Bob with his original wooden palm plane, Clearwater, Florida 1980
On my earliest guitars I used my grandfather’s wooden scrub plane and a violin maker’s brass finger plane to carved the arched tops and backs. Both worked well but I needed an in-between size. The family kitchen table provided me with rock maple to make my first few guitar necks, with enough small pieces left over to make my wooden plane. I used one of my father’s putty knives to make the blade. Back then, even putty knives were made with quality steel.
As the years passed, a few metal palm planes were introduced and immediately accepted as the “must have” carving tools for archtop guitars. I had one of each and found them to be worthwhile and useful but I always preferred my wooden plane. That worn-out wooden plane has been the most comfortable in my arsenal of palm planes.
For years I have wanted to offer a palm plane to the lutherie community. Now I have the time to do just that. I make them entirely by hand, including the brass holding cap, toe plate and ramp (I don’t make the thumb screws!) Each plane is made from quarter sawn American hard curly maple (no soft maple) and the blades are made to my specs by Ron Hock. Each plane is serialized.
There are two models: the CS100 (double convex sole) and the FS100 (flat sole). Both are available from Stewart MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply and Luthier’s Mercantile.“There’s nothing like getting a new tool, and this maple palm plane handmade by Bob Benedetto is perhaps the finest I’ve ever seen. Elegant, durable and perfectly suited for carving archtop plates.” Damon Mailand
“This has quickly become my favorite carving plane. Two radii make sit easier to get into tight spots and it has a nice weight to it that helps to really get going on a slab of hard curly maple. Fits very comfortably in the palm with no sharp edges. Who knew I needed anther palm plane?” Wyatt Wilkie
Bob Benedetto assembles palm planes, May 2019
