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Jim Kingshott was a well-known and highly respected author on the subject of woodworking and planes, here are a few words which Jim wrote about me in September 2000 : Dear Woodworker, I want to tell you about one of Great Britain’s finest craftsmen. His name is Karl Holtey and he makes the best British pattern planes that I have ever seen. If I had to think of a single word that would describe this man it would be ‘Perfectionist’. He follows in the footsteps of makers with world renown, such as Stewart Spiers, Alex Matheson and Thomas Norris. Karl has refurbished many tools made by these masters; not surprisingly he has gained much knowledge from this intimate contact. In fact he is now one of the worlds leading authorities on the wood infill British pattern plane. Karl’s background is very similar to that of some of the fine plane makers of the past. Having served an indentured apprenticeship he earned his living as a craftsman in the cabinet-making and joinery industries. His hobby of model engineering gave him an understanding of engineering and metalworking. It was a natural progression to restore tools and then of course the next step was to make a plane. I see this as history repeating itself, for is this not a similar path to that of Stewart Spiers the inventor of the British pattern plane? Of course the planes made by Karl were based on the knowledge gained from working on fine tools from the past, but Karl being Karl he had to improve on them. Craftsmen saw the planes made by Karl and wanted them; it was not long before he turned over to full time plane making as a business, much to the benefit of those of us who work wood. Over the years Karl has developed in a number of ways. First his skill as a plane maker has been honed to a point where it is difficult to see how it could improve. His association with craftsmen, dealers and collectors has provided feedback and deepened his knowledge. Contact with metallurgists has enabled him to use modern materials far superior to any available in the past.

 

Address: Units 3 & 4, Lairg Industrial Estate, Lairg, Sutherland, IV27 4BN.
Telephone: 01549 402500
Fax: 01549 402520
Website: http://www.holteyplanes.com/