HANDPLANE GOODNESS

Everything you ever

2012-01-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

wanted to know about Brownfish Handplanes, you can find out right here: http://www.korduroy.tv/2012/interview-gary-murphy-of-brownfish-handplanes

A Few from the Weekend

2012-01-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

If your initials are DF or MO, then these are on their way. Hope you like em. G

Raf's 2.0

2012-01-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

My buddy and I mostly body surf Huntington Beach--both sides of the pier, the cliffs, and also the Santa Ana River jetty. Frequently, we're the only body surfers out, especially on the big days (like last Friday, where in the morning we were the only people out north of the pier period). People are always asking us about our handguns. I've attached a pic of what I've been using. It's called "2.0," reflecting its gradual evolution throughout the time it has been my primary handplane (as well as design improvements from studying the shortcomings of my friend's earlier prototype). We shaped it freehand using a jigsaw and Dremmel rotary tool (for the edges and grooves). Unfortunately, since it's made from poplar, it's a bit heavy. Best, Raf

Good ole Handplane Goodness

2012-01-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hi. Been following your blog and really like your planes and shapes. I surf. Thought I would buy a hand plane at local shop. Realized I could make my own and save some $. I have scrap wood around my house so I got to it. Bought leather belts at thrift store to make straps. Each one has got better I think. All inspired by your shapes. All the bottoms are different. Some concave and some skegs and some rolled rails. keep trying different shapes and using reclaimed lumber Hope you enjoy as I enjoy making them. Giving them away to friends. Best aloha. Patrick James Dean

Handplaning with the Locals

2012-01-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

Shawn Parkin was out handplaning and taking photos yesterday when his session was interrupted by some heavy's. Here is what Parkin had to say about the experience, "Fisheye lens means that guy was about 6 feet away. There were at least 2 little babies in this pod....maybe only 3-4ft long. Good stuff!"

You can check out all of Shawns work at: Photography by Shawn Parkin

Strange Love Craft: Taylors Mistake by Brian Lam

2012-01-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

I had just finished a body surfing session a few months ago when I saw an older gentleman in the parking log, sopping wet, with a satisfied look on his face. In his hand was a beat up old handplane like I’d never seen before. I introduced myself and asked him what his Strange Love Craft was. READ MORE HERE:

JUST PLANE by Kimball Taylor

2012-01-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

In the beginning, there was bodysurfing. God provided all the equipment necessary -- bodies, waves, and the inspiration to use both. Then, according to Matt Warshaw's "Encyclopedia of Surfing," some Polynesian kids decided to tack palm fronds to their feet with tar, and voila, the first body surfing fins were born (In fact, a guy by the name of Churchill witnessed kids surfing this way in Hawaii. He later invented the predecessors to those blue and yellow fins rotting in your garage). The next step equipment-wise was to gain a little lift in the planning surface, the human body. And it was probably kids just like the ones who made palm fins who decided to pick up some driftwood and evolve bodysurfing into handplanning. READ MORE HERE: Make sure to browse the images on "The Art of Handplaning" link.

Handplane assisted bodysurfing's no longer just a fringe pursuit, even all-stars like Kolohe Andino are taking to it. PHOTO: Jason Kenworthy

Arise Handplanes

2012-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hey Gary!

I emailed you a few months ago about my handplanes and I believe you put them on the handplanegoodness blog. I'm still shaping and I've even sold a few planes to people through my bigcartel site. On the eastcoast, not near as many people body surf. I don't know why that's the case, but it is! Every time I paddle out with a plane and fins I get weird looks. Oh well! But everyone here on the east coast seems pretty chill with it. I usually get asked what's on my hand at least once or twice a session. Well, I just thought I'd let you know how things are here on the east side :P

The pics are of a Goliath two-hand model plane that I shaped for a woman in NY.

Garrett Frye

Arise Handplanes

arisehandplanes.bigcartel.com

Handplane Stoke in Oregon

2011-12-29T06:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Brownfish,

I've been meaning to send a big thank you for the inspiration for shaping and riding handplanes for quite some time. Attached are a couple of pics of my creations (obviously, many based on your shapes). I've surfed for quite a while in the Pacific Northwest and have been bodysurfing as well for a few years, but had never tried a handplane. One day this summer up here in Oregon, I ran into a guy named Mike riding one of your brownfish models. After talking with him and watching him catch and ride some of the best waves of the day, I decided handplaning was for me. That very same evening I called my friend Matt in NYC, who got me into surfing years ago, all stoked about getting into handplaning and he told me he had made me a handplane for my birthday and that it would arrive any day. Crazy coincidence huh? Up until that day, I had never seen another person riding a handplane in Oregon (although I'm sure people do) or even bodysurfing for that matter. Since I received that handplane in the mail (it is the small light green handplane in one of the pictures), I have not set foot on a surfboard. It has become an obsession for me and I have used your handplanegoodness site for shaping inspiration. Surfing in the Northwest is already pretty rustic and you usually feel pretty connected with nature. Riding handplanes has pushed that connection even closer for me. Now I have to decide what to do with all of my surfboards...maybe make furniture out of them?:) I also am making so many handplanes, that I have decided to start giving more away to anyone who is interested and leaving behind handplanes to those interested on any surf destinations I visit to spread the stoke. Thanks again for the inspiration. If you have never surfed in Oregon, it is worth the trip. Although the waves are rarely perfect, the beauty and access to the coastline is hard to beat. Cheers!
Chris Pladziewicz
Portland, Oregon
By the way, I am off to the beach tomorrow to try out 4 new planes I haven't even ridden yet. Exciting!

Caleb- Doing his part, are you?

2011-12-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

I just recently discovered handplaning and your blog while surfing the internet in my down time and I decided to shape my own in the shop at work. (I'm currently deployed with the Navy to Bahrain and I have access to a pretty rad wood-shop.) I don't really have much of an idea of what I'm doing when it comes to shaping, hydrodynamics, etc.. But I thought I'd try and see what I can come up with. It's made out of teak laminated together with meranti?stringers, and the strap is a piece of a bicycle inner tube. I'm going on a surf trip to Australia in a couple of days and oddly enough I'm stoked to try out my new creation in some good surf way more than anything else. Anyways, Good job on the planes and the blog and thanks for making it easier to keep up the stoke while I do my time over here on this surf less desert Island.
Regards, Caleb Esparza

AWESOME WORK CALEB, AND THANKS FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY!

Doctoring it up

2011-12-24T07:05:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I make some handplanes and leave the pad off. Usually it is when I think that they look really cool, or have a neat grain pattern, and I really don't want to cover it up with a pad. Functionally, I like the pad, but, from an aesthetic standpoint, it sometimes doesn't make sense to cover up a beautiful piece of wood with a piece of processed plastic. This one I made for Dr. Chris Jones in Sydney. He got it last March. He just sent me a picture of what he has done to it. It makes perfect sense from a functional standpoint, and I'm sure in some of the situations he gets himself in along the beaches of Sydney, helps him a great deal. Here is what he had to say about it: "My current one is going so well - I've hooked it up with a dakine deck grip that I trimmed to fit... photo's attached. It seems to work really well with a grip for the fingers and buttress for the wrist. Your hand seems to just slot in perfectly." He is now in the process of adding a Hobbit to his quiver, this one, I'll be sure to put a pad on.

Parkins shot in TSJ

2011-12-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

Cogratulations to Shawn Parkin for getting this epic shot in The Surfers Journal on-line. You can check it out at http://www.surfersjournal.com/photo/2011-12-01-1

Action!

2011-12-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a great action shot of Zach Hawkins using his self made handplane. Strong work Zack and incredible shot!

Bourez doing some Pre-Pipe Masters training

2011-12-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

Great Pic of Michel Bourez in Transworld with a Brownfish Hobbit. You can find it at: http://surf.transworld.net/1000140961/features/the-north-shore-daily/6/?pid=59239#ngtop

Before the surf came up today, bodysurfing Off The Wall was the call. Michel Bourez and his handgun. Photo: Checky

Matuse Wetsuit Sample Sale

2011-12-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

My good friends at Matuse Wetsuits are having a sample sale this weekend. Stop by to get 25-50% off, or if you can't make it, go on-line and recieve 25% off all 2011 wetsuits. Here is the info:

Patagonia Delivery Today

2011-12-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

These 5 are being dropped off today to Patagonia Cardiff. 2 Brownfish, 2 Short and Fats, and 1 Hobbit. This will most likely be the last delivery to Patagonia prior to Christmas. Possibly one more the week before if time allows, but, we are looking about 50/50 on that. They can ship anywhere. Get em while you can. On another note, The Brown/Gold Short and Fat is one of my favorites ever. Grain is just amazing. Didn't have the heart to cover it with a pad.

