Hello everyone, Steve Taylor here. I am one of the Cane Rod makers involved with the Bamboo Bend Project (BBP), program for Honorably Discharged Veterans. Eight Veterans are brought to Grayling, Michigan for seven days of rod making, and build a 7 1/2’ 2/1 5 weight cane rod.

Every so often, a BBP Veteran decides to take-up the craft. From my experience, the set-up and use of a block plane can be a major source of frustration for new Veteran rodmakers.

In an effort to reduce this, I obtain, fettle, and use vintage Stanley 9 1/2 style planes in my personal rod making regimen. After I know that a given plane is tuned and can cut a half-a-thou, I offer three of them to a BBP Veteran that is taking up the craft. All they need do is send me an image of themselves, in their shop, holding their planing form. I then ship three planes, ready to go, to them. If they decide to stop rod making, I ask that they contact me and I pay the return shipping to me. I have supplied planes to six Veteran rod makers in the past several years. And have a few more in the mix.

Since 9 1/2’s are getting harder to find, I find myself looking for some assistance in finding them.

If anyone has any planes or parts, yes, parts, they are willing to pass-on. I have been paying yard sale, and lower Antique shop prices for the past several years.

Please contact me (click here to email) to work out prices and shipping. It’s pretty cool to see the look on a Veteran rodmaker’s face when they have success.