Australia-based Melbourne Tool Company recently entered the North American hand-tool market with a large group of planes and shaves, designed for dense Australian timbers as well as American and European hardwoods. After working with their low-angle block plane and small router plane, I’d say MTC has achieved their goals of high performance at relatively affordable prices.

The fit and finish on both planes is very good. I did take 15 minutes to flatten the sole of the block plane on 320-grit paper, and found it necessary to ease the edges of both planes with a fine file. Then I put the planes to work, where they performed beautifully.

The small router plane is a gem. Its standard iron is 1⁄4 in. wide, but narrower widths are available. Unlike most other router planes, its irons are straight rather than L-shaped, which not only makes them more straightforward to sharpen, but also allows them to fit into tighter spaces. The iron beds into the body precisely, preventing any sideways movement, and its depth of cut is easy to adjust.

The unusual shape of the body keeps your fingers low, which makes the plane very easy to control—with both pushing and pulling actions—and the throat allows a clear view of the cutting action.

The block plane is equally good. It has a very solid feeling, and the high-speed-steel iron required only a light honing, which produced a fine edge that held up well. I worked with the plane on many types of wood, and it handled them all with ease. The three adjustments—mouth, lateral, and depth—are precise and intuitive. Taking advantage of the bevel-up design, I swapped out the 25° iron for a 50° iron (also available from MTC) to tackle some tough, figured woods. Combined with a tight mouth, it left the surface smooth and clean with no tearout.

—Dave Fisher is a woodworker and carver
in Greenville, Pa.