You won't find me reaching for a sander when a hand plane can be used instead. This isn't some romantic notion of using hand tools vs. power tools but rather a practical consideration. Sanding abrades while hand planing shears. Abrasion dulls a surface. Yes, progressively finer grits of sandpaper will make a surface silky smooth to the touch but the pores of the wood are closed by sanding. This has the effect of reducing the surface's ability to reflect light. Contrast this with the shearing action of a hand plane and one can see the difference. By shearing the wood fibers light reflects off the surface giving it the appearance of depth.
After finishing with a fine set (and very sharp) Veritas low angle plane I held this oak panel up to the light and could see reflections bouncing off the glass like surface. Hand planing takes about the same amount of time as sanding and the added bonus - no dust and a lot less noise.
