6 Best Rabbet Plane in 2023

The first hand planes were used centuries ago. Gradually the variety has increased a lot, and there are now many different types of hand planes available in stores or online. Some designs have been modified to give an improved look and performance. Some people still prefer the original design as it performs so well!

For ages, woodworkers have been making tenon joints to join pieces of sawn lumber together. These joints are strong and versatile when joining two pieces with a rabbet cut in one end or both ends. A good rabbet plane makes the process easier for any craftsman by cutting an accurate joint quickly without damaging either piece too much. Here’s my list of best rabbet planes that I believe are some great models available at the market right now!

What is a Rabbet Plane?

A rabbet plane is a type of tool that was initially developed as an alternative to the hand saw. Its purpose is to cut bevel in wood, with one end of the blade being curved up and over (the throat) while the other edge cuts straight across the piece. The bevel creates a groove that can then accept another component or part for joining together.

They are also used for trimming workpieces into uniform sizes before they’re glued together, especially when there isn’t enough stock at any given joint to allow for perfect alignment during assembly. These days you will find them used by cabinetmakers and joiners when making doors and frames because it makes fitting pieces much easier than using just a handsaw or jigsaw alone.

Why is it Different From Other Hand Planes?

A rabbet plane is different from a regular hand plane because its primary purpose is to cut bevels. It has one end of the blade, which is curved up and over (the throat), while the other side cuts straight across, creating a groove that can then accept another piece or part for joining together.

Know More: Rabbet Plane vs Shoulder Plane | Differences and Similarities

It also has a higher cutting angle, like 45-degree, which enables it to cut fast and deeply. The shape of the plane allows for it to cut on both sides with each stroke. The rabbet plane needs a lot of pressure to work effectively. While using it, you should press the entire length of your body up against the wood while applying downward force on top of the blade and then pushing forward with both hands to achieve an even depth cut.

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List of 6 Best Rabbet Plane for Smooth and Fast Rabbet Cutting

Here are the 6 best rabbet planes that many people use for the past decade. They’ve earned all of our trust and need not be questioned! We’ll now list them

1. Stanley 12-978 Duplex Rebate Plane

With Stanley 12-978 being at the top of this list, one can quickly understand why. This model has been around for centuries and fulfills the needs of those who need it most in woodworking. Its 10″ body is made entirely out of cast iron. It is durable and efficient at its tasks without needing to be broken or opened up like newer models on the market.

The primary function of this plane is cutting rabbet, and to complete this task precisely, it has a depth stop attached. This enables the user to adjust how deep they want their cut by adjusting the depth stop on the rabbet blade, which can be removed from its original body if so desired.

The Stanley 18-inch rabbet plane is a versatile tool. It can be used as a regular rabbeting plane or function as the perfect bullnose planer for your woodworking projects. It has two cutting positions for inserting the blade – one close to the head and one in line with its user’s body. In this way, the middle cutting position is helpful for rabbet cuts, and the end position is suitable for bullnose plane blades. Both positions are 45-degree angles that make it easier to cut along the grain. A 45-degree angle will allow you to take much more off than a 25-degree angle would!

The extra handle on this rabbet plane means that you can get a better grip when cutting into deep surfaces. This helps avoid injuring your wrist, which is essential for anyone working with tough materials like wood. The handle itself also slides off easily if it becomes frustrating or uncomfortable during use.

The cutting blade of this tool is very versatile. It has a sharp 1.5-inch-wide steel blade with two cutting edges and can cut on both the bottom and side, ensuring that you won’t accidentally tear out parts of your rabbet’s edge as it cuts through to make sure all sides are nice and even! The back has small slots where there is also a key located which keeps the entire thing firmly in place once appropriately fitted into those spots.

However, the blade’s position can be increased or decreased by moving the adjustment key up and down. An iron plate and screw on the top of the edge keep the blade attached to the body. The blade is able to make perfect tenon and tongue. It’s difficult to cut a groove because it cuts in two ways, but when you change the edge, you can use it for cutting a dado or groove.

Pros

• Stanley 12-978 has one depth stop and a handle.
• They provided one sharp blade (1.5-inch cutting width) with it.
• You can use this plane as a rabbet plane or a bullnose plane. 
• There are two cutting positions in its body.
• One blade adjustment key comes with it.

