Reddit reviews No. 33 Bench Plane

1. No. In addition to the iron angles varying among planes (13.5 degree block plane, 23 degree scrub plane), the bevels on the irons (the blade parts) can actually be honed at different angles to better fit a particular wood or application. They also differ in width. Of course, specialty planes like rabbeting planes and nose planes have their own peculiarities.
   
2. Depends on the situation. If you're using it to mark out the shoulder cuts for a tenon, for example, you use the gauge to cut the fibers at the very edge of the cut. This means less tearout when you go at it with your saw or plane or chisel or what have you. In the case of marking a dovetail, if you're going all the way across you'd want it to be a pretty shallow mark so you can see it when you start chiseling but can sand it out for the part of the wood you leave behind.
   
3. That's fine for some situations. Note that your cutting edge is going to end up getting dull more quickly and that you lose a lot of accuracy that way. I tend to start with mallet strikes, then strike with my palm, and eventually I pair away the material by just pushing on the handle when I get it close.
   
4. I don't know who you think considers maple inferior. I certainly don't. The grain can run a bit if you're not paying attention to it, so some people might argue that it's a little harder to work with. It's also much harder to stain. Neither of those points make it inferior, just different. Where I live, it tends to be a bit more expensive, but I use it extensively, often paired with walnut for contrast.

Yeah, my SO actually got him a similar book already. I was thinking a bench plane because I've always liked the look of them and I know they can be helpful. Something like this