Patagonia Cardiff
2185 San Elijo Ave.
Carfiff-by-the-Sea, CA. 92007
760-634-9886
http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=5172&src=vuca_0005&src=vuca_005

I want to be his friend!

2011-11-30T06:13:00.000-08:00

DIY- True Stoke from Zac Kimball. I got this message from Zac the other day. This guys got a good heart.
"Here's a few rough shapes I've done. Most of these were made out of an old 3/4" thick pine dresser drawer. I pretty much use all hand tools with the exception of the jigsaw to cut my blanks. Typically use chisels for channels and deepening the concaves and use a hand file for my rails. I do cheat with the electric sander to blend everything and hand sand with both 80 grit and 120 to get everything somewhat symmetrical. For my straps I either use .750" or 1.000" webbing (taking from old surfbags and surfracks). I 'll pre-drill holes in the planes and use threaded furniture inserts and 1/4" bolts to keep the strap attached. I've been into some pretty heavy waves and never had them pull out. Although not adjustable, they are totally functional. I seal them with polyurethane sealer but am usually either too stoked or tired to finish sand them. I crank out about 3-4 planes a week and mainly give them away to friends to share the stoke."

Infinity Surf Shop has Handplanes again

2011-11-27T09:26:00.001-08:00

I think it was about the middle of the summer when I last dropped some handplanes off to Infinity Surf Shop in Dana Point. Not by any fault of their's. They have always been a dream account. I kinda took some personal time and cut back my production. Now that we are back up to full speed, I dropped off 8 handplanes to Infinity over the weekend. 3 Brownfish, 3 Short and Fats, and 2 Hobbits. Although the picture doesn't do it justice, The Brownfish on the left is actually silver. It came out pretty amazing and is one of my new favorites. The Short and Fat on the left has a Gold tint to it, that one also is pretty amazing. If you've got the time to stop by soon, I would highly recomend it. They go through em pretty quickly. They can also ship pretty much anywhere in the world, so you can call em if you are interested.

Infinity Surf Shop

24382 Del Prado

Dana Point, California 92629

949-661-6699

http://www.infinitysurf.com/

I Love the DIY

2011-11-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here's one from John Keller:
"This is one I made from construction scraps off my Dad's place. Sustainably harvested Arkansas white pine, scraps from a solar powered off the grid house. Rails are poplar and cedar scraps from my shop."

Paying It Forward

2011-11-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

We all know that some of the best Christmas presents are ones that are handcrafted by our family and friends. They are the kind of things we end up keeping forever. So, here is my Christmas present to you. Something for following along all this time. If you really want to do something special for a family member or life long surfing buddy, Make them a Handplane. Here is a general idea, with some pics, of how I do it. Hopefully it will get you started along the right path.

Step 1- figure out the wood you want to use. I always use Paulownia these days mainly due to it's super high strength to weight ratio. But, It's expensive and kinda hard to get. Not readily available at the local hardware store. If you can't get your hands on some Paulownia, use Poplar. I use 1" thick blanks, you can get by with 3/4" if needed. Make a template with paper (an outline) and draw it out on the board. Try and make it as even as possible. Cut out the wood with a bandsaw, jigsaw, or whatever cutting device you have. Here is a big time saver: don't spend a lot of time trying to even out the template after you cut it, the wood is thick, and it's much easier to do once you've thinned it down. So Now you have your board cut out. You need something to mount it in. I use a clamp like this. I prop the nose up, because the first thing I do is put the nose bevel in.

I use a 4.5 in angle grinder for all of my shaping. I use 24 grit on it. If you don't have one, you can use a random orbital sander: Here is a pic of the initial bevel.

Next, I unprop the nose and put the board in the clamp and really clamp it down. Then I usually put a rough concave in. See below.

Now comes the hard part. You've got to blend it all together. The first thing I do is take down the tail, which puts a little tail rocker in. This also makes a nice rail line that matches on each side. One reminder, you should constantly be looking at rail, nose, and tail thickness at all times. Matching them, making sure you are reasonably congruent. Here is a pic of the bottom roughed out.

I now turn my attention to the deck. I put in matching rail bands. Matching the width of the bands is not as important as matching the thickness of the rails and nose. See rail band below.

Once the rail bands are in and symmetric, I then blend them into the deck which will leave you a domed deck.

The deck is domed, the bottom is roughed, Now the board should be alot thinner. Now it's time to nail that outline. I used a sanding block for this. You can make one, it's basically a block of wood, 3/4" x 8" x 4" with sandpaper wrapped around it. Use long strokes and make sure that your block is perpendicular to the ground. Here is mine all true'd up.

After the outline is done, it's time to get to sanding. I sand all of my handplanes to 120 grit. I use 80 on my grinder. 100 on my random orbital sander, then 120 by hand. Should leave it nice and smooth like below.

Now it's time to turn the rails. Use your sanding block again with 80 grit. You want to leave a pretty hard edges on the bottom rails, but the bottom nose should be equally blended to the top nose. On the top, I would initially take my block at a 45 degree ankle and blend the rail down half of it's thickness. Then blend those lines down, repeat. by this time, it should start looking pretty round. Your rails should be turned now. I usually do a finish sand with 120 along the rails, then same with the deck and bottom. Here is my finished shape.

As for the finishing process. You have some choices. You can seal it with linseed oil mixtures that you can find online, or you can finish it with any combinations of varnishes, or polyurethane finishes that are out on the market. You can also use Resin or Epoxy if you like.

The final step is the strap. Now everyone wants to know how I do mine. Sorry, I gotta hold some things close. My recomendation would be to use 1" webbing. Either Polyester or Nylon. You can get it at any climbing store. Sew velcro to it. When I started, I use to freehand sew it together. It works. As for attaching it to the board. I would use two wood screws that go as deep as possible, without going through the board. Pre-drill them. Use a 1" plate that spans the strap. Drill two holes in it that the screws will pass through. This will make the screws have to work together and not independantly. And also prevent the strap from pulling over the screw head. So, it should go-- board, strap, plate, then screws. Maybe a drop of epoxy or super glue into the pre-drilled holes prior to screwing them in.

Hope this all helps. Remember, everything works. If a food tray works, god knows that your creation is gonna work better. I got some amazing waves on the very first handplane that I made. Would love to see some pics of some of your productions. And also some with thier new owners.

Your New Ventura Dealer

2011-11-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Wetsand Surf Shop in Ventura contacted us last summer about getting some handplanes. At the time, I was going through some tough times with my mom, being real busy, family, etc. I wasn't able to bring them on. Now that we've got all our ducks in a row, I was able to send them out their first order last week. Got a message from Chuck saying that they arrived unscathed and look good. If you are up in the area, stop by and check them out. Chuck's a good guy and the shop is a perfect fit for the Brownfish line. You can see them at:

WetSand Surf Shop
446 East Main Street
Ventura, California 93001
800-750-7501
http://www.wetsandsurfshop.com

Instagramming

2011-11-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

I will admit it. I've got this blog. I've got my FB page. Got my other job, kids, wife, surfing, handplaning: I think thats enough. Thats what I was thinking when some of my photographer friends started telling me I should sign up for Instagram. Eventually I folded and uploaded the app to my I-phone. You know what. I really like it. Plus, I think it really fits into the business side of things. It's pretty quick and easy to snap pics of custom Handplanes with my phone then upload them to Instagram. So, if you have an I-phone (Instagram not yet available on droid or blackberry), ordered a handplane, and have the Instagram app and are following brownfish, there is a good chance you just might see your handplane come through. Here is a shot I took today of Jason Kenworthy and Kevin Voegs, while doing the photo thing in our clean room (aka, garage).

JUST STALLING!

2011-11-16T03:53:00.000-08:00

Kolohe's Quiver in Transworld

2011-11-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Super stocked that Kolohe not only put his Short and Fat Model Handplane in his Transworld quiver shot (right above his left ear and head), but also had nothing but great things to say about it:

"BOARD #6
This is probably my favorite board in the picture. I've been taking it down to Creek and getting barrelled in the shorebreak. I just started getting into handplanes, but I've had some really memorable sessions on it already."

