Review on Woodworking Tool: Cowryman Router Plane Handheld For Precision Carpentry Projects by Steven Murray

I am not enough of a woodworker to spend over $150 on a premium brand router plane and this tool gets the job done. for the most part. It is rather small, so if you are routing out an area more than a couple of inches wide in any direction you will have trouble keeping the sole registered firmly on the work.But MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, the sole is not stainless steel. I believe it is aluminum. This is a problem because it leaves dark smudges on the surfaces around the cutting area. I suspect that even if you polish the sole it would still be an issue, since aluminum will oxidize so quickly. The best solution (apart from fabricating a replacement sole from iron or steel) would probably be to attach a thin hardwood sole to the existing base. There are countersunk holes on the bottom of the base to attach the handles which could be used for this, or you could drill new ones. This would also allow for a wider sole, making the plane easier to use for routing out larger areas.One last thing: The thumbscrew to lock the blade in place is not great, very difficult to get it as tight as it needs to be. Luckily the manufacturer is aware of this issue and now ships a replacement screw with a locking lever. The lever has a button on it so once it is tight it can be swung around to whatever angle you like.