Oh yeah hand planes. I have one, the last of my grandfather's I managed to salvage. I also loved that thin curl of wood they would produce and the way they would come out of the tool as they moved across the surface of the wood.
Grandad had so many tools, a workshop full, from bandsaws and routers to planesaws and of course some very sharp carving chisels.
I've got loads of tools and have some skills, working with wood like my grandfather did would make me happy.
Wood is nice and I like working with it...One day I'll do it in a more sophisticated way than I do now.
Wood is like life, but more permanent. It can be made into most anything you want and even an ugly piece can have it's own beauty.
I agree, it's a nice material to work with and I like the idea of turning it into something, especially turning something that may otherwise end up burned or in landfill back into a productive item that may continue giving for years to come.