Smoothing plane buying guide
Updated: 24 October 2026
You are about to pay for a No. 4 smoothing plane on amazon.co.uk, and the page may not be describing the iron you think you are buying. A cutting-width line, a base-material line and an item-type line can all disagree with the title. This checklist covers the six listings in the [smoothing plane comparison](/hub/hand-tools/smoothing-plane). Peter F. checked those amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources on 22 October 2026. It is not a lab test. If you buy through a link on the comparison, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are about to pay for a No. 4 smoothing plane on amazon.co.uk, and the page may not be describing the iron you think you are buying.
You are about to pay for a No. 4 smoothing plane on amazon.co.uk, and the page may not be describing the iron you think you are buying. A cutting-width line, a base-material line and an item-type line can all disagree with the title. This checklist covers the six listings in the smoothing plane comparison. Peter F. checked those amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources on 22 October 2026. It is not a lab test. If you buy through a link on the comparison, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Iron on the title | Listing conflict | Sold as | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Amazon Basics Amazon Basics No. 4, grey/black | 51 mm | Depth line says 5 cm | One plane | 8.1 | about £16.20 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Faithfull Faithfull No. 4 and No. 6012 set | 50 mm | 10 mm cube; type Block | No. 4 and a block plane | 5.8 | about £47.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson CSP4 No. 4 | 50 mm | Depth line repeats 50 mm | One No. 4 | 7.0 | about £17.20 | View offer |
On this page
What you are buying
A No. 4 is the usual first bench plane in UK woodworking writing: two hands, a sole near 250 mm, and an iron near 50 mm wide. Stanley's UK page for the 1-12-004 states 50 mm, 250 mm and about 2 kg, with polypropylene and an iron gradient of 25 degrees. The amazon.co.uk bullet on that model says 245 mm and a 45 mm cutter, and the base-material line says Wood. A block plane is a different tool, often used in one hand on end grain. The smoothing plane vs block plane page is that split. If the included-components line names two planes, you are not looking at a single No. 4.
Five checks on the listing
Read the iron from the title or a millimetre bullet, and do not merge it with a cutting-width line that disagrees. In this capture those clashes are a 5 cm depth line, a 6.6 cm width line, a 10 inch width line, and a 45 mm bullet beside a 50 mm maker page. Read the handle from the maker or the title. Maker UK's 2026 table mentions beech on a Stanley whose UK page says polypropylene. Plastic is a reason to prefer another plane if you wanted wood. Expect to look along the sole, expect a hone on the cheaper irons, and read whether the price is one plane or a set. A chip, or a clamp that will not hold, is not the same job as a blunt edge. The how to use a smoothing plane page separates those two.
What the price is allowed to mean
The six shelf prices sit in three bands. The two Amazon Basics planes and the Spear & Jackson are £16.20 to £21.95. The Faithfull pair is £47.95. The Jorgensen is £56.99 and the Stanley is £59.95. Stars run from 4.2 to 4.5, too narrow to pick a winner, and only eight of the Jorgensen's first 50 reviews are marked United Kingdom. The best smoothing plane page sorts them by job. Faithfull is a No. 4 and a No. 6012, each with a canvas bag. The item-type line says Block Plane. The dimension line is a 10 mm cube against 2.21 kg, the base line says Wood against grey cast iron, and the 13.5 degree seat belongs to the block plane.
Satisfactory quality, and a plane outside this set
Section 9 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 asks whether the goods are of satisfactory quality, taking the description and the price into account. Which? summarises the short-term right to reject as 30 days. A fault that shows within six months is presumed to have been there at delivery unless the seller shows otherwise. Photograph the sole before you lap it if you may reject the plane. Classic Hand Tools lists a Clifton No. 4 at £335 including VAT, with a 50 mm iron.
Common questions
How long is a No. 4, and how wide is the iron?
Plan on a sole near 250 mm and an iron near 50 mm. Stanley's UK page for the 1-12-004 states 50 mm and 250 mm. MyToolShed puts the No. 4 near 250 mm and the No. 3 near 225 mm. In this amazon capture the grey Amazon Basics title says 51 mm, Spear & Jackson says 50 mm, and the Stanley bullet says 45 mm and 245 mm. Use the maker page and the plane in your hand when those lines disagree.
Why does one line say 45 mm and another say 50 mm?
They are different pages. Stanley's UK specification says 50 mm. The amazon.co.uk bullet in this capture says 45 mm, and trade pages such as Huws Gray have printed both figures. Thomas Graham has also carried a 45 mm feature line on a 1-12-004. The title on amazon also prints 1-12-2004 beside the model line 1-12-004. Neither number is confirmed until you measure the iron you unpack.
Does the Faithfull price buy one plane?
No. £47.95 in this capture is a No. 4 and a No. 6012, with two canvas bags. The item-type line says Block Plane, which is why a search for a smoother can land on a pair. The adjustable mouth and the 13.5 degree seat belong to the block plane in the bullets. Compare that price with a single No. 4 only if you wanted both tools.
Should the sole be flat in the box?
You should check it, and you should not assume it. Spear & Jackson reviews describe light under a straight edge, including a hollow behind the mouth. One Faithfull No. 4 sole had raised edges of nearly 0.5 mm and was returned. A light hollow you can lap in a short session is setup. A sole that is still rocking after that, or a sole you are grinding into a new shape, is the point to stop and talk to the seller.
What if the iron arrives blunt?
On the Spear & Jackson, and on several other boxes in this set, a blunt or retracted iron is the usual first hour, not a surprise. The brown Amazon Basics listing tells you to check the edge. Hone it, set a fine projection, and try a clamped scrap. A nick that leaves lines, a chip, or a screw that lets the iron creep back is not the same as a blunt edge. Those are the faults to photograph and raise with the seller.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listing files. Checked on 22 October 2026.
- Stanley Tools UK, No. 4 smoothing bench plane 1-12-004 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 19 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE, Wood dust: controlling the risks (WIS23) (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- MyToolShed, smoothing planes (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- MyToolShed, Faithfull No. 4 smoothing plane (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Tooled-Up, smoothing planes (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Cherry Tree Tools, hand planes explained (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the six planes in this comparison (retrieved 22 October 2026)