Cons

• Only one side of the plan is usable for cutting rabbet.

2. Stanley 1-12-078 Duplex Rebate Plane

The Stanley 1-12-078 is a rabbet plane that offers some of the same features as its close sibling, the 12-978. The first significant difference between them lies in size: this model is smaller and lighter than 12-978. making it easier to handle small projects like tenon cuts where you need precision without sacrificing portability or stability due to weight.

This rabbet plane is made out of a finely polished gray iron designed to be sturdy and durable. This material, coupled with its ergonomic body shape, makes it quite comfortable for prolonged periods of use. It also has two different cutting positions at 45 degrees – one in the middle, which can hold blades used for long-grain cuts, and one on top functions as a bullnose cutter when you need to stop cutting in an area quickly! A metal plate with screws and an adjustment key comes with this plane, attaching the blade into this cutting position.

This router comes with a metal handle that can be attached and removed to aid in gripping. You’ll also find depth stops on the body of this tool, which you can remove or connect as needed for your project just by using an adjusting key. The rabbet cut is adjustable, too – simply turn the knob until it’s at its desired size!

The blade has slots, and the key fits in nicely. It won’t move after it’s inserted, but there is a gear on the other side of the attaching mechanism that can be used to adjust how far up or down you want your edge angle.

This rabbet plane is suitable for cutting tenon, tongue, and trimming the wood. But you may face difficulty when making dado joint.

Pros

• Beautiful body shape and easy to work with it to for lightweight.
• Has two 45-degree blade inserting position.
• You can use it as a rabbet plane or a bullnose plane.
• One extra handle grip comes with this plane.
• It comes with adjustable depth stops for adjusting the rabbet depth.

Cons

• You can use this rabbet plane for one-way rabbet cutting.

3. Grizzly Industrial Duplex Rabbet Plane

The 3rd rabbet plane on my list is the Grizzly Industrial Duplex Rabbet Plane. This small but powerful tool cuts through wood like butter! It’s beautiful and offers better control than a traditional bevel edge carver because of its size. Made with cast iron, this 8-inch-long body provides stability for your task.

The main body of this rabbet plane is the same design as a Stanley 78-plane. It has two positions that can be used depending on what you would like to cut. One at its center offers general use or near the head if more precision is needed when making those hard-to-reach angles. Both are equipped with 45° angle blades, so it’s ready to go as soon as it arrives!

One sharp blade comes with the plane. The blade can cut both down and to one side of your work surface, so you have plenty of options for how to use this rabbet plane! It also includes a metal plate with a screw pre-installed on it to attach the blade easily. However, unlike other planes, which are fitted with gears for moving their blades up and down as needed by woodworking professionals, this model does not include any such gearing option. But don’t worry; you can manually control over cutting depth instead.

The rabbet plane has a lovely handle that helps fix your cutting depth, and it also offers an excellent grip. The removable handle is attached to his perfect tool for easy working on tenon joints, tongue joints, groove joints—even trimming!

Pros 

• The grizzly rabbet plane has two cutting positions for different types of cutting.
• It has a sharp cutting blade attached to it.
• The same hand plane can be used for rabbet, shoulder, and bullnose cutting.
• It has a strong handle that is helpful for better grip and also for fixing cutting depth.
• It’s a small and powerful rabbet plane.

Cons

• The grizzly rabbet plane has no gear for moving the blade up and down. You have to move this manually.

4. Prettyia Rabbet Plane

Now I will talk about some budget-friendly rabbet planes. Stanley and Grizzly are made of iron, which makes them more functional than the inexpensive rabbet planes. But there is a lower-cost option available for those who don’t want to spend as much.

Prettyia rabbet planes are made from premium rosewood, so they’re lighter than any metal plane. But you don’t need to worry about durability – the body of this planer is well polished and wear corrosion-resistant for a long lifespan. These also make it smoother on your surface without damaging water or humidity!

The body of this rabbet plane is divided into two parts. One part holds the blade, and another measures the depth scale. They are connected with two wooden sticks that can be fixed together using twist screws for a sturdier construction- perfect if you’re in need of making precise cuts!

