Zen-Wu Titanium Plane Blade with Chipbreaker

Give the bench planes you already own a serious upgrade. These Zen-Wu replacement blades fit Bailey and Stanley-pattern bench planes, with a ZW-V0 steel edge laminated into a titanium body.

ZW-V0 runs hard and is well ahead of standard plane iron steels like PMV-11 and O1 in edge retention and toughness. It's especially good for tropical and other dense hardwoods. The titanium body damps vibration and won't rust.

Each blade is paired with a 3mm titanium chipbreaker that's lapped flat along the edge that meets the blade, so the two close up with no gap. Every blade ships flat and ready to use, and includes a titanium screwdriver and a compatibility slider.

Fits most #3 through #8 planes from Lie-Nielsen, Veritas (standard line only, not custom), WoodRiver, Clifton, Quangsheng, Luban, and Dictum. Older Stanley planes may need a little filing at the mouth to fit the thicker blade.

Specifications

• Widths: 60.3mm (2-3/8") and 50.8mm (2")
• Edge steel: ZW-V0
• Body: titanium
• Blade thickness: 4.0mm
• Chipbreaker: 3.0mm titanium, lapped
• Includes: titanium screwdriver and compatibility slider

Jonathan's Hot Take

This is the single best upgrade you can make to a hand plane you already own. A thick blade and a titanium chipbreaker that's lapped dead flat means no chatter and no shavings jamming up under the breaker. Just smooth, wispy curls.

ZW-V0 is a hard-wearing steel, so you'll spend a lot more time planing and a lot less time at the stones. If you work with gnarly, interlocked, or dense hardwoods, this is the blade you want.

It also works great for bringing a vintage Stanley back to life. Just know the blade is thicker than the original, so you may need to open the mouth slightly with a file. Five minutes of work for a plane that cuts like a premium one.