The best smoothing planes, compared.
Top pick: Jorgensen No. 4 Best value: Spear & Jackson CSP4 No. 4 – Highest value part among the planes that are not the top score, at about £17.20, after a hone and a look along the sole. Updated 22.10.2026.
A smoothing plane is the short bench plane for the last thin shaving on timber that is already close to size. In a UK shop the usual size is a No. 4, near 240 to 250 mm long, with an iron near 50 mm. You recognise a suitable smoother by that size, by an iron width taken from the title or the maker, and by handles and an adjuster you can hold with two hands. A cutting-width line on the same page can disagree with the title, so that line is not the width you plan around. A block plane is the one-handed tool for end grain, not a shorter No. 4. Sole flatness and a sharp iron vary from one unit to the next. A short lap is ordinary fettling. Raised edges, or a hollow you are still grinding after a long session, are a reason to contact the seller. Clamp the work, cut with the grain, and retract the iron when you stop. The checks before you pay are in our [smoothing plane buying guide](/hub/hand-tools/smoothing-plane/sub/smoothing-plane-buying-guide).
A smoothing plane is the short bench plane for the last thin shaving on timber that is already close to size. In a UK shop the usual size is a No. 4, near 240 to 250 mm long, with an iron near 50 mm.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you planing?
The Jorgensen 70730 is about £56.99, with 4.5 from 307 on the listing line, and it is the heaviest single plane here at 2.24 kg. The highlight says a 58 mm blade in 9CrWMn, which the listing calls equivalent to O1, on a ductile-iron body with a beech handle. The cutting-width line says 10 inches and the cutting-depth line says 7 inches, so those fields do not describe the 58 mm highlight. Only eight of the first 50 reviews are marked United Kingdom, so the 4.5 is not a UK-only count. Some buyers, including one UK reviewer, report shavings straight out of the box. Other reviews call the sole flat and others call it banana-shaped, and a UK note says the side of the iron and a metal edge under the tote can cut or numb a finger. Reviews also describe backlash in the adjuster before the yoke moves, and the Best Sellers Rank subcategory is Block Planes. It ties the Stanley on 61. The Stanley has more ratings, so it is listed first. Neither has an award.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A heavier No. 4 if you can ignore the 10 inch spec line and check the sole you receive.
Less suitable: A buy that depends on the cutting-width line, or on the star rating as a UK-only figure.
Specifications
Common questions
What iron width is on the listing?
The item highlight says a 58 mm blade. The cutting-width line says 10 inches and the cutting-depth line says 7 inches. The dimension line gives a width of 6.5 cm and no length.
What steel do the bullets name?
They say 9CrWMn and describe it as equivalent to O1 tool steel, and they say the iron can be resharpened. The included-components line says Blade.
How many of the first 50 reviews are from the UK?
Eight. Themes across the 50 include shavings out of the box on some units, soles that needed lapping on others, chip-breaker work, and a UK note that the side of the iron and a metal edge under the handle are sharp.
The Amazon Basics DS-WPAMZ001 is about £16.20 in this capture, a No. 4, with 4.4 from 4,007 reviews on the listing line. At 1.21 kg it is the lightest body in the set, and the title states a 51 mm iron, an adjustable mouth and a cast-iron body. UK reviews are mostly one-off jobs on catching doors and swollen gates, and some buyers say the iron was sharp enough to take a shaving on the day it arrived. The same listing includes an iron that arrived blunt and chipped, so the star line does not describe every unit. Two adjusters are described as awkward to keep even, and the first 50 reviews do not describe anyone using the adjustable mouth the title names. The cutting-depth line says 5 cm, which is not a depth of cut you should plan a door around. There is no spare iron and no pouch on the included-components line. On the published score it is the top pick in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A one-off catching door if you can check the edge before you rely on it.
Less suitable: A bench plane you expect to flatten wide boards. One review on the other Amazon Basics listing, not this one, is the short-sole warning. Reviews on this listing stop at doors.
Specifications
Common questions
What iron width does the listing state?
