I have started taking more interest in 'classic' hand tools.  The turning point was a project when I realized I couldn't use a power tool safely and didn't have a block plane at the time.

Now I have two block planes and a low-angle jack plane.  Still want a few more block planes from various makers.  Then I'm planning to find some decent hand saws. 

I learned woodworking with hand planes about 50 years ago. I have dozens of hand planes that never get used anymore.
My turning point was years ago when I was teaching my late Son cabinetmaking & finish work. I was teaching him the use of hand planes. He asked me why he needed to to learn this when we had a shop & truck full of power tools. The only answer I had for him was that was how I was trained. The difference when I learned woodworking & finish work, they did not have the quality saw blades, sanders & sandpaper that are available now. Back then I would cut all of the trime for a new house with a hand miter saw & then hand nailed all of it. Hand planes got lots of use back then.

Since going to Festool, I only carry a block plane in my tool box for quick fits. For anything else, I use my Festool track saw or one of my Festool sanders. When they are hooked up to a vac, there isn't even any cleanup to do. In my case, the quality of my trim work is better now then it was when I used hand tools. The jobs also go a lot quicker. 

I still get a thrill out of finding old plane shavings when I am working on an old house. I just do not care to make my own anymore to leave behind.
 

   

By and large in modern carpentry power tools trump hand tools for efficiency but a block plane is  a production tool. If you know what you're doing they save a lot of footsteps.  Mine hangs off my vest every day.

Way back when before power tools became commonly available, and used, craftsman and other trades still had to get their work done, and preferably as quickly as possible, because the tradesman still wanted to take home money at the end of the day like modern tradesman still do.

There were and are a large number of specialty tools, that are either not available new, or only available thru specialty sources, that would allow a tradesman to complete certain tasks very quickly and easily by hand. A large variety of hand planes, many of which are no longer manufactured constitute some of the tools, but there are also a number of specialty saws, files, drills, layout tools etc.

While some jobs can be done much quicker using power tools, like drilling large numbers of holes, and  ripping and crosscutting large amounts of wood, there are other jobs that can be accomplished just as quickly, and probably far more safely  with hand tools.

I am a site carpenter,  I carry my lie neilsen 60 block plane and either a Stanley bedrock 604 or a Stanley bailey no3.  A sharp plane is an incredible tool.  I use one everyday.

I have taken my company back to doing primarily interior finish work. I am on a new construction site. I pull out my hand plane and know he back off a panel to get a snug fit to some casing. The builder was like what the heck are you doing? Fitting this panel. He yells at the out side guys and asks if any of them have a hand plane. They all laugh.

 I find it astounding and outright a travesty that the trades have lost appreciation for timeless methods. It saves me a trip down 2 flights of stairs and a table saw setup to get the fit i need. Granted it is all paint grade work. I still feel there is a lack of pride in workmanship and using the proper tools to get you there.

JMO

I wonder why they are mostly doing first fix work...

I learned woodworking with hand planes about 50 years ago. I have dozens of hand planes that never get used anymore.
My turning point was years ago when I was teaching my late Son cabinetmaking & finish work. I was teaching him the use of hand planes. He asked me why he needed to to learn this when we had a shop & truck full of power tools. The only answer I had for him was that was how I was trained. The difference when I learned woodworking & finish work, they did not have the quality saw blades, sanders & sandpaper that are available now. Back then I would cut all of the trime for a new house with a hand miter saw & then hand nailed all of it. Hand planes got lots of use back then.

Since going to Festool, I only carry a block plane in my tool box for quick fits. For anything else, I use my Festool track saw or one of my Festool sanders. When they are hooked up to a vac, there isn't even any cleanup to do. In my case, the quality of my trim work is better now then it was when I used hand tools. The jobs also go a lot quicker. 

I still get a thrill out of finding old plane shavings when I am working on an old house. I just do not care to make my own anymore to leave behind.
 

   

This is the thing. Sometimes it's just self-serving and nostalgic, and not always relevant to the modern workflow, to cling to the old ways.

I am not sure I understand the meaning of "block" versus "bench", and the context of when one should want one over the other??

Physical size differences.
Block Plane = 1 Hand
Bench Plane = 2 Hands

Maybe this is sacrilegious, but what would be the right type of plane for tuning 3/4" plywood edges?


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Block planes -- blade bevel is UP
Bench planes -- blade bevel is DOWN
Bench planes were typically used at the joiner's bench and supposedly the name came from that.

An edge plane like a Stanley #95 or a shooting board plane could be used to clean up the edge of plywood, however, you will probably dull the blade more frequently than if used on most solid woods.

Maybe this is sacrilegious, but what would be the right type of plane for tuning 3/4" plywood edges?


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It is not the plane, but the blade. O1 steel will not hold up for long. I would look for a HSS (M2) steel blade (Mujingfang make them for woodies and some of these can be used on Stanley planes - I have on in a #3), or something high in Vanadium (I think ECE do these).

I keep aside a block plane for plywood and MDF.

As far as hand tools being better than power tools on site, keeping in mind that I only work in a workshop, I still wonder about rebates, grooves, chamfering and hinge mortices. I would rather do these with hand tools than power tools.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Bench planes -- blade bevel is DOWN

Yeah, well apart from the bevel UP ones though eh?

It seems there are more people out there then what i thought. I guess it is just my area or maybe the crews i am running into.

I carry a 6" block plane and use it all the time. Its amazing the number of off jobs it excels at. And as u mentioned i dont have to go outside to the saws or hop down off a scaffolding for a small scribe or adjustment. I wouldnt leave home wihout it.

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One big plus is the battery is always charged. :-)

I use hand planes and hand saws all the time. I thought everybody did.

Bob D- a lot of people do still use hand saws and hand planes all, or at least a lot of the time but remember, you're on the FOG here so it's not necessarily representative.
Let's face it,  you'll get a better finish from a No 3 or 4 smoother when properly set up than you will from, say, an EHL65 and a sander (assuming absolute quality is your goal without the constraints of working to a time schedule)