# What's a Mujingfang?



## Desert_Woodworker

...to make "rice paper" shavings with a plane… Thanks for sharing


----------



## woodbutcherbynight

what has been your source for these planes?


----------



## Belford

> what has been your source for these planes?
> 
> - woodbutcherbynight


http://www.woodcraft.com/category/HT126-01/Planes.aspx


----------



## eflanders

Are these planes mostly used as a pull type vs. a push type like the Stanley and Record planes?


----------



## Belford

> Are these planes mostly used as a pull type vs. a push type like the Stanley and Record planes?
> 
> - eflanders


Either.


----------



## OSU55

I have several Mujingfang

Mujingfang Ebony Adj Chamfer Plane
Mujingfang Ebony Shoulder Plane
Mujingfang African Ebony European (horn) Style Smoother - 9-3/4" x 45° 2" HSS Blade 
Mujingfang Rosewood 11" Jack Plane 45° 1-3/4" Blade
Mujingfang Rosewood 4" Smoother 63° 1-1/8" Blade
Mujingfang Rosewood 8-1/2" Smoother 63° 2" Blade
Mujingfang Rosewood Adj Plough Plane
Mujingfang Rosewood Block Plane 6" x 1-7/16" 45°

All of them required tuning to work best. Cleaning up the mouths for better chip flow, flattening the sole (very easy), and flattening/sharpening the blades (none were ready to use - I tune on my Veritas planes/blades as well). All but the shoulder and plough required bedding the blade to the body and the wedge to get best performance. The 63° smoothers, the horn style, and the 11" jack work very well. The step angle of the 63° prevents tearout, and the chip breaker with the jack and horn style does the same. The block plane is ok. Not as good as a low angle iron block on end grain, and not as good as an iron block with a higher cut angle with the grain, plus it's not as ergonomic. I actually prefer the ergonomics of my iron planes vs these - easier on the hands and wrists. I guess I have better luck with my Stanleys than you do - I don't have the constant issues you state. I have pretty good luck with the chamfer plane as well. The MF jack performs about equal to a #4 as far as results on the wood. All of the MF blades hold an edge well, and take longer to sharpen.

I think the Mujingfang planes are a great value. Be aware they need some tuning, and the ergonomics are different - each user has to decide if they are better/worse. Also, the adjustment process can be frustrating until a user gets experience - true for any woodie with an adjustment mechanism.


----------



## MrRon

I have watched Japanese craftsmen using similar planes using a pull stroke. They seem to have better control of the planing action. While in Japan, I watched a man who was a national treasure use a plane that was about 10" wide with the blade facing up which he held with his feet and pulled the wood toward him. These guys have had hundreds of years of tradition to get to where they are today. You just can't argue with that.


----------



## NormG

I have seen Japanese craftsman cut laminate with their planes, both with the blade facing up and them pulling the wood across it and with the blade facing down pulling the plane toward them. You are correct they have great control from what I have seen and the hundreds of years of prior tradition has served them well.


----------



## Belford

I use any plane either push or pull. If suddenly find myself planning against the grain (with any plane) I simply turn the plane around, rather then repositioning the wood or myself.
At Old Fort William in Canada the carpenter has a 72 inch plane with a 4 inch wide blade. The plane is positioned upside down and supported on the butt end with two supports about three feet long and the other end sits in a shallow box on the ground.
When making barrel staves he moves the wood over the stationary plane. Using either a pull stroke or push stroke depending on which side of the plane he stood. Although on which side he stood may have had much to do with his dwindling endurance toward the end of the work day.


----------



## StumpyNubs

I have always been fascinated with eastern woodworking tools, but afraid to buy any because I don't know what is good and what is junk. I shared a classroom with Wilber Pan at Woodworking in America last year (He taught one of his classes after I taught one of mine). I wish I had had more time to talk to him about his Japanese tools.


----------



## AZWoody

> I have seen Japanese craftsman cut laminate with their planes, both with the blade facing up and them pulling the wood across it and with the blade facing down pulling the plane toward them. You are correct they have great control from what I have seen and the hundreds of years of prior tradition has served them well.
> 
> - NormG


I can't remember where I saw it but I was watching a documentary on woodworking and the pulling technique, whether it be with the planes or the saw was less to do with technique but out of the societal traditions of fusing spirituality with everything they do. When pulling, they pull the spirit of the wood to themselves.


----------



## builtinbkyn

Nice writeup and review. I'm tempted to give them a try. There web site is linked below. They appear to be a well formed company geared to serving craftsmen. The site lists all of their products. Woodwell Tools is the company that produces these planes.

Woodwell Tools


----------



## AaronK

interesting, thanks for the link. I recently bought Grizzly's long rabbet plane (https://www.grizzly.com/products/Curved-Profile-Long-Rebate-Plane-Rosewood/T10270) figuring I could cut it shorter and use it as a shoulder plane. It looks a lot like Mujingfang's version. I am not sure to what extent this is a more generic Asian style.


----------



## trialrun

I'd have to agree, I came across a few at an estate sale. Been using them and they are an absolute joy, took a while to get the iron razor sharp and hollow ground


----------



## Larrybenlev

I am terrible at setting the iron on my rabbet plane and the smoother, which I got as a set, with the brass hammer. Any tips? I can't seem to keep the blade set correctly for more than a stroke or two.


----------



## Ocelot

You have to smack that wedge harder than I thought originally. Then the blade will stay put.


> I am terrible at setting the iron on my rabbet plane and the smoother, which I got as a set, with the brass hammer. Any tips? I can t seem to keep the blade set correctly for more than a stroke or two.
> 
> - Larrybenlev


----------



## Larrybenlev

Thanks. Will try.



> You have to smack that wedge harder than I thought originally. Then the blade will stay put.
> 
> I am terrible at setting the iron on my rabbet plane and the smoother, which I got as a set, with the brass hammer. Any tips? I can t seem to keep the blade set correctly for more than a stroke or two.
> 
> - Larrybenlev
> 
> - Ocelot


----------



## Geronimowsb

Sorry for the necro response lol. Anyways I ordered three from China and they got to the Midwest state side in 13 days, appear very flat and pretty heavy and dense wood. Mine are the ebony ones. None were listed as this brand but I guessed correctly they would be. Got a 500mm 350mm and a 127mm . Now to use them lol.


----------



## mamell

I own a Mujingfang plow plane. When I first bought it I just knew it was destined to the rubbish bin, but I hung on to it, cleaned it up, sanded off whatever finish that was applied that made parts very hard to move and use and more importantly I spent hours upon hours sharpening and honing the blades. Like most complex hand tools it has a pretty steep learning curve, but once you learn how it was designed and made it becomes a joy to use. I think I paid $20 for it brand new and for a long time just sat on the shelf mocking my lack of knowledge about it. Now it's one of my favorite planes for certain applications.


----------



## jonoseph

I bought the largest and smallest sizes .Both are very useful .The largest plane makes a lovely sound . It makes the whole job a pleasure. The smallest is miles better than a metal block plane . These were on e bay. Even the smallest one has an inset brass front on the mouth .


----------