The title and the bullets say a 2 inch (51 mm) blade. The cutting-width line also says 2 inches. The cutting-depth line says 5 cm.
Does the listing claim an adjustable mouth?
Yes. The title and the bullets say an adjustable mouth and a depth gauge. The first 50 reviews do not describe anyone using that mouth.
What do the UK reviews use it for?
Catching bathroom doors, swollen gates and door edges come up repeatedly. Some irons are called sharp on arrival. One arrived blunt and chipped.
Faithfull FAIWWSET4FSC is about £47.95 for a No. 4 and a No. 6012 block plane, each with a canvas bag, and the listing line is 4.4 from 277 reviews. A five-year manufacturer guarantee sits on the warranty line. The bullets describe grey cast iron and, for the No. 4, shaped wooden handles, while the base-material line says Wood and the dimension line says 10 x 10 x 10 mm against a 2.21 kg set. The item-type line says Block Plane, so a search for a single smoother can land on a pair. The 13.5 degree seat and the adjustable mouth are stated for the No. 6012, not for the No. 4. Reviews often say the irons need sharpening. One No. 4 sole had raised edges of nearly 0.5 mm and was returned, and another No. 4 iron still projected more on one side at full lateral adjustment.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants both a No. 4 and a block plane and will check each sole.
Less suitable: A buyer pricing a single smoother. About £47.95 is the pair.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this one smoothing plane?
No. The bullets and the included-components line describe a No. 4 smoothing plane and a No. 6012 block plane, each with a canvas bag. The price is for the pair. The item-type line says Block Plane.
Which plane has the stated angle and the adjustable mouth?
The bullets seat the No. 6012 cutter at 13.5 degrees and say that plane has a fully adjustable mouth and one-handed control. They do not state a bed angle or an adjustable mouth for the No. 4.
What do reviews say about the No. 4 in the set?
Irons often need sharpening. One No. 4 sole had raised edges of nearly 0.5 mm and was returned. Another No. 4 iron still projected more on one side at full lateral adjustment. Some buyers got shavings after a short lap.
The Spear & Jackson CSP4 is about £17.20, with 4.3 from 1,310 on the listing line, and every one of the first 50 reviews is marked United Kingdom. The bullets state a 50 mm high-carbon iron, a cast-iron body and a brass adjusting screw, made in India, at 1.8 kg. The repeated job in those reviews is a hone, then a look along the sole, before the first useful shaving on a door or on pine. Reviewers often find the iron blunt, retracted or nicked, and more than one sole is described with a hollow behind the mouth and at the heel. A setup note mentions paint under the frog. The cutting-depth line repeats 50 mm, and the dimension line gives a height of 4.2 cm, so those fields are not a measure of how deep the plane will cut. One unit arrived corroded with a damaged handle, which is a return rather than a sharpening job. Its value part is the highest among the planes that are not the top score, so it is the best value in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first No. 4 if you already own a stone and you will check the sole.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a shaving before they own a sharpening stone.
Specifications
Common questions
What iron does the listing specify?
The bullets say a 50 mm wide high-carbon steel blade. The cutting-width line says 50 mm. The cutting-depth line also says 50 mm. A spare iron is not in the included-components line.
Is the mouth adjustable?
The bullets do not say so. They name a cast-iron body, a precision-milled base and faces, and a brass adjusting screw.
What do the UK reviews repeat?
The iron often arrives blunt, retracted or nicked, and needs a stone or sandpaper. Soles show light under a straight edge. Paint under the frog is mentioned. Some buyers get a usable DIY plane after that work. One unit arrived corroded with a damaged handle.
