Smoothing plane vs block plane
Updated: 24 October 2026
You searched for a plane and the box might be a smoother, a block plane, or both. The choice is the cut in front of you, not which tool is smaller. A No. 4 finishes a face with two hands. A block plane trims end grain in one hand. The Faithfull listing in the [smoothing plane comparison](/hub/hand-tools/smoothing-plane) is priced as both, and its item-type line names only one. Peter F. wrote this on 22 October 2026 from that amazon.co.uk listing and UK practical guides. It is not a lab test and not a table of other block planes. A comparison link can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You searched for a plane and the box might be a smoother, a block plane, or both. The choice is the cut in front of you, not which tool is smaller. A No. 4 finishes a face with two hands.
You searched for a plane and the box might be a smoother, a block plane, or both. The choice is the cut in front of you, not which tool is smaller. A No. 4 finishes a face with two hands. A block plane trims end grain in one hand. The Faithfull listing in the smoothing plane comparison is priced as both, and its item-type line names only one. Peter F. wrote this on 22 October 2026 from that amazon.co.uk listing and UK practical guides. It is not a lab test and not a table of other block planes. A comparison link can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | How you hold it | Angle on the listing | Sold as | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Amazon Basics Amazon Basics No. 4, grey/black | Two hands on a No. 4 | Not stated | One plane | 8.1 | about £16.20 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Faithfull Faithfull No. 4 and No. 6012 set | No. 4 two hands; block one hand | 13.5° on the No. 6012 | No. 4 and a block plane | 5.8 | about £47.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson CSP4 No. 4 | Two hands on a No. 4 | Not stated | One No. 4 | 7.0 | about £17.20 | View offer |
On this page
Two planes, two jobs
A No. 4 is a bench plane: knob and tote, a cap iron, and a thin shaving along the grain of a face or a long edge. Sailing Today puts bench planes from about 240 mm and treats the smoother as the first bench plane, with a block plane next rather than the same tool shrunk. Stanley's UK page puts a No. 4 near 250 mm. Cherry Tree Tools describes a block plane at about 150–180 mm, one hand, bevel up, often near 20 degrees, for end grain and chamfers. They put a bench-plane bed near 45 degrees. Stanley's UK table prints an iron gradient of 25 degrees and does not print 45. Paul Sellers says a block plane is not a smaller smoother and is the wrong tool for wide faces. Neither writer is a test of these six listings.
The set that contains both
Faithfull FAIWWSET4FSC is £47.95 for a No. 4 and a No. 6012, each in a canvas bag. The No. 4 is described for surface preparation, with shaped wooden handles. The No. 6012 is seated at 13.5 degrees, with an adjustable mouth and one-handed control. That is the only angle printed on a listing in this set, and it belongs to the block plane. The item-type line says Block Plane, the rank sits in Block Planes, the dimension line is a 10 mm cube against 2.21 kg, and the base line says Wood against grey cast iron. One No. 4 sole had raised edges of nearly 0.5 mm and was returned. Another No. 4 iron would not square at full lateral adjustment. The block plane does not repair that. £47.95 is the wrong comparison with a £17 Spear & Jackson if you only wanted the smoother. It is the only row here that contains both.
What the angles on the pages actually say
Do not merge the angles. Faithfull seats the No. 6012 at 13.5 degrees and does not say that about the No. 4. Cherry Tree's near 20 degrees and near 45 degrees are that shop's explanation. Stanley's 25 degree iron gradient is a different page, and the amazon bullet's 45 mm is a cutter width, not a degree. The UK length to plan around is about 250 mm on Stanley's own page. How you set a No. 4, including the cap iron, is the how to use a smoothing plane page. Do not run that setup on the No. 6012.
Which to buy first
Buy the No. 4 first for a face, a long edge, or a door stile in two hands. Cherry Tree, Sellers and Sailing Today put that bench plane ahead of the block plane. Sellers is less insistent that you need the second plane at all. Buy a block plane first only for end grain or a chamfer in one hand. A 150–180 mm sole does not register a wide face the way a 250 mm sole does. Buy both only when you meant both. The Faithfull set is not a discount on a single smoother. Those spec lines are on the smoothing plane buying guide.
Common questions
Is a block plane a small smoothing plane?
No. A block plane is a short, often one-handed plane for end grain and chamfers. A smoothing plane is a two-handed bench plane for faces and long edges. Paul Sellers says buyers make this mix-up, and that a block plane is the wrong tool for a wide face. Cherry Tree gives the two planes different jobs and different typical angles. Size is not the definition.
What is the No. 6012 in the Faithfull box?
It is the block plane sold with the No. 4 in FAIWWSET4FSC at £47.95. The bullets seat its cutter at 13.5 degrees and give it an adjustable mouth and one-handed control. They describe the No. 4 separately, for surface preparation. The item-type line on the listing says Block Plane, which names one half of the box.
Can I smooth a table top with a block plane?
You should not plan on it. Sellers says a block plane is a poor substitute for smoothing a wide face, and that a sharp No. 4 does that work. Cherry Tree's length for a block plane, about 150–180 mm, is too short to register a top the way a No. 4 near 250 mm can. Use the block plane on the ends and on chamfers after the face is already flat.
Why does the Faithfull listing say Block Plane?
The item-type line says Block Plane even though the bullets include a No. 4 and a No. 6012. The rank in this capture also sits under Block Planes. Read the included-components line: two planes and two canvas bags. The £47.95 is the pair. A search sorted by item type will hide that, which is why the line matters before you compare the price with a single smoother.
What angle is actually printed on these listings?
In this capture, the printed angle is 13.5 degrees on the Faithfull No. 6012 only. Stanley's UK page prints an iron gradient of 25 degrees for the 1-12-004, which is not the same as Cherry Tree's about 45 degrees for a bench-plane bed. The 45 on the amazon Stanley bullet is a 45 mm cutter width, not a degree. Do not add those figures together.
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)