After the Jack Plane has worked it's magic the Trying Plane is then introduced to create a flat and largely smooth finish. It is less usual to call this longer plane a Trying Plane these days, nearly all long planes are called Jointer Planes by most contemporary woodworkers (which is just fine by the way) however a Jointer Plane is longer than a Trying Plane. A wooden Trying Plane is noramlly around 22 inches long with it's metal brother being the No 7.



The Trying Plane has a tighter mouth than the Jack Plane to aid the creation of a more refined surface, the cap iron is also set closer to the cutting edge as can be seen in the photo. One aspect that is important with the Trying Plane is that it has a flat straight sole. If the sloe is bent it will create a bent surface. To this end I add a word of caution. If buying the longer vintage metal planes I would advise checking the sole with a straight edge before making a purchase. If you buy a long metal plane with a bent sole you will find yourself wasting a few hours straightening it with abrasives. If you enjoy that kind of thing then disregard my next bit of advice. If you want great value for money a wooden Trying Plane is a great choice. If you find the sole to be twisted or bowed it can be soon sorted with a decent smoothing plane. If you want a metal version look to purchase a quality item from a reputable seller and brand so you can return if if there are any issues



As you can see in the photos of both the mouth and the cap iron the blade is largely straight with the edges slightly removed.