The Stanley listing B0001GRVKU is about £59.95, with 4.3 from 437 on the listing line. The model line is 1-12-004 and the title also prints 1-12-2004. A bullet says 245 mm and a 45 mm cutter. Stanley's UK page for 1-12-004 lists a 50 mm iron, a 250 mm length, 2 kg and polypropylene handles, and records no CE mark. The base-material line says Wood against a grey-iron bullet. Reviews centre on plastic or polypropylene handles, with mould lines, and one tote that shattered when the plane was dropped. Soles, frogs and cap irons are described as needing work before a fine cut. Reviewers who finish that setup call it stable. The 45 mm bullet and the 50 mm maker page are both printed. Neither figure was measured here. It ties the Jorgensen on 61 and has no award.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants the 1-12-004 name and will check the iron width and the handles on the plane in hand.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants wooden handles, or who will treat the 45 mm bullet as confirmed.
Specifications
Common questions
Which catalogue number is on the listing?
The model number and the part number say 1-12-004. The title also prints 1-12-2004.
What size does the amazon bullet give?
It says a 245 mm smoothing plane with a 45 mm cutter. Stanley's UK page lists 50 mm, 250 mm and 2 kg. The base-material line says Wood. The bullets say a precision cast fine grey iron base. The weight line says 1.92 kg.
What do the UK reviews repeat about the handles?
Plastic or polypropylene, with mould lines. One tote shattered when the plane was dropped. Soles, frogs and cap irons are also described as needing work before a fine cut.
The Amazon Basics DS-WPAMZ002 is about £21.95, with 4.2 from 2,077 on the listing line. The title states a 50.8 mm iron and wooden handles, and the weight line says 1.73 kg. The listing itself tells you to check that the edge is sharp and the sole is flat before you rely on it. Some UK reviews describe a door eased and a solid cast body, including irons that arrived sharp. Other reviews say the clamp screw is soft, wears as you tighten it, and lets the iron creep back during a cut. One review says the cap-iron hole would not clamp the iron at all. The cutting-width line says 6.6 cm, the same figure as the body width on the dimension line, against the 50.8 mm iron in the title. Several boxes had no setup instructions.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A wooden-handled No. 4 at this price if you can return it when the iron will not stay out.
Less suitable: A plane you will use for a long session without checking that the clamp still holds.
Specifications
Common questions
What iron width does the title give?
The title says a 2 inch (50.8 mm) blade. The cutting-width line says 6.6 cm, which is the same figure as the width on the dimension line.
What do the bullets say to check before use?
The listing note says to make sure the blade is sharp and the sole is flat, and to sharpen or smooth them if necessary.
What fault do reviews describe on the clamp?
More than one review says the screw that clamps the iron is soft, wears as you tighten it, and lets the iron creep back during a cut. Another says the cap-iron hole would not clamp the iron at all.
Six amazon.co.uk smoothing-plane listings were scored on 22 October 2026 from the shelf price, the star rating, the review count and the review notes on those listings. There was no lab and no workshop test. A millimetre or a kilogram is the figure the listing prints. The score is 0–100 from four parts that already sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. The highest value part among the others is best value. If two scores tie, the larger review count ranks first. Jorgensen and Stanley tie on 61 and receive no award.
Stars
35%Amazon rating divided by 5, times 35, rounded to the nearest whole number. Halves round up. 4.5 scores 32, 4.4 scores 31, 4.3 scores 30 and 4.2 scores 29. A missing rating line scores 0.
Sample
20%1,000 or more ratings score 20. 200–999 score 14. 20–99 score 6. 1–19 score 2. No rating line scores 0.
Use in the file
30%Starts at 16 if the count is 1,000 or more and a job is named, at 12 for 100–999, at 8 for 20–99, and at 0 if no job is named. Then +8 if a finished job is named, the count is 20 or more, and the notes do not describe a nicked iron as a repeated theme, a hollow or banana sole, a sole that was returned, an iron that will not stay out, or sole and cap-iron work treated as necessary before a fine cut. +4 if a job is named and the +8 does not apply. Then at most two subtractions: −6 if a repeated nick, a returned sole, or an iron that will not stay out is named; −4 once if a spec line contradicts the iron or the body; −3 if most of the first 50 reviews are not marked United Kingdom. Floor 0. Cap 30.
