User u/Horselrd shares a photo of curly maple being worked with a handmade wooden plane — a tool they built over twelve years ago from white oak, fitted with a Hock iron, and based on the Krenov style of plane-making. It's a deceptively simple post that touches on several deep threads in the hand tool world.

First, the wood itself. Curly maple (also called tiger maple or flame maple) is one of the most visually striking domestic hardwoods, prized for its shimmering, three-dimensional figure. But that beauty comes at a cost: the grain alternates direction in tight waves, which means a hand plane can tear out chunks of wood with every stroke if the approach is wrong. Successfully planing curly maple is a genuine test of both tool and technique. The fact that this user is getting clean results speaks volumes.

Then there's the plane. James Krenov, the Swedish-American woodworker and teacher, popularized a style of wooden-bodied plane that any woodworker can build in their own shop. Unlike a Stanley-pattern metal bench plane, a Krenov-style plane uses a simple wooden wedge to hold the iron, with the body laminated from a few blocks of hardwood. The design is elegant in its accessibility:

• The body is white oak — a durable, readily available wood that holds up well to years of use.
• The iron is from Hock, a well-regarded maker of aftermarket blades known for excellent steel that takes and holds a keen edge.
• The design philosophy is that a woodworker should be able to make their own tools, tuned precisely to their hands and their work.

What makes this post quietly remarkable is the twelve-year timespan. In a culture that often chases the next purchase — the newest Lie-Nielsen, the limited-edition Veritas — here is someone still reaching for a tool they made themselves over a decade ago. The plane hasn't been retired to a shelf. It's a user, not a display piece. That longevity is a testament to both the soundness of the Krenov design and the care this woodworker puts into maintenance.

For anyone intimidated by the idea of building their own tools, this is a quiet encouragement. A Krenov-style plane requires no castings, no machine work, and no exotic materials. It requires patience, a sharp chisel, and a good blade. And as this post demonstrates, the result can be a tool that serves you faithfully for years while tackling some of the most demanding grain patterns in the wood shop.