Clifton No 420 Shoulder Plane

Clifton No 420 Shoulder Plane fills the need for a longer and wider, accurate shoulder plane. Clifton planes are crafted from the finest materials and hand finished in Sheffield – the body is made from accurately machined grey cast iron with its sides and sole fully ground.  

This large Clifton 420 Shoulder Plane is just the right size for the final fitting of tenons used in bigger constructions including kitchen cabinet, wardrobe doors or general high-quality joinery. Just right for those with larger hands or two-handed work, the plane feels planted when used on its side, with gravity pulling its wide accurately machined body snuggly onto the tenon’s cheek. Its increased weight and mass helps its low angle bevel-up blade slice end-grain fibres with precision and ease, assisting those all-important final skims and removing any remaining saw marks.    

The lever arm is made of unbreakable malleable iron and fits snugly into the body of the plane. The cutting iron fits smoothly onto the machined pads in the body and can be adjusted by a screw. The finish is bright ground and all edges have been rounded over to fit comfortably in the hand. The highly polished top and lever are a testament to its cutler’s craftsmanship origins.

This full width cutting iron has a hardness of 60-62 Rockwell C, and the cryogenic treatment means that these blades will hold their edge even longer.  Clifton blades have a reputation as quick to hone whilst producing one of the finest sharp edges available.

The blade is bedded in the body at 18 degrees with a 25 degrees upper most bevel giving the plane a 43 degrees effective cutting pitch.

Peter Sefton, the owner of Wood Workers Workshop, is very proud to have been part of the development team when the new cryogenically treated high carbon steel blades used in Clifton Planes were developed.  His working knowledge and experience of sharpening and woodworking helped develop the improved plane blades that are presently in production and made entirely in Sheffield.

Blade: Carbon Steel O1 cryogenically hardened to 60-62 Rockwell C