Value in this set
15%Price: £20 or under scores 6, £20.01–£35 scores 4, £35.01–£50 scores 2, over £50 scores 1. Then, each once, +2 if a millimetre iron width is in the title, a bullet or a highlight; +1 if the body is described; +1 if the included-components line is filled; +1 if the title or bullets name the handle material. Ratings: 100 or more add 2, 20–99 add 1. Then −2 once if a spec field contradicts the iron or the body. Cap 15. Floor 0.
A No. 4 is the smoother most UK shops mean. The useful checks are the size, the iron line, the handles, whether you own a stone, and what the sole looks like on the day it arrives. Stars do not settle those points. A dearer plane in this capture still has review notes that disagree about the sole. The price of one listing is a pair, not a single plane.
A smoothing plane is the short bench plane for the last thin shaving. For a UK buyer the shop size is a No. 4. Trade sellers put a No. 4 near 240 to 250 mm long with a blade near 50 mm, a No. 3 nearer 225 mm, and a No. 4½ as the wider plane. The planes in this comparison are Bailey-pattern No. 4 smoothers, plus one set that adds a block plane. A block plane is the one-handed tool for end grain. It is not a short No. 4. On the Faithfull listing the No.
In this capture those lines say 10 inches, 6.6 cm, or repeat 50 mm as cutting depth. One depth line says 5 cm. Take the iron width from the title or the maker. Say both figures when a maker page and an amazon bullet disagree, as they do on the Stanley 1-12-004.
About £47.95 on the Faithfull listing is a No. 4 and a No. 6012 block plane, each with a canvas bag. The item-type line says Block Plane. A search for a single smoother can land on that pair.
A short lap is ordinary fettling. Raised edges near 0.5 mm, or a hollow you are still grinding after a long session, are a reason to contact the seller. If the clamp lets the iron creep, more time on the sole does not fix the adjuster. Photograph the sole before you lap it.
Confirm a No. 4 bench plane before you compare prices. Block planes, a Japanese pull plane, mini door planers and a cordless electric planer turn up in the same search and are not this category. The Faithfull box holds a No. 4 and a No. 6012, and the item-type line says Block Plane, so the price is for two planes. MyToolShed puts a No. 4 near 250 mm and a No. 3 near 225 mm. Tooled-Up puts a No. 4 near 240 to 250 mm with a blade near 50 mm, and a No. 4½ wider.
Handles and the adjuster decide whether you can keep the iron even. Stanley's UK page specifies polypropylene. Reviews on that amazon listing report mould lines and one tote that shattered in a drop. On the wooden-handled Amazon Basics, reviews describe a clamp screw that is soft, wears as you tighten it, and lets the iron creep back. One review says the cap-iron hole would not clamp the iron at all. Spear & Jackson bullets name a brass adjusting screw and do not describe an adjustable mouth.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
A householder with one catching door or swollen gate often buys a No. 4 and may never hone it. That matches many reviews on the grey/black Amazon Basics, and it fails when that unit arrives chipped. Check the edge before you rely on it.
A beginner who will learn the setup should own a stone and look along the sole. Reviews on the Spear & Jackson CSP4 describe a hone, then a door or pine. It is a poor match if you need a shaving before you own a stone.
Someone keeping one smoother looks at the Stanley maker page, which lists a 50 mm iron and polypropylene, or at the Jorgensen weight of 2.24 kg, and still checks the sole. The Stanley amazon bullet says 45 mm, so read both figures. The listing to open if you want the 1-12-004 name is the Stanley.
The top pick is the Amazon Basics No. 4, grey/black, at about £16.20, with 4.4 from 4,007. It leads this set on the published score because door and gate jobs are named and the review count is the largest. The best value is the Spear & Jackson CSP4, at about £17.20. Its value part is the highest among the planes that are not the top score. Jorgensen and Stanley both score 61 and have no award. These figures are amazon.co.uk listings on 22 October 2026, not a workshop test.
Spear & Jackson CSP4 No. 4
Highest value part among the planes that are not the top score, at about £17.20, after a hone and a look along the sole.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listing files. Checked on 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk listings. We did not run a lab test.
