Koristeluhöyliä

Koristeluhöyliä, a Finnish term often translated as decorative planes or molding planes, are specialized hand tools used primarily for woodworking. These tools are designed not for removing large amounts of material like a standard jack plane, but for creating intricate decorative profiles and moldings on the edges of wooden boards. Their distinguishing feature is the shaped iron or cutter, which is precisely formed to produce a specific decorative pattern when passed along the wood.

The design of koristeluhöyliä typically involves a wooden body, often made from hardwood, with a slot for the shaped iron. The iron is held in place by a wedge or a screw mechanism. The user pushes the plane along the edge of the workpiece, and the shaped iron shaves off thin layers of wood, leaving behind the desired decorative profile. These planes were particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries for architectural embellishments, furniture making, and the creation of intricate wooden objects.

A wide variety of profiles could be achieved with different sets of koristeluhöyliä. Common patterns included ovolos, coves, astragals, and more complex combinations of curves and chamfers. Craftsmen would collect sets of these planes, each designed for a specific task. While their use has largely been superseded by modern machinery, koristeluhöyliä remain valued by woodworkers who appreciate the aesthetic and tactile qualities of hand-planed decorative work, and by collectors of antique woodworking tools.