The rabbet plane has a sharp, high steel blade to cut the rabbet. It is attached with a stylish wedge into the body and comes without screw functionality; it was easier for me than other models I have used in my past experiences. You need to tap on your wood piece with a hammer, and then it will open up or be fitted so you can make cuts more quickly. The 6mm width will allow you to cut harder woods like oak without too much fuss but won’t work well if you have wider tenons in mind due to their size being beyond what can be accommodated.

For being lightweight, it is super portable and can be used for various kinds of jobs. You can use this tool on Windows, doors, cabinet doors, or drawers with excellent efficiency! But making a groove or dado cuts are impossible with this rabbet plane. The total size of the body is 9.8 x 7.1 x 2.6 Inches while in length: approximately 175 mm / 689 inches; handle length (or overall height) at 250mm/9 8inches — just enough to give your forearm some relief during work.

Pros

• The entire body is made of premium rosewood; that’s why it is lightweight. 
• Super portable.
• Blade width is 66mm, so suitable for small rabbet
• You can have better control over it.
• One sharp steel blade is given with this.
• It is straightforward to use.
• It’s a cheap rabbet plane.

Cons

• This can do only one type of cutting.

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5. RALI G03L Universal Rabbeting Plane

This particular plane is a tiny and powerful tool that can help you make precision cuts without any difficulty at all. The total length of this rabbet plane is 105mm, but despite its size, it has enough power to cut through bigger materials! It’s easy for your hands to grip because it has an ergonomic design that makes precise cutting effortless with just a finger or two controlling the work area around where you’ll be working. With careful usage in tight spaces, this small device could really do wonders for your projects.

The new blade insertion system is super easy, and alignment happens automatically. You can switch out the blades in just 10 seconds. The given 30 mm blade is unbelievably sharp and long-lasting; it makes a perfectly smooth surface every time! And with fingertip control over the depth of your cut using red levers on top of this planer – you’ll be able to change up how deep or shallow that material goes into each cut within seconds!

This rabbet plane is becoming popular over time because of its durability and portability. After buying this rabbet plane, you don’t have to think about any other rabbet plane for many years. The size of this plane is small enough that you can even put this in your pocket.  This rabbet plane is suitable for all kinds of joints like the tenon joint, tongue joint, groove joint

Pros

• It’s a tiny rabbet plane.
• The entire body is made of durable steel.
• Super portable rabbet plane.
• The durability of this rabbet plane is undoubted.
• Easy to use and fast blade changing system.

Cons

• A little bit expensive.

6. Plane Killer Woodworking Plane

Plane killer woodworking plane is one of the best wooden body rabbet planes. It is the simplest one. Some rabbet plane has a blade that has the sharping edge in two sides. One side for cutting the depth and one edge for cutting the side. But this rabbet plane does not contain those types of blades. One simple shoulder plane blade is provided with this. But this plane will cut more profoundly than a shoulder plane because of its cutting angle.

The cutting angle is 45-degree. 45 to 55-degree cutting blade cut more profound than any angle. But if you are not happy with this blade, then you can order a distinct edge. Now we’ll see some features of this hand plane. It has a beautiful wooden body made of hardwood. You may think a wooden body lasts less than a metal body. But this wood is long-lasting like a metal. The body is well polished and wears corrosion-resistant for increasing the lifespan. This also makes the body surface smoother.

The blade (2.5 inches) that is provided with this plane is made of steel. This blade can be cut in only one way. It is challenging to make rabbet with this blade, but it is perfect for you if you have any rabbet blade in your toolbox. The blade insertion system is super-fast and easy. Only one wedge is being used for attaching the blade. This rabbet plane is perfect for medium size rabbet or tenon cutting.

It’s a very lightweight hand plane that makes this a super portable hand plane. The length of this planer is approximately 10 inches. This rabbet plane is elementary to use. You can use it as a shoulder plane. It’s a perfect tool for making groove or dado cuts. But no depth stop is provided with this, so you have to measure the depth of cut manually. But overall, it’s a good rabbet plane at this price.

