Bullnose plane
Also called: bull nose plane
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A bullnose plane is a joinery plane with no long sole ahead of its cutter, so it can trim into a shoulder or other close corner.
Why the nose is short
An ordinary plane has a front surface that holds the wood down before the cutter reaches it. A bullnose plane lacks that support, giving it access to a tight shoulder but allowing difficult grain to split in an extreme case.
Joinery work
The plane is used for fine joinery adjustments, including the splayed shoulders of frame members and a joint that needs only a small amount removed before it closes. A shoulder is the end surface beside a tenon, the projecting part of a joint. Remove only enough wood to bring the parts together.
Work with the grain
Bullnose planes are among the iron or gun-metal planes used for hard-wood joinery. Because the open nose can permit a splitting cut, take care with obstinate grain and check the fit after each small correction.