Two easily overlooked, minor errors, on the part of the Transworld Staff. First, obviously Matt didn't shape the handplane, but, since I have nothing but compete respect and admiration for that guy, I'm OK with it. Second, you and me both know that Short and fat is not 16" long.

Anyway about it, super, super stoked about this.

Here is a copy of the Transworld page. If you click on it, it will blow up and you should be able to read most of it. The second picture is of the handplane that is in shot. Remember, that was the super cool one with the stingray grain pattern on the bottom.

Long Island Has Planes

2011-11-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

ABB on Long Island has seven handplanes arriving any day now. The guys there have pretty much been my most consistant and reliable account. I have had a great time working with them. They can ship anywhere, so if you need a plane quickly, you can either call them, or order one on-line. Sorry for the low quality pictures this time. Both light and time were not on my side, and a quick shot with my phone had to do this time. They will be recieving 2 Brownfish, 4 Short and Fats, and 1 Hobbit. The Hobbit actually looks yellow in the picture, but actually it came out a real cool Lime Yellow/Green. You can contact ABB at:

Atlantic Bodyboard Shop
252 Lido Blvd
Lido Beach, NY 111561
516-690-surf
http://AtlanticBodyboards.com//

Curren Gets Silver!

2011-11-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

Curren came to us last week and said that he wanted to enter his first Judo Tourniment. Rebecca and I questioned him and said maybe it would be a good idea to go and watch one first. He only started Judo/Jiujitsu last July, and although he has been going with Cooper and Rella about 3-4 days a week, his heart just didn't seem to be into it, like it has been for soccer and baseball. Though, about 2 weeks ago, we did notice a change. He was running harder, throwing harder, and putting way more effort than he previously had. There was a bit of a stimulus, but, that is another story. He was pretty insistant on entering this tourniment, so eventually we broke down and let him enter. Well, he had 4 matches. The first being the hardest. He went up against a kid that was the son of one of the Sensei's from another Dojo. He has been practicing for well over a year, and was actually competing up in the next division also. This division was supposed to be gimmy. Well, Curren didn't quite know that, nor did we. They started the match and that other kid didn't know what hit him. Curren dominated the first two minutes of the 2:30 match, and just had to hold out. The other kid landed a pretty good throw, which the young referee apparently overscored. They came back later and told us. We not being very tourniment savvy. Curren shoulda ended up tying that match. The last three of four, Curren dominated. Below is a sample video. Quick throw straight to the back is an automatic win. Something else that we learned just yesterday at the tourniment. Well regardless, it was fun, Curren got the silver, and we are so proud of him for not only doing well, but stepping up and having the confidence to go for it.

Shawn Parkin is Married

2011-11-07T05:54:00.000-08:00

Everywhere that guy goes he is showing off his wedding ring. I swear, some people these days!

HandCam by Shawn Parkin

Happy Birthday Annelli

2011-11-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

Steven ordered this BrownFish Model HandPlane for his Girlfriend Annelli for her Birthday. You Can probably imagine, she is from South Africa. As much as I tried to get it to them for her to open, It just didn't happen. It entailed a lot more time than I first anticipated and I am sorry it didn't quite make it. Here it is Annelli, it will be there soon. Happy Birthday and have a great day.

Big Shane

2011-11-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

His friends call him, "The Hog," I just call plain ole slotted. Big Shane driving with his Short and Fat.

Keith Malloy Says

2011-10-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

That he likes the Hobbit. I had the opportunity to give Keith one of my new Hobbit shapes at the screening of "Come Hell or High Water" at La Paloma a few weeks ago. It was a little awkward at first. One of the Patagonia guys was supposed to be around to introduce us, but that never quite happened. After carrying the Hobbit around for quite a while, a saw a good opening, and went in. He was super cool and was already awaiting his new plane. We talked a bit, then Mr. Slater arrived and walked up to us. That was a bit much for me, I know I'm kinda important, I kid, but, Kelly might just be a tad more important. So, I let him have his time with Keith and retreated. Skip forward a few weeks to the screening at Patagonia Cardiff (this last friday night). Knowing that the Patagonia crew would probably never getting around to asking Keith how the Hobbit went, and then reporting back to me, I knew I had to talk to him. I know I've made the Malloy's some planes in the past, as I'm sure many others have. Not sure where they go. Most likely in a big bag of pool toys. I was super excited to hear that he has not only used it, but he has used it the last 3 times that he has bodysurfed. Got some really good, big barrels, during the last decent south swell. It was nice having a confirmation that the design works as well as myself and friends have felt it works. Most of us that have tried it in decent, hollow surf, pretty much no longer want to use anything else. Here are some pics of some recent Hobbits that I have made.

Tonight at Patagonia Cardiff

2011-10-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

They will be featuring a free showing of Keith Malloy's "Come Hell or High Water." They are starting off the fesivities at 6pm with food. A little Music at 7pm. Then the movie at 7:30pm. Rebecca and I have pawned off the rugrats on one of the neighbors, so we will be thier. If you have any questions about your handplane, or handplaning in general, feel free to ask. I'm sure Ed and Kip from Enjoy Handplanes will also be present for the same. Here are 5 Handplanes that I will be delivering to the shop today. 3 Short and Fats and 2 Brownfish. Get em while you can. They will ship anywhere. They have usually been lasting less than a week, then they are out. My personal opinion is that the 3 stripe Brownfish Model, is the best handplane I have ever made. I wanted to keep it. Sorry for the poor quality pics today, my lighting just wasn't doing it.

Another from Thulander

2011-10-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Eric Thulander charging wedge on his B-Fish Pinliner. Photo: Jordon Anast

More from the DIY series- Britain special

2011-10-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some amazing pictures of Neil's first handplane. Neil lives in Britain and was wavering over the idea of having me make and ship him a handplane, or going at it himself. I always tell people that if they have the initiative, then they should always give it a go. I gave him a decent amount of advice which has hopefully helped him along his journey. I think he has done an amazing job. Wish he lived over the pond, I'd hire him in a second. Here is a part of the email I recieved from his this AM. Kinda Stoking if you ask me.

Hi Gary

Firstly I would like to say how much of a help you have been so far (I have now been obsessed with board design for the last 2 weeks!) And that I would like to make you my first proper board as a way of a thank you (I know this is like shipping sand to the sahara, but I have been amazed with your openness )
Anyway I just wondered if you could have a look at some pictures of my first effort ( obviously my attempt of your brown fish model, its made out of an old birch worktop, I am ordering the paulownia wood next week , this was a trial run!) and possibly give some feedback ? Sorry for the long email but your planes and blog have started a bit off an obsession (the joy of turning a plank of wood into something both beautiful and functional is absolutely amazing - As you know!)

Again many Thanks
Neil

Joey Fumar at Duranbah

2011-10-15T07:48:00.001-07:00

When life gives you Lemons ...

2011-10-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Go womping in the shorebreak! Thats at least what Stephen's got to say. I was contacted by Stephen this last May for a handplane with a Gopro. He wanted me to send it to his folks house in La Jolla. Said he'd pick it up when he visited. Little did I know that this guy doesn't seem to have a home. Not that he is homeless, well, it seams he kind of is, but, that he is constantly on the move. Travelling from one surf destination to another. Something a part of all of us gotta envy. He has a really great blog: Castles Made of Sand where you can follow his travels. Right now, he is somewhere in Mexico, the shot below was taken in Taiwan. Hopefully we'll get more shots like these in the future.

SACRED CRAFT - What do I think about?

2011-10-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

I tend to think about the cookies. I love em. No better way to get Rebecca to make 4 huge batches of cookies then to announce that we are going to be doing Sacred Craft. If you are interested in attending, or on the fence, you won't be let down. By the show, but, most importantly by the cookies. It is this weekend, both Friday and Saturday, at the Del Mar Fair Grounds. We will be right next to the huge Christensen Surfboards booth. Info on the show here: http://sacredcraftexpo.com/

A Word from Steven

2011-09-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Thought you’d enjoy the photo of me using the Brown Fish Orange Barrel rider handplane on the south west atlantic coast of France – next to Hossegor, where the ASP is competing next week.
Just wanted to tell you that your efforts in getting it to me in time for my trip were appreciated and the barrel rider enjoyed the French hospitality. Thanks! I’ll be spreading the word – cheers matey, Steven

Introducing "The Hobbit"

2011-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Many good bodysurfers have been asking for quite some time when I was going to come out with a small handplane/board. These are the kind of guys and girls you will see sliding along effortlessly without any type of planing device. They can use their hand or a swimming paddle and slide along better than I, using a big planing device. They truly want something that is mainly an aid to their already impressive skills. Something that won't be a liability at big Wedge or Pipeline. Well here is my offering. Dubbed "The Hobbit" by my wife Rebecca. It measures 9" long by 7.5" wide and pretty much goes from your fingertips (at the nose) to the base of your thenar eminances(your hand). Keith Malloy got his on Friday Night at the screening of "Come Hell or High Water." Come to Sacred Craft in Del Mar weekend after next and check it out.

