Dmitri wrote in news:bj6nqq$14b$1
@news.Stanford.EDU:

Hi All.

Please excuse my ignorance as I am newbie, but what does make plane a
smoothing plane. Is it a small mouth opening or there is some deeper
magic?

The function of a smoothing plane is different from that of stock
preparation or jointing, so the size of the plane is different. In
order to be easily worked in whatever direction the grain is going,
you want a short body and light weight, and perhaps a narrower iron
so you can focus on a small area; and in order to give the finest
possible cut you want a narrow mouth and perhaps a higher pitched
iron.

John