Are you making your own hand plane? Or do you have a broken hand plane handle (tote) that you need to replace? A well-shaped hand plane handle can transform how your plane feels in use. By crafting your own handle, you can improve comfort, control, and overall performance.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to design, shape, and install a custom wooden tote using traditional woodworking tools.

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Select a dense, straight-grained hardwood such as:

• Beech

• Maple

• Cherry

• Walnut

These woods are strong enough to resist cracking and shape cleanly with edge tools.

Grain direction matters: orient the grain vertically through the handle for maximum strength. See the above video for specific grain direction.

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Use an existing handle as a template, or draw your own ergonomic shape. Trace the outline onto your hardwood blank.

Be sure to:

• Mark the mounting hole locations precisely

• Align the grain for strength

• Leave extra material at the bottom as the tenon (which goes into the mortise that you’ll cut into your hand plane body).

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Bore holes into the handle stock, to open up the handle grip. Use a sharp auger bit (Bill used a “Center Bit”), or a Forstner bit with a drill or on a drill press.

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Use a dovetail saw to make relief cuts, then cut the outline using a bow saw, a coping saw, or a band saw. Stay just outside your layout lines to allow for shaping.

At this stage, the handle will look blocky—that’s normal.

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Follow Bill’s video instruction to layout the contour lines with a sharp pencil. Take care in this step, as this will make a huge difference in the comfort of the hand plane handle. Too boxy, and your hand will be sore while hand planing.

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This is where comfort is created.

Use:

• A cabinet maker’s rasps to remove bulk material

• A finer rasp to refine the curves

• Spokeshaves to refine curves (optional)

• Chisels for tight transitions (optional)

Focus on:

• A natural palm swell

• Smooth finger transitions

• Proper wrist alignment

Periodically hold the handle as you work. Your hand will tell you when it feels right.

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Refine the surface with a card scraper and/or sandpaper. I prefer to do the scraping and sanding before gluing the hand plane handle into the plane body, and then I like to apply wood finish to the whole hand plane. But if this is a replacement handle, you can finish it first, like you would with a hand saw handle.

For finish, apply:

• A light wiping varnish or a finish of your choice. Avoid thick film finishes that can become slippery and look to shiny.

• Add a simple oil-and-wax blend polish after the finish has cured. Check out our beeswax wood finish here.

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Q: What is the best wood for a hand plane handle?
A: Dense hardwoods like maple, beech, cherry, and walnut provide strength and durability while shaping cleanly.

Q: Why does my hand plane handle feel uncomfortable?
A: A hand plane handle needs to have enough contour and curvature to fit comfortably in your hand. Under-shaped, boxy handles lead to discomfort.

Q: Can I reshape my existing handle instead of replacing it?
A: Yes. Rasps and spokeshaves allow you to refine the grip without starting from scratch.

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Bill is a handplane expert, and an accomplished maker and restorer of wooden hand planes. His workshop is full of both wood planes and metal planes, and he teaches classes on making, refurbishing, and sharpening hand planes. See Bill’s classes at our school here. Bill is also now (as of 2024) teaching small, private classes at his workshop outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. You can see his website here.