Comparison of the size of the "Short and Fat" and "The Hobbit"

My Buddy's From Hawaii

2011-09-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

Came up for the showing of "Come Hell or High Water" at La Paloma on Friday night. So, as suggested in my post last week, he was rewarded with his new handplane. I took Rebecca and the boys to the movie. The boys really enjoyed it, but, by the time it was over, it was well past their bedtime. We pretty much high tailed it out of their once the credits were done. I think the only one that beat us out was Joel Tudor and his kids. Would have liked to stick around after and shoot the shit, but, that just wasn't an option. About an hour later, my buddy from Hawaii texted me a picture of him and Mark Cunningham. It seems Mr. Cunningham was really intrigued by the Short and Fat, and was insistant that the handplane was in the picture. When Derek gets back to Hawaii, they have agreed to meet up so that Mark can give the Short and Fat a go this winter. I think that is a grand plan, but, I think I've got other plans, I'm thinking the "Hobbit" might have to make an appearance. More on that later.

Patagonia Cardiff has Planes

2011-09-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Patagonia Cardiff recieved their first shipment of Brownfish Handplanes in a while. 2 Short and Fats, 2 Brownfish, and a Barrel Rider. If you are interested in any of them, you can stop by, or they can ship to you:

Patagonia Cardiff
2185 San Elijo Ave.
Carfiff-by-the-Sea, CA. 92007
760-634-9886
http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=5172&src=vuca_0005&src=vuca_005

Tonight- LA PALOMA - COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

2011-09-23T05:41:00.001-07:00

8PM AND 10PM showings. $10 at La Paloma box office. Cash Only. No offsite sales.

Scrapwood Series Numero Dos

2011-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Here is some shots of my second scrapwood handplane. I was originally gonna do Black and White squares. I did the black stain first, and had a bit of run on the bottom. To me, as little as it was, it wasn't acceptable. Being almost impossible to sand off and not screw up the wood underneath, I took the easy route and put some yellow over the top of it all. I really like the way it came out, and luckily, it was for me. I have been working on my bottom contours for the Short and Fat Model. Going back and forth between having a round section between the spine and rail bevel, or a flat section. As you can see in this one, it is flat. After trying this one out on some good waves, I've decided to go with flat. The way I see it, flat is fastest. As you would expect after using food trays. With the hold that the spine gives, it prevents it from slide slipping. So for now forward, I will be going with this bottom contour on both the Short and Fats and Barrel Riders. So, what do I do with a Short and Fat Model that has been used a couple of times and has a minor cosmetic blem on the bottom. Well, I don't know, but I did recieve a message yesterday that a good friend of mine will be here for the weekend from Hawaii. I know when he gets over here he likes to hang in the city with all my buddies that live down their. I can't fault him for that, probably what I would do. Actually, no, I take that back, I'm sure thats what I would do. But, if he gets the gumption to get his ass up here, then he just might get a replacement for his Brownfish Model that I sent him well over a year ago. I'm sure this one will work much better at Point Panic, Sandy's and the Waimea Shorebreak.

Jamie O'Brien being JOB

2011-09-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of Jamie screwing around with his Brownfish Short and Fat Handplane that Rusty passed off to him while in Indo. I hope to see him give it a go at Pipeline this year. Thanks Rusty.

Donovan's Custom

2011-09-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

This one was a fun one to do. A little extra work, but, I like these kind of tasks. Donovan is a bigger guy from Hawaii. Has a good amount of bodysurfing experience. Normally I would have just recomended a Short and Fat for him, but, he really wanted a GoPro Mount. For me, the GoPro mount just doesn't go well on a 12" Handplane. Especially when you have to move the strap back towards the tail so that the hand will fit. So, we compromised and went with a Short and Fat template, but, added 2" of length. This should work well for his purposes. As for the stain/color scheme, you can make your own assumptions on that. I just think that he is really into the Jamaican culture.

THULANDER Rides

2011-09-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

I got this set of pics from Eric THULANDER this past weekends. Don't know where Thulander got his Brownfish Handplane, or which model it is? Regardless, He is putting it to the test, and doing a great job of it. Strong work THULANDER.

Tyler Reid at Greenbush in May

2011-08-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Clint's Pics

2011-08-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

These were forwarded to me from Mr. Clint Preisendorfer. Apparently he, his pops, and the rest of the boat got some good use out of the lot. Here is a few of Clint, in a place all of us wish we were right now.

Another Great One from Eric Warner

2011-08-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

EWarner Photography ©ewarnerphoto.com

DIY New York Edition

2011-08-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for turning me on to handplanes, I was you website last year and made a couple of my own. I always loved bodysurfing but only went on really big days. But now the handplane has changed everything! Here is one I just finished and gave to a life guard I know.
Thanks for the inspiration,
Greg
East Hampton NY

GOOGLE IT

2011-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, yesterdays post was a bad joke. In my eyes though, it was the reality of the last few years of handplanes in Googles eyes. You see, if you were to Google "Handplane" in the past, that is exactly what you would have gotten. Either the Stanley Handplane site or a bunch of pictures of handplane tools. NO LONGER! Because of all the people that were willing to take a chance. All the people that were willing to open their minds to other ways of riding waves. Because of all of you! If you now Google "Handplane", this site, Handplane Goodness, will come up first. And you know what, it feels pretty fricken cool. It means to me that all the time I put into this blog has paid off. So, in celebration of that, here is some pictures of my latest prototype. It is similar to the short and fat in design, just the dimensions have been modified. You see, there is a small group of hardcore bodysurfers that are constantly nagging (in a good way) me to make something smaller. So, though this may look similar to the short and fat, but, it is actually 1" narrower and about a 1/2" shorter. It is presently being tested by Jason Kenworthy and Kasey Curtis in Orange County, but then will be headed to Hawaii to Craig Jerome for more testing at Sandy's, Point Panic, and Pipeline (this winter). I got to try it one time prior to handing it off, but, unfortunately, the waves just weren't optimal for this design. I'll let you know how it goes.

This could be the nicest...

2011-08-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Handplane ever made. The grain patterns are simple yet effective, the lines are clean, and those blades will probably hold in the trickiest positions you may ever get yourself into.

McGrath to close- Need Help for a Worthy Cause

2011-08-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Coca Cola is running a contest to award a State Park $100,000. The only beach state park in the top 10 is McGrath State Beach in Ventura. Having camped and enjoyed the waves thier, I think it is a worthy cause. The voting contest started on August 10 and ends on September 6th. Without this money, McGrath is slated to close on September 6th, 2011, the same day the contest ends. It is the only park in the top 10 that is slated to close. The others will just be getting the money to spruce things up. I think with some Facebook and Blogger spamming, we just might be able to win this. Please post this on your Blog and also your facebook page. You can vote as many times as you like. Call it spam, but really, there are no winners if the parks closes! Nip this in the bud!

Here is a quick link to vote, you can vote as many times as you want, NO LIMITS! THANKS!

http://m.livepositively.com/park_details.jsp?parkId=140

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/SaveMcGrathStateBeach

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/Online-Ef...-127495433.html

Brothers got a problem...

2011-08-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

So you remember back in January the post about Kolohe Andino, click here to review: Brother Can You Spare...

Well, the title was a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. You see Kolohe loves to be in the water surfing, but, there is only so much time you can be the best 17 year old surfer in the world. Occasionally you gotta do something else. His handplane filled this void well. So well that all his friends started stealing it. So being the good guy that he is, he ordered 5 more, so that he will always have at least one for his own use. This first black Short and Fat Model was amazing. That stingray shape on the bottom, well, that is actually grain. I wish I woulda got better pictures of it, actually I wish I would told Kolohe to step the %&$# back, this ones mine, but, after my rational mind took over, I think it was wise to send it off to him. The other four should pretty much cover any conditions he and his friends should encounter. Oh yeah, and congrats on your semi-final finish in the US Open, strong work Brother!