Pros

• Lightweight wooden body.
• The body is well polished for increasing durability.
• Easy blade insertion system.
• Super portable.
• Very cheap.

Cons

• You have to change the blade for rabbet cutting.

Buying Guide

For buying a rabbet plane, you have to keep in mind a few things.

Wooden or Metal

It’s a fundamental fact of a rabbet plane. The price depends on the material of the body. A metal body hand plane is costly than a wooden body. If you want to buy a metal rabbet plane, It is a fundamental fact of rabbet planes. The price depends on the material of the body. It has to serve you well for years.

A metal plane will cost up to 120$ while a wooden one costs about 50$. So, choose according to your budget, but if durability and functionality are essential, go with the metal ones; they last longer than wood. But the rigid body rabbet plane is well polished and corrosion-resistant, so they have a long lifespan. Rigid bodies are lighter than metal bodies, so it will be easier to bring them outside the workplace.

Blade

The blade is the most crucial thing for cutting a perfect rabbet. If you just use an excellent body and do not match it with good quality blades, your work will be rubbish in no time at all! Before buying any rabbet plane, make sure that you know what kind of blade material to get and how wide the blade should be, depending on the size of the project.

A small cutting width would suit projects like shelves or boxes, while larger ones need wider blades so they can cover full tenons in one push. Some blades can cut only one way. But both side cutting ability is essential for making a perfect rabbet cut. If you like the plane’s body but don’t like the blade, you can order a separate blade.

Size

Portability depends on size and weight. If portability is what you’re after the always go for something smaller size. Lighter, smaller planes are generally more portable than heavy one.  Different size of rabbet planes is available at the market. You’ll get 6 inches to more than 10 inches rabbet plane. The bigger one is good for a big project, and the smaller one is suitable for a small project.

Functionality

Some of the rabbet planes have many functionalities, and some are used for only rabbet cutting. If you own other hand planes like bullnose planes or shoulder planes, you don’t need multiple functionality rabbet planes. In this case, you’ll go for the simple one. Otherwise, you can choose one that has multiple functionalities.

Know More: Plow Plane Vs Rabbet Plane

Some Common Question About Rabbet Plane

1. What is the Difference Between a Shoulder Plane and a Rabbet Plane?

They are different hand planes used for other purposes. The shoulder plane has a cutting blade with a 15 to 25-degree cutting angle. A rabbet plane has a 45-to-55-degree angle cutting blade. A shoulder plane is used to trim the shoulder of a tenon, and a rabbet plane is used to make the tenon.

Rabbet plane cut faster than a shoulder plane. Rabbet plane contains an extra depth measuring and adjusting key for perfect size rabbet cutting. The blade of a rabbet plane has cutting ability in two ways. One sharp edge is used for cutting under the plane, and another edge is used to cut the plane’s side. Side cutting ensures that the wood does not tear out. Apart from these, there are many other differences between a rabbet plane and a shoulder plane.

2. Can a Rabbet Plane be Used as a Shoulder Plane?

Some rabbet planes can be used as a shoulder plane, but not all. Some are designed with a built-in depth stop that is nonremovable. The maximum rabbet plane has a 45 to 55 degrees cutting angle, so you’ll get a higher angle shoulder plane. Typically shoulder plane has a lower blade angle like 15 to 25-degree. Using some tricks, you may use a rabbet plane as a shoulder plane, but it is not recommended.

3. What is a Side Rebate Plane?

A side rebate plane is used for widening and clean up the corner of a rabbet. It is suitable for making groove or dado cuts.

4. What is the Purpose of a Bullnose Plane?

The bullnose plane can be used for various purposes. When you are making a rabbet or just A bullnose plane is a unique tool that has many uses. For example, it can be used to cut out rabbets or just for general cutting without needing the board’s full length. If you are using this type of router and want to stop midway through your project, then there’s no need to guess where exactly the blade will end; simply keep an eye on how much wood remains near the head!

Conclusion

I hope you’ve found a rabbet plane that suits your needs and budget. The 6 best rabbet planes we’ve covered here should give you plenty of quality choices from which to find your perfect match. What are your thoughts about these planes? If you have any ideas or questions, please leave them in the comment box below. We always like hearing from our readers!

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