"A plane," says Mateo Panzica, "has to be reliable 100% of the time." Taken as a statement about aircraft, it seems self-evident. But if you're talking about woodworking, as he is, it requires more explanation. Panzica's Lazarus Handplane Co. specializes in exquisitely wrought implements for smoothing and shaping wood to a finer finish than mere sandpaper produces. His compact mouse planes, which start at $435, can shave ribbons of wood as if you were peeling a carrot. The $1,800 Bevel Up Smooth Plane (pictured) weighs a hefty 5 pounds, 6 ounces, thanks to its brass and stainless-steel body, and is built to avoid "chatter," those marks left when microvibrations in the blades of lesser planes tear out minuscule strips of wood grain. When that happens after hours of methodical labor, he says, "you've just defeated yourself."
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