When Rusty Calls...

2011-08-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Most people know who Rusty is. Even my kids, who usually want to stay in the car, were impressed, and couldn't get out of the car fast enough, when we pulled up to the Rusty Factory to drop off these six handplanes. I've grown up in San Diego, and was fortunate to be just on the cusp of when Rusty was shaping for Canyon Surf Shop, prior to developing the world wide Megolopolis that is Rusty today. I idolized him and his shapes over the years and have been fortunate to have reasonably easy access when needed. I've had about 10 Rusty's over the years, and not one of them was a dog, and most were pretty magic. I honestly have never even properly met him, but have exchanged a few words here and thier, in the line-up or land, over the last 25 years. Honestly, he wouldn't be able to pick me out of a crowd, or recognize my name if I was brought up. Rusty called at the end of last week. He's going on a boat trip with some friends tomarrow. Wanted to try out some handplanes in the land of perfect waves. So, I did what any rational Manboy would do that grew up surfing and idolizing the most succesful shaper to come out of my area. I put aside all orders, and most other things (sorry all those that are waiting), and cranked out these six handplanes for his trip. He and his son are bigger guys, are going with an older crew, and have only a bit of bodysurfing experience. So I made them a pretty transitional set. One El Gigante to get them going, two Brownfish to transition and also for longer waves that aren't throwing top to bottom the whole way down the line, One Modified Short and Fat for the bigger guy (yellow), and two Short and Fats for the meaty wedges that they will hopefully find. I dropped them at the factory yesterday and was pleasently surprised to get a call from Rusty last night about how stoked he was. That always feels good to get a compliment from someone like him. So, here they are, hopefully they will get thier share of barrel time. More importantly, hope the crew all remember to bring their fins.

Scrapwood Series #1

2011-08-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

This one is for me. Have already had a few great sessions on it. Made entirely from cutoffs from other handplanes. Sure the blank is somewhat free, but the time that goes into putting it back together makes up for that. Nonetheless, I find it fun making things like this. Should be a lot more of these in the future. Hope you like. G

The DIY Series

2011-08-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a great story from JD about his handmade Handplanes. I love surfing, it has been my life for close to 30 years now, but, it goes to show you that there are many other options for riding waves than foam and fiberglass:

"Thanks so much for your help! For my first try, I was really happy with the results. I used them to surf the (flat) waves of Hilton Head, SC. The last day of a 2 week vacation we had decent waves. My brother and father-in-law traded the handplanes and a longboard back and forth for a few hours. They worked great! It was so much fun. I'll definitely take them along for all surfing sessions. Now that I'm back in Madison, WI I can't wait to try them on Lake Michigan!" JD

Perfect Summer Day Fun Down Under

2011-08-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here is some good clean summertime fun shot by Joey Fumar at Duranbah, Australia. I believe he is using a Brownfish model with Gopro. Not sure if I put the mount on it for him, or he did it himself, but, nonetheless, it's always neat seeing something you made halfway around the world, creating smiles.

RED

2011-07-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

I know that in surfboards, RED is always faster. Is it the same with Handplanes? I think it just may be. Here is a cool red Short and Fat model for some lucky person that comes across it. Not sure exactly who it went to, it may even be out thier sitting on the shirt rack at one of the shops, but, with my recent experience to this model, it is bound to give someone a buttload of smiles.

I Have Been Gettin

2011-07-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

a lot of emails lately about availability. Summer is here and everyone wants their handplanes. My life has been extremely busy. The Handplane phenomenom is going apeshit, which is great, but, it is also a hard time for me right now. My mom's health took a turn for the worse about 4 months ago and she is going to die anyday now. I have been going back and forth to the East Coast to see her. This combined with my full time job, the kids being out of school, and the rest of life, has stretched me a bit thin. I've still been making greater than 10 handplanes a week, which isn't keeping up with demand. There is going to be some changes in the near future, I'm not sure what they are going to be, but, something along the lines of continuing to make handplanes, but, scaling it down so that I can still have fun both with the business, and with all the other aspects of life. Here is the latest batch. They were dropped off at Infinity in Dana Point earlier today. They are a great bunch. If you are interested in any of these, then I would get in touch with them as soon as possible. They can ship anywhere in the world. I am pretty sure that at least five have already been reserved. You can contact them at:

Infinity Surf Shop
24382 Del Prado
Dana Point, California 92629
949-661-6699
http://www.infinitysurf.com/
dave@infinitysurf.com

Nice little Handplane Makin Video

2011-06-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a great little video. I personally go about it a whole different way and use totally different tools, but the end result is the same. It goes to show you that you can use almost anything to make yourself a fine little craft. I approve.

Thomas Surfboards from Bird Man Media on Vimeo.

This is what I'm talking about!

2011-06-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

DIY. I love seeing others make their own handplanes. I could give a ... if you copy mine for your own personal use. Honestly, I would rather see someone walking down the beach with their own handshapes, whether it be a copy of mine or not, then one that I made. Albeit, it is kinda nice seeing a perfect stranger carrying something that came out of the shop. And obviously, it you don't have the time, place, or means to make your own, then I'll happily try and point you in the right direction. Here is something from Lucas and pics of the fine craft that he made. I can almost see the shit eating grin he had after sliding on his first few waves. Pure stoke!

"After surfing a Hess handplane last weekend I decided to shape my own. This thread, especially Brownfish's designs, provided a ton of useful information and inspiration. I made my plane out of balsa with walnut stringers, carved it with an angle grinder, a random orbital sander, and hand sanded it to my liking. I pretty blatently copied a Brownfish, but I think it's said that mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery. Surfed it yesterday in waist to chest high beachbreak and it was a blast, by far the best bodysurfing session I've ever had. Surfed until the strap broke, actually. But I think I've got a system that will work, gonna try it in the shop tonight."

Anyway, here it is, my first handplane:

As for the strap problems, I would recomend using 1" webbing. You can get it at any climbing store and some fabric stores. Then, instead of using individual washers, jimmy up some kind of plate that will span the width of the strap, maybe 1" x 1/2" and drill two holes in it. 2 screws go through the plate, then through the strap and into the board. Pre-screw it, take it apart, then add a couple of drops of 5 minute epoxy into the screw hole, then screw it all back together. This should provide a bit longer lasting strap set-up. If you want it to be adjustable, use two separate pieces of webbing, and sew a couple 3-4" pieces of velcro to each side. Hope this helps.

Brownfish Handplanes Now Available in Canada

2011-06-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) has finally got thier shipment of 21 handplanes through customs and up on thier on-line store. They are also available in 3 of their coastal stores. You can check them out, and purchase them at:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302889730

MOB VIDEO OF THE YEAR

2011-06-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

These are the kind of good, clean, fun things I hope my kids get involved in when they are of age.

LNF: Lowers Raid! from Lastnamefirst.tv on Vimeo.

THE LONGER VERSION

Captain Barbosa's Raid On Lower Trestles from Jacob Epstein on Vimeo.

Short and Fat - The Revolution

2011-06-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

They have now been tested extensively by sliders that have been addicted for a while. All agree, the Brownfish is the best plane as an introduction and is a good all-around performer. The Short and Fat is the best performer once the basics have been attained and you are looking for something that will keep you higher on the face and put you in more critical sections. The Short and Fat is basically the top 2/3 of a Brownfish Model, cut down to 12", a very deep spine with an outer V. This is by far my favorite model that I have ever made. These are the first two after the prototype. The only change that will be made to the public, is the Short and Fat model will be getting a Moontail instead of the swallow/Fish tail. These should be available in shops soon, and hopefully in the Brownfish On-line store (if I ever get caught up). Keep checking back for availability, as I usually post pics of all the shop orders that go out.

