Zen-Wu Chinese-Style Plane No. 2 (Jack)

The Zen-Wu Chinese-Style Plane is a traditional wooden hand plane, pushed across the work with a horizontal cross grip. Use it one-handed or two-handed depending on the cut.

The body is old-growth red ring-cupped oak (also called bamboo-leaf oak), a dense, stable hardwood that holds a flat sole through long sessions. The blade is Zen-Wu's ZW-V0 steel, laminated into soft iron for vibration damping and easy sharpening. The hardware is titanium.

With a 13-3/4" sole and a 2" blade, it's sized as a jack plane: long enough to flatten and true up boards, and nimble enough for everyday stock prep.

Specifications

• Sole length: 13-3/4" (350mm)
• Blade width: 2" (50mm)
• Blade: ZW-V0 steel laminated into soft iron
• Body: old-growth red ring-cupped oak
• Hardware: titanium

Jonathan's Hot Take

If you've only ever used Western planes, this one feels different for about five minutes. Then it clicks. The cross handle lets you push with your whole body instead of just your arms, and you get a ton of control over where the pressure goes.

Wooden planes are underrated. A dense oak body glides over the work in a way metal never quite does, and it's light enough that you can plane all day without wearing yourself out. Pair that with Zen-Wu's ZW-V0 laminated blade and you've got an edge that stays sharp and is easy to bring back when it isn't.

This is a beautiful, functional piece of woodworking history made with modern materials. It's a great jack plane, and it's a conversation starter on any bench.