Tachibana Goro 70mm Ebony Slide Dai Smoothing Plane

This Oak bodied hira-kanna or large smoothing plane is approximately 11-3/8" x 3-1/2" x 1-3/8" and designed to handle a multitude of tasks with ease. The plane’s blade is No. 1 Blue Steel, which has excellent edge formation that allows it to be rendered exquisitely sharp and to stay sharp longer, and the dai or body of the plane features a “slide dai” made from Ebony. The part of the plane most subject to wear in use is the front of the mouth on the sole. Periodic flattening of the plane’s sole is needed to keep the plane performing at its peak. In the words of the plane maker, the “Slide dai is to cover the most rubbed part of the plane. When using planes for awhile the part be worn out. When that happens, loosen the screw and make the slide dai down to the bottom of the main dai to compensate the rubbed part. Then tighten the screw back, so the part is flat again. It only covers the part so you still need TACHI KANNA to flatten the whole plane though.”

Master Blacksmith Takeo Nakano was born in 1941 and has been a blacksmith nearly all his life, living and working in the Niigata prefecture in Japan. He prefers to work (as many traditional master blackmiths do) relying on experience and feel as opposed to following a recipe for heating and tempering various steels. It is this innate sense gained from many hours of perfecting his craft that sets his blades apart from the ordinary.