Paulownia Barn Closes

2011-06-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

From the Paulownia Barn Website:

"Dear Customers,

The bad economy and irresolvable insurance issues have made it necessary to close the Paulownia Barn, LLC, effective immediately. We do, however, have lumber in inventory and will sell it on a first-come-first-served basis until it is gone. To those whom we have been honored to serve over the past several years--and especially those who have become friends--THANK YOU! It's been a fun ride!
Rod Mortenson"

It is a sad day in the US Paulownia World for many. Rod Mortenson is closing up the Paulownia Barn. Especially for those of us that have relied on Rod for making our water toys. I'm pretty sure he has been the main supplier of Paulownia to the US surf/bodysurf scene. I have only shaped one handplane, out of the 400 or so, that didn't originate at the Paulownia Barn. That one was given to me, and, I'm pretty sure it was a cut-off from an Alaia blank, that had come from Rod. Rod has been a great asset to me and Brownfish Handplanes. Always courteous, always on time, and always a real great guy. It will be a relationship that is sorely missed.

When one door closes, another often opens. I found out from an e-mail from Mark Marchesi, and immediately started scrambling. Luckily I just recieved a large shipment of blanks last week that should hold me over. I called Rod and talked to him for a good while. Too much Red Tape and honestly, I think he's ready to relax for a while. After talking to Rod, I recieved and e-mail from a friend that happens to work both in the wood industry and the surf industry. If you know where wood goes in a surfboard, well then you just might know what I mean. I called him and was able to learn that He has been working on a Paulownia deal for quite some time and is in it's final stages. This Paulownia is from a well respected US Mill in the WOOD world. He should have Paulownia for us all soon. When the deal is finalized, I will post some information and will also link him up to this site.

Until then, ROD, you will be missed. Have fun and get some good chillaxin in. G

These Have Got to be Some of the

2011-06-10T04:31:00.001-07:00

Nicest handplanes I've seen to date. I've always based my general design off the Mini-Sims concept, but, this is taking it to the next level. Thanks David for forwarding this pic to me and very strong work!

Taiwan Sliding

2011-06-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Jason is spending some time over in Taiwan. He Purchased a Brownfish Handplane with GoPro just prior to leaving. He is on the list to get a new Short and Fat. He's been squeeking out these nice videos lately. This he says was shot entirely with his handplane. Especially like his run-in with the police near the end. Strong work Jason!

Patagonia Cardiff's got Planes

2011-06-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

For all that have been enquiring about Patagonia Cardiff's next order, here they are. 1 El Gigante, 3 Brownfish, 2 Barrel Riders, and 2 Pinliners. Combined with the clear BR and Pinliner that they still had in Stock, that makes 10. They are ready and willing to ship to your door. You can contact them at:

Patagonia Cardiff

2185 San Elijo Ave.

Carfiff-by-the-Sea, CA. 92007

760-634-9886

http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=5172&src=vuca_0005&src=vuca_005

Mr. Humble - Mark Ghattas

2011-06-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was attached to a photo on Facebook. It was Mark Ghattas on a nice little wave in Orange County.

I made this pinliner back in March, and Mark recieved it in early April.

After doing a little digging, I found these pictures of Mark, a few weeks after recieving his pinliner. He was down in Ixtapa for the "5th Torneo Internacional Bodysurf Handboard"

And you know what....

HE WON!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS MARK

Welcome Mollusk NYC

2011-05-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

Mollusk Brooklyn should be recieving their first grip of Brownfish Handplanes either today or tomarrow. They went with nice, pure, functional planes. I really like the clean look of the Paulownia sans pad, strap only. 3 Brownfish, 1 Rolla, and 1 Pinliner. These are the first that I have made this way and I'm really stoked with the way they came out. If you are in the New York area you can check them out at:

Mollusk NYC

210 Kent Avenue

Brooklyn

New York 11211

(718) 218-7456

Infinity Order and Whatnot

2011-05-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

First the whatnot. I got up this morning and headed north. I had to drop off some handplanes to Infinity Surf Shop. I figured since I was going up, might as well hook up with Jason, Kasey, and Kevin and get a session in. I got a call from Jason as I passed Trestles. He said there looked like some fun corners. We bullshitted in the lot for a while, waiting for Kasey and Kevin to show, then headed down the road. At first sight I was pretty stoked. I haven't had a clean session in quite a while. The eddie conditions have been getting the best of me lately when I get a window to head out. It was peaky, waist to shoulder, or so, high, and some resemblence of spit showing on occasion. We all swam out and for about 2 hours I had one of the more amazing sessions I've had in a long time. We were all using different models, so we traded off to feel the differences in designs. I think that everyone was pretty much STOKED on the purple "Short and Fat," prototype. It will be a new model, as it is also my favorite handplane that I've tried to date. After we were all waterlogged and logged plenty of time behind the curtain, we called it a day. It was a great day. I headed off to Infinity and dropped off this order. They got 2 Brownfish, 2 Rollas, 2 Barrel Riders, and 2 Pinliners. I think 2 or 3 already sold today, so if you are interested in picking one up from them, then I'd head over thier soon. Patagonia Cardiff''s order is next and should be done sometime in the next 5 days. Here is a shot of the order that was delivered, and a pic Jason took of me with some of Infinity's finest. Here is Infinity's contact info:

Infinity Surf Shop

24382 Del Prado
Dana Point, California 92629
949-661-6699
http://www.infinitysurf.com/

If you are real nice, they may be able to arrange shippinng for you.

Should I be Honest?

2011-05-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Let's be. Cause I'm really not that cool anyway. Late one evening, after the rugrats and Rebecca had gone to bed. After I had just got done padding and strapping some prototypes. I came into the house, still a little high strung and not quite ready to slip into dreamland. It was during my so-called break last month. I hadn't been updating the blog, cause, hey, I was on vacation. So, I figured I'd sit down and have a look at what had been going on in computerland, during my time away. I clicked on the Handplane Goodness blog and looked at the tracking device. "Why am I getting all these hits, when I haven't been updating?" I looked at the where the referrels where coming from. ESPN? Naw, it couldn't be. Why would Handplane Goodness be linking to ESPN? I clicked over and was truly amazed at what I saw. Just a few hours prior, after a few weeks of not checking in, it was uploaded. WIERD COINCIDENCE if you ask me. Especially because it was after midnight. A short piece about handplaning and Brownfish Handplanes, written by Jake Howard. I was never contacted about this piece. Never had any idea it was gonna happen. I came across it the same way as many had. So, what did I think about this? Well, I could be cool, and say, yea, well, just another day in the life of a ... In all actuality, cause we are being honest, and cause I'm not that cool, I was ECSTATIC! Not only for myself, but, more importantly, for Handplaning in general. Every day, sometimes 2-3 times in a day, someone tells me about another person or company that is now making Handplanes. I used to be put off by that a bit. Lately, I've realized that it isn't about me. About, HOW I, can be the best or at the top. It's not why I started doing this. I started doing it because I found something new, that I really loved. Sliding on a wave, with only the aid of a small planing device. I wanted to make the best possible handplanes to amplify this feeling. The more people making them, the more ideas this creates, so that we can truly achieve that goal. So, if you haven't already had a look, here is a link to the piece on ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/blog/_/post/6431106/brownfish-hand-plane-140

Dana Point's Dirk Sanchez sliding into home at "The Strand." Photo: Kenworthy

Handplane Goodness Pictures over last year

2011-05-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody, over the weekend I took the time out to upload all of the good pictures that I have posted on Handplane Goodness. I also got around to finally making a specific Facebook page for Brownfish Handplanes. I took the 200 or so pictures and uploaded them thier. It is kinda cool to be able to click through all the great pictures in more of a slide show. If you like the Facebook page, please click on the like button. I will soon be linking my Handplane Goodness Blog posts to that Facebook page. You can check it out at Brownfish Handplane Facebook Page Thanks for the support. G

This Has Got To Be...

2011-05-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Somewhere cold. These pictures were forwarded to me by Tim from New York, who found them on this blog, http://robkulisek.tumblr.com/page/2 I know that is one of my Handplanes, but am not sure exactly who the user is. Anyway about it, I love these pictures.

Somewhere in Maui!

2011-05-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yup, I Stole this One

2011-05-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Straight from Shawn Parkins Facebook. This is such a great picture. Obviously Shawn didn't take this, unless he's got some mad trick photo skills that most of us don't know about. Completely and totally BITCHEN!

EDIT: I got a text from Worthy about 30 minutes after posting this. Figures, Jason Kenworthy took em. Well at least they get to stay up and I don't have some mad photograper guy yelling at me on GMAIL for posting without permission. Strong work guys. I like the concept, photographers taking pictures of photographers ripping.

