Clifton Adjustable Mouth Block Plane Thomas Flinn

Clifton Adjustable Mouth Block Plane Thomas Flinn

The Clifton Adjustable Mouth Block Plane is a hand tool cast in bronze by Thomas Flinn & Co in Sheffield, a city with centuries of history in steel and toolmaking. Designed for detail work and finishing, where control in the hand matters as much as the edge.

In lutherie, the block plane is essential for precision work at a smaller scale: refining the neck heel, working scarf joints, bevelling edges, smoothing the headstock, or reaching any area where a bench plane is simply too large. Its size makes it easy to handle with one hand while the other holds the workpiece, and its approximate 1kg weight gives it enough mass to cut cleanly without forcing. It works particularly well on figured woods like flame maple, where the low cutting angle reduces tear-out.

The adjustable mouth lets you set the opening to match the cut and the timber. The Norris-style adjuster allows precise lateral movement of the blade — in lutherie work, that level of control makes a real difference when you need a cut that tracks exactly with the grain. The bronze body, cast in Sheffield and finished in signature graphite colour, has a presence you notice immediately — and unlike cast iron, it won't rust with workshop humidity or time.

A tool that feels different in the hand from the first stroke.

Technical Specifications

• Weight: approx. 1 kg
• Cutter width: 41 mm (1⅝")
• Blade angle: 25°
• Bed angle: 12°
• Total cutting angle: 37°
• Lateral adjuster: Norris-style
• Mouth: adjustable
• Body material: cast bronze
• Body finish: graphite colour
• Handle: walnut