazine’s testers would buy a low-angle plane first (Wood Magazine).
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An adjustable mouth. Closing the mouth in front of the blade helps prevent tear-out on fine cuts (Wood Magazine).
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A lever cap that holds the blade firmly but still lets you take the blade out quickly for sharpening (Fine Woodworking; Wood Magazine).
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A way to sharpen. Even a well-made plane may need its blade sharpened, and sometimes its back flattened, before it cuts well (Wood Magazine).
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A plane that fits one hand. A block plane is small enough to use with one hand for trimming edges, chamfers and end grain.
How we picked
We didn't hands-on test these. We picked it by reading independent tests and reviews (Fine Woodworking, Wood Magazine and Popular Woodworking), checking Woodcraft's spec listing for its own WoodRiver brand, and checking the price at Woodcraft. Every pick has at least three independent sources from at least two different outlets, including at least one independent test or review. They're all linked with the pick, along with what each one found. Fine Woodworking's review is from 2011 and Wood Magazine's test of 15 block planes is from 2020; the Wood Magazine page blocked our reader, so we read the Internet Archive's copy. We also searched the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database on Oct 22, 2026 and found no recall for this plane. Wood Magazine's favorites, from Lie-Nielsen and Veritas, cost more; we chose a plane closer to the price of most of our tool picks. Prices, review counts and links were last checked on ; prices and stock change, so check the store before you buy.
No paid links. Every link on this page is a plain link: no affiliate codes or tracking, and no company paid or asked to be listed (disclosure). Links open in a new tab.
Some outlets we cite get review samples from tool makers; we don't use pieces a maker paid for or sponsored.
We pick tools from independent tests and reviews, not our own testing.