You can check out Shawns photo skills at: http://www.sparkinphoto.com/Shawn_Parkin_Photography/home.html

amd Jason Kenworthy's at http://www.jrkenworthy.com/

Short and Fat- a review

2011-05-12T05:28:00.000-07:00

Over my break I had a good time to test out some new designs. Thanks to Ryan Rolla and Shawn Hayes, who kinda pushed me in the right direction and gave me some ideas. I put out some pictures of my short and fat model about a month ago. It was around 11" long and 7.5" wide. I took it out on a low tide dredging reef day, about head high, with a few bigger sneekers coming through. I wasn't expecting too much, but was floored with the performance of this handplane. For starters, obviously swimming was much easier than with a larger plane. More importantly was the hold and speed I was getting. Luckily nobody was ever in position for the sneakers. The guys surfing would make it out, but wouldn't have time to spin and go. This is wear the handplane makes good sense. I was easily able to spin and take off late. The thing that really blew me away was on many barrels, I had already given up, accepting my old fate where the foamball or lip would engulf me. Not this time. I kept finding myself blasting through the curtain and coming out. So, what did I learn about the design. I think the deeper spine gives far more hold, but, more importantly leaving the sides flat and creating a planing area that the water could plane on created speed. Whereas my old design would start with a deep concave from side to side, and the spine would be inset into the concave, this new design is more on creating a larger flat area and putting the spine inside of that. This also allows the spine to have more depth. This new change has now been incorporated in all of the handplanes that I offer that have a spine. It is more work, but, in the end, they are better performing designs, and hey, they look way cooler too! The first pic is of the original Short and Fat Prototype. Then we have a look at an the old Pinliner design vs. the new. The New Pinliner is the checkerboard patterned one. Notice at the tails, how deep the W is and how tall the spine is. Also, when you look at the sides, how much flatter it is. Like I said before, this has been incorporated into all of my handplane models that have spines. The original Brownfish and El Gigante are still the same. I hope you all like em. G

Some shots by Shawn and Rick

2011-05-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Everyday I am more and more floored by the level of photography that handplanes are showing up in. These two photos are prime examples. First one is a self shot by Shawn Parkin and the second is of Shawn Parkin by Rick Erkeneff. Keep up the good work guys. Great stuff.

You can check out Shawn Parkin's work at http://www.sparkinphoto.com/

Get outta my way, can,t you see

2011-05-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm from LA! Sean is a very proud Dodgers fan. He tends to put the Dodgers LA logo on pretty much everything. Apparently these hand planes that he made for himself had one somewhere, but, for some reason or anther, the logo didn't make it to the final product. He asked me to strap these for him, and though I usually don't strap others handplanes, he has kept me very entertained with his posts on the Surfermag Design forum over the years. I think he did a great job making his first set of planes. You should try and make one for yourself! I guarantee it will go better than a foodtray.

Back in Full Swing

2011-05-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

It was nice to take a month off from making Handplanes. Actually I didn't really take a month off. More like, put off the business side of things to do a little R&D. I don't tend to get much time for testing when things are as busy as they have been over the last year and that has always bugged me a bit. I constantly get great design recomendations from people, but rarely do I have the time to act on them. The reason this bothers me is that I always want my designs to keep progressing. More on that in the coming weeks. I've recieved numerous e-mails in the past few weeks regarding availabilty of Brownfish Handplanes. In a way, that is good, in a way, bad. I'm excited that the demand is their, just bummed that I can't make more. So, here is the present rundown. The handplanes pictured below are heading off to Atlantic Bodyboard Shop http://atlanticbodyboards.com// on Long Island. I know a few of them are spoken for, but the rest should be available for purchase within the next week. Next on the list is an order for Mollusk Surf Shop in New York. They will have 5 handplanes coming to them. We are stoked to have them on board as a new account, so if you are in the City, check em out. After those go out, I will be working on two large orders for Infinity Surfshop in Dana Point and Patagonia Cardiff. Surfy Surfy presently has a few clear Brownfish Models in stock. Check them out in person, or you can order them on-line through Surfy Surfy at Surfy Surfy on-line store I will also be putting the two handplanes pictured 2nd in the Brownfish On-line Store at http://brownfishhandplanes.bigcartel.com/ Thanks and I should be back to posting on a regular basis.

You Made it Smoct!

2011-04-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hi! I know that this may not be the appropriate email for Handplane Goodness, but it was the only one I could find. I figured since you'd like more handplanes from everywhere I'd show you mine. I live in Jesup, GA which is about an hour from the nearest beach, in Brunswick, GA. I like pretty much any wave sport i.e. surfing, skimboarding, and bodysurfing. After I saw a video on Kord TV last summer, I really got into handplaning. The first plane that I made was out of some really beefy plywood that I had laying around, with a rope handle. It took entirely to long to shape it, but remarkably, it did the trick. When I got my first decent ride in Jacksonville, FL during a hurricane swell, I was hooked. After that I gave it to my friend and decided to make a better quality plane. I use pine shelving because it is super cheap and very easy to come by. I use the same type of grips that you do, but yours are far more appealing than mine. I'd love to purchase some paulownia but just don't have the funds. But anyhow, pine will do for now! I'd be completely flattered if my planes made it on Handplane Goodness. Keep shaping! You inspire me to with every blog post.

Canada's 21 Handplane Salute

2011-03-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

It seems kinda wild that my largest order to date is going to Canada. Really though, when you think about it, why not? Most Canadians I have met love the Ocean. Not only that, they seem to love to travel. Don't think I have ever been on a trip abroad and not met a Canadian on the road. What better to travel with than a Handplane. Mtn. Co-op was probably thinking something similar when they placed this 21 handplane order. They are much like REI in the US. They have 20+ stores and a large internet site. I believe this order of handplanes is going to be split between their coastal stores and internet site. 15 Brownfish and 6 El Gigantes. I will be shipping them up to Canada on Monday and they should be available for purchase in store or on-line within the next month. I have one more order of 5 handplanes to follow this, then Rebecca and I will be taking a long deserved break from Handplanes until May 1st.

I Know I Know

2011-03-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to show off the new model today, but, I got to thinking. A guy up in Newport asked me last week what the size of the Pinliner was. He wanted me to take some pictures with something that will give an idea of size. Last weekend I was at the beach, and for the life of me couldn't think of something. As you've already guessed, I'm not too bright. Wasted quite a bit of time searching through the car and the abundance of crap that we bring to the beach for ourselves and three rugrats. Eventually my phone rang. VOILA. So, here are those pics you wanted.

I Really Wanted

2011-03-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

to keep this one. I don't have a personal Barrel Rider Model. Which, admittedly I should. When this one came off the line and ready for Sacred Craft, I told myself I was keeping it after the show. Well, things didn't quite work out. A friend of a friend wanted one, kinda rush like, and, well, you know. I almost discontinued the Barrel Rider. Out of all 4 models, it sells the least. I was going to replace it with another model (check back tomarrow and see). Funny thing is, not many choose it as thier first handplane, which is understandeable, but, many order a Barrel Rider as thier second or third handplane. Funny pattern I've noticed. It seems to be the model of choice for the experienced surfer, who started off handplaning with a Brownfish, and improved and wanted something a little more agressive. They seem to go the Pinliner, then end up in the middle with the Barrel Rider. They end up swearing by this model. The people who tend to like the Pinliner are the ones that have been bodysurfing a lot in thier lives and like just a little extra planing surface. So, I guess one day I might have my own Barrel Rider, but, til then, hopefully this one will have some great experiences.

Come Hell or High Water

2011-03-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Patagonia asked me to make the Malloys a couple of handplanes for this video. I would be truly honored if they actually make it into the final cut.

Come Hell or High Water Trailer from Woodshed Films on Vimeo.

Short and Fat

2011-03-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Kinda like me. This is a prototype that I hashed out last week. It's 11" long, but still carries the same width of the Brownfish Model at 7.75". It is made for hollower waves and I am really intrested to see how the bottom contours work out.

This is by far

2011-03-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

the best first handplane shape I have ever seen. Actually, I would be pretty proud if I did it myself. Lesider in New York pulled this first shape off after studying the internets for quite some time. So far, he's got it right on. Even down to using Paulownia. Nice work Lee.

We are a No-Show for Sacred Craft

2011-03-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all of you who have e-mailed me asking if Brownfish Handplanes would be attending Sacred Craft Santa Cruz this year. We will not be attending. Some last minute things have come up that will not allow us to go. For all that are going, have a great time. For those of you on the fence, GO! It is truly a great event and you won't regret it. G

aloha from holland and may good waves come your way!

