Hand plane
Takes a rough board to a glass face, one shaving at a time.
A hand plane is the difference between a beam and a finished beam. It reads the grain, tells you when you're going the wrong way, and leaves a surface no sander can match.
The set
scrub coarse, takes a deep, fast bite jack the workhorse, flattens the high spots smoother fine set, glass finish jointer long sole, straightens edges
The shaving test
A good shaving curls out thin and whole — a full-width ribbon means the iron is set true and the cap is tight.