Benedetto Palm Plane
Made by the master himself!
A master craftsman forms a deep connection with their tools.
Bob Benedetto, one of the grand masters of archtop building, approaches his tools like his instruments. They must have the perfect combination of form and function, be effortless to use, and also look beautiful.
When we opened the box from Bob and pulled out these beautiful planes, we were instantly inspired by the elegant lines, solid feel, and how it naturally felt in the hand.
On the convex sole model, the double-radiused sole is optimal for carving long graceful arches, and performs equally as well when carving short, tight radii. It really shines when carving both the inside and outside of tops and backs of archtop guitars and cellos.
The flat bottom model is perfect for leveling and squaring edges, and fine tuning the soundboard on flat top guitars.
When we tried it, we were amazed at how effortlessly and quickly the custom blades carved through wood, all with precise control. As soon as you hold this masterbuilt tool, we think you'll be inspired too.
And if getting the work of one master wasn't enough, Bob has teamed up with legendary toolmaker Ron Hock to produce custom O1 high carbon tool steel blades (hardened to Rc62) worthy of his plane.
We have replacement blades for each model and a custom leather bag to protect your plane from the dust and grime of the shop.
Use the tool of a legendary luthier
Since Bob's retirement, he's been individually crafting small batches of his favorite palm planes as a hobby (you never lose the love of building!). Through our partnership we're able to offer these amazing, heirloom quality tools that will last a lifetime.
Bob makes each and every one of them personally and each is serialized. There is no telling how many we will have, or how many he will make. These are a truly limited run!
In his own words:
For my entire guitar making career my main carving tool has always been a hard maple palm plane that I made almost 50 years ago. I've tried the Ibex and D'Angelico planes and found them both to be good, but something always drew me back to my handmade wooden plane...it just felt better.
For years I have wanted to offer my palm planes to the lutherie community. Now I have the time to do just that, and making them in small runs helps ensure consistency.
I make these planes entirely by hand, including the brass holding cap, toe plate and ramp (I don't make the thumb screws). Each plane is built from quartersawn American Hard Curly Sugar Maple (no soft maple), and the blades are made to my specification by Ron Hock.
I sent samples to Damon Mailand and Wyatt Wilkie for field testing. These prolific builders love the plane! So, I feel confident enough to take the next step.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks!
Bob
Bob Benedetto, Founder
- Each of Bob Benedetto's planes feature
- American Hard Curly Sugar Maple construction
- Custom turned palm rest
- Satin finish, brass appointments
- Custom Ron Hock steel blade, honed by Bob and ready to use
- Each plane is serialized by Bob
- Double-Convex Sole Palm Plane
- Custom built for carving archtops
- Double convex sole with 12" longitudinal radius and 15/16" cross radius
- Solid brass holding cap, crosspin, toe plate, ramp, and thumb screw
- Includes custom Ron Hock curved blade, 15/16" wide
Base dimensions:
3-1/4" long x 1-7/16" wide x 1-1/4" tall (82.5mm x 36.5mm x 31.7mm)
Overall length with palm rest: 4-1/8" (104.7mm)
- Flat Sole Palm Plane
- Perfect for building flattops, solid bodies, or precision woodworking
- Solid brass holding cap, crosspin, and thumb screw
- Includes custom Ron Hock blade, 15/16" wide
Base dimensions:
3-1/2" long x 1-7/16" wide x 1-1/4" tall (88.9mm x 36.5mm x 31.7mm)
Overall length with palm rest: 4-1/2" (114.3mm)