2011-03-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

It is not very often that you get e-mails that end with such stoke. More often, I seem to be finding myself complaining about how poor the waves have been over the last year, and some guy in Holland is stoked out of his mind to surf waves that I don't even go down to the beach to check. YUP, I pretty much suck. EEF has been following this blog pretty much since day one. He takes old scraps of wood and makes all kinds of Handplanes and whatnot with it. Paints em up all nice and purty, then rides em. And you know what, he is STOKED. Thanks EEF for reminding us that life is too short to pass up a day of surfing, no matter what conditions. You can follow EEF at: http://monsterboardsorg.blogspot.com/

How Do You Keep Your

2011-03-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

Body in a position to hold a wave:

Off To Indo

2011-03-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

If you've read the most recent issue of Surfer Magazine, you should have read thru Jason Kenworthy's 10 year account of boat trips to the Mentawai's, "10 Years Before the Mast." Jason is getting ready to go on his first boat trip of the season next week. This one's going to be a touch different though. I can't get into the specifics, mainly because I really don't know em, but, he asked if I could make some handplanes for the trip. I showed up yesterday to drop the handplanes off at Jason's house, and Dino and Kolohe Andino are standing out front waiting for him also. Jason pulled up and introduced us. Kolohe and I got to talking for a bit while Dino and Jason went into the office. Kolohe has had a handplane for a few months and seems to be super stoked with it. He starts asking me questions about how to get more speed in the barrel and whatnot. I'm sitting their thinking to myself, "Damn kid, you are one of the top 16 year old surfers in the world, presently being groomed for the tour, and possibly a world title one day. I've watched contests at J-Bay with you sitting next to Slater when you were 12, and acting like it was just another day. And you are asking me how to get more speed in the Barrel with a handplane?" Well, I'm sure he will probably figure it out way before me. He's a good kid, good head on his shoulders, and I'm thinking he's is going to be able to handle the pressures of the tour. I'm sure we'll see a lot more great things from him in the future. As for a World Title someday, well, I wish him the best. He was very humble and didn't come off like an ass. I liked him. So back to the handplanes. Here are some pics of 5 of the 8 that Jason will be taking to the Mentawai's next week. I'm excited to hear how each one performs and what the differences are. You can't ask for a better, more mechanical place, to test out the nuances of the different designs. I JUST WISH I WAS GOING!

As always, you can check out more of Jasons work at: http://www.jrkenworthy.com/

I'm a Little Sorry

2011-03-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Well, not really. I got a mini lecture the other day at the beach by one of my friends. Lets just call him Brian, even though thats not really his name. No REALLY. He commented that I've been spamming this blog with too many of my handplanes and not keeping it neutral enough. He was right. That is the goal of this blog. To post daily. Keep it somewhat neutral. Show as many different kinds of handplanes as possible, and as many photos of people handplaning as possible. Problem is, and I hate to say it, it's kinda the slow season. People are waiting for the water to warm up a bit until they start swimming around. That directly relates to the amount of footage that gets forwarded to me. So, if you've got some decent shots of handplanes that you've made or purchased, some good action photos, or some scenic ones, get em to me and I'll post em up. Until then, here is a pic of some of the boards I just finished coloring for Sacred Craft Santa Cruz, weekend after next. If you are able to go, please stop by our booth and have a chat.

Just Wittling

2011-03-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

Sacred Craft Santa Cruz is weekend after next. I got into the hobbit hut the other day and decided to bring a few different handplanes. The 4 models are good, well tested, and work. I always think about different things. This is one of the handplanes that I came up with.

The Daily Stoke Review

2011-03-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Last summer when things went flat I was bit by the bodysurfing bug. It was a good way to beat the heat, stay in shape, and have a blast. Late into the summer I started seeing more and more handplanes popping up in magazines, movies, and websites. Although I was skeptical, they promised to add more control and maneuverability to your bodysurfing...
Read More Here:
The Daily Stoke Review

Kenworthy - A Room with a View

2011-03-02T07:05:00.000-08:00

“All these little tube shots started when a group of my buddies got Brownfish Handplanes and started bodysurfing,” says Jason Kenworthy. “We were getting all these visions and the photographer in me couldn’t hold back. This foamy barrel was shot in the early morning in Orange County.” Photos: Kenworthy/SPL

see more at: A Room with a View

Double Dipping

2011-03-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

I love it when I get e-mails from people who have had a handplane passed on to them. Usually means that the original owner ordered a new one. I never would have thought when I got into this, that people would be needing multiple handplanes. Or would start with one model, improve, and need a more high performance deal. I thought it would be one person, one handplane, then done. Now, I've got people with 3 or 4, and use em all pending the conditions. Who woulda thunk you would need a quiver? Here is the message from Dan, he is using his old school El Gigante in Florida and it is a good fit. I'm thinking by Hurricane Season, Dan just might be needing something a little more speedy.

i picked up this beauty of yours from a fellow swaylocks.com bro..
and love it..he told it was the el gigante' model ...
well it's perfect for me and here...
i used to body surf alot in santa cruz/hawaii..
along with mini sims, fish,hulls , bonzers, nuggets, logs, etc
before we moved here(be near the grandparents for our girls)
but have never used a handplane before..
this just amplifies the experience so much..to be so
"in the wave"...awesome...
many thank from my end,

regards,
dan

THANKS, DAN

Holy Prototype!

2011-02-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when you screw up, things end up turning out better than you originally imagined. I originally tried to do some cool red stain on the walls of the contours, came out OK, but, I wasn't satisfied. Put some blue stain over that on the whole handplane. Rebecca looked at it and said it looked a bit too much like Capt. America. She was right. Again. So we seeled it up with 4 coats, sanded it down smooth. Then coated it with a nice silver. Then a few clear coats over that. I think it came out pretty nice. Can't wait to give it a go when the water finally resembles a bluish/green color. This thing is going to get sent around the coast to some guys that have experience with all my different models. I want to get their input prior to making any more of these. It might even make it to INDO with Kenworthy, if he figures out a way to pry it from my hands for a few weeks.

Prototype Sneak Peak

2011-02-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

I've been sick for the last week. I'm not talking cough and cold, I'm talking can't move off the couch. Really high fevers followed by really low. Never before in my life has my temperature went from 103 to 96 in a matter of hours. Anyhow, I was Finally feeling well enough yesterday to hammer out this prototype. I like the way it turned out, but, it was a lot of work. If I decide to start making it for people, I'm gonna have to get some new tools to get the job done. Should be finished up the weekend so stay tuned for some more picks.

Swim Fins Deal of the Day

2011-02-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

ONe of my buddies just ordered a Handplane for his upcoming trip to Hawaii. He needed some swimfins and asked for my advice. At this point, I really don't have a pair of fins that I am in love with. I like my Techs. They work well. I always tell people that the number one thing is fit. If they kill your feet, you aren't gonna like em, no matter any of the other variables. Everyones feet are different, so they are all gonna work different for different people. My Dafins fit well, but, didn't give me the thrust that I got out of my Techs. With that being said, I am always on the outlook for the perfect fin. I am still waiting to try the MS Vipers, and hopefully will get some of those soon. Hint Hint VIPER family. Getting back to the deal of the day though, my buddy found these PODS at Amazon. They are $28 for the SM/M or Large sizes, at least for now, plus free shipping. I figured for $28 I couldn't pass up the chance to try a new set of fins. If I don't like em, well, then someone in need might get a pair. Here is the link.

Click here for Amazon Pod Swim Fin Deal

Prototype Part One

2011-02-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

As discussed before I am going to be working on a new model. It will be based on Ryan's interim handplane that he made. The first Prototype will be mainly to test the bottom contours. I will make one with the exact same outline as his previous custom, but will change the bottom contours to see how much a difference they will make. We also discussed some different water entry schemes. I am starting out with a typical width handplane, at least for me. I am hoping to be able to utilize what is learned and start making smaller. Sean Hayes and I have also shared similar ideas, but in a much smaller form. That will be next. If I decide to release this as a model, I am going to have to start tooling a little differently. Scooping out that much wood from the bottom is going to take some thought. Yea, I can do it, that isn't the problem. Problem is doing it in somewhat of a production sense. Here are some pics of Ryans interim board that we are basing this project off of.