Spokeshaves & Draw Knives - recommendations?

fast14riot

fast14riot

Joined
Oct 27, 2010
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Well, as most of you know I am going to try making a few hafts. I have wood sourced, now I need the tools. Unfortunatley, a large amount of my hand tools were liberated from me several years ago and I have yet to replace every tool I had. I need some basic models for making hafts and was wondering which sizes and or brands/styles you guys prefer. I almost prefer vintage tools, but buying new isn't a big concern, just likely to be more expensive.


-Xander
 
I have 5 draw knives and 2 spoke shaves (flat sole and convex sole). Despite using a draw knife darn near more days than I dont, I havent developed a strong preference. Each one has its strong suits. Look for Pexto, PS&W Co, Witherby, Greenlee, etc. Not sure if Swan made draw knives, if you see one buy it up. Swans are great. Just look for something without generally horrible wear. The back probably wont be flat, and it honestly doesnt need to be, in my opinion anyway. As long as the back bevel is not terrible obtuse, more like a flat convex grind on a no. No bevel I suppose. The primary bevel should be shaped right as that is the primary working plane, for me anyway.

Most of the spoke shaves I see are old stanley ones almost exclusively. They seem fine, and mine cut good. No gripes with the older ones. Look on ebay, theres a lot of them.
 
this is what id do or would do.
plenty of old drawknives around in antique shops and flea mrtks. select a tool with some meat left on the bone (enough edge metal to sharpen) you might even find a few drawknives missing handles, no problem, new handles are easy to make, that is if you have a drawknife to shave the wood out. LOL.
i have a cabinet drawer with a dozen old drawknives in varying states. a few without handles. there is a good tutorial on youtube as to how to make a handle or fit a new handle on a drawknife. they are easily tuned up , sharpened, might i suggest making a book cover sheath for them. two pieces of 1/4 inch plywood about an inch wide and long enough to allow for attachments on each end with small screws or nuts and bolts to hold the two halves together over the blade. wish i had a way to post pictures. dang

G-pig listed some good brands, there are others but you can't hardly go wrong on any old drawknives.
check out the shaving horse.

all good

buzz
 
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I highly recommend the flex cut draw knife. It is extremely sharp and its flexibility is very hand on curved surface.I have this 5" model and absolutely love it.

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I generally look for draw knives from second hand shops and farm auctions.
I have not had good luck with spoke shaves that way, but there are ones to be had at a relatively low price so long as you are comfortable tuning them up after purchase. Groz is a decent low end brand, for example, as is Stanley.
I have not used the flex cut draw knife, but I have used the Frosts/Mora draw knife with good results.
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I have 2 Stanley spokeshaves a 152 and a 51 both flat soles. They both are good and have that vintage quality but I prefer the 152 because of the two side adjustment screws. I like the drawknives made for the cooper and wheelwright trade. They were made to a higher standard but are generally larger.They are more ergonomic in that the blade is angled forward so your hands are more perpendicular to the work. D. R. Barton and L.& I.J. White were the two main makers. They are really good for bark removal on logs but may be a bit too large for work on axe handles.They made smaller knives too though. I have two smaller drawknives that were forged, one marked Dickinson and company cast steel warrented and the other J. Gray Kingston that are my two users. I've had a Witherby, Swan, and Jennings which were good knives too but I sold them.
 
thanx for all the replies gentlemen. I have been looking at the flea market every weekend for stuff like this, but its either beat to hell or priced for its "antique value" not as a used tool.

1066- what are the overall specs of that blade? Thickness, width (edge to spine) edge angle? I may just make one up like that.

1who- send me an email.


-Xander
 
Here are my favorites.
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I like them substantial and straight edged. But it was a long time to develop a preference. Others may like them different, they all seem to work well. Most of the time I will use them bevel down. I have a little four incher also. It is very handy. It can do almost anything a spoke shave can and more, but you got to be on your game.
I also like the Stanley 152 spoke shave. You will no doubt want to try more once you start working with them.
I will sugest that you get a cabinet scraper. Nothing fancy just a non handled square piece of steel. Because nobody I know likes to sand.
 
While I am thinking about it I have some more suggestions that may be useful to some. If you have never used a good rasp you need one.
By good I am talking about the Nicholson no 49 (or 50). I prefer the 49 because it cloggs less. A good rasp, file card, and some files dedicated to wood only coupled with scrapers. With these tools wood working is a lot more fun and sandpaper use goes way down.
 
When buying used drawknives pay special attention to the symmetry of the handles. I'm not sure how people bend them out of alignment, but they do. One handle bent out of alignment and/or a crack in the steel seems to be a common defect. Around here $20 or less seems to be the going price for a vintage draw knife in very good shape.
 
fast14riot said:
thanx for all the replies gentlemen. I have been looking at the flea market every weekend for stuff like this, but its either beat to hell or priced for its "antique value" not as a used tool.

1066- what are the overall specs of that blade? Thickness, width (edge to spine) edge angle? I may just make one up like that.

1who- send me an email.

-Xander
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's a 5" cutting surface 3/32"-1/8" thick and 1" wide. That one is a double bevel with no secondary, probably 15* on a side as opposed to the traditional scandi 12.5*. Sorry I can't give better specs, mine has been MIA since I moved a couple of years ago. :eek: (building a shop and life keeps getting in the way, so a lot of my hand tools are in storage)
 
1066vik said:
I'm pretty sure it's a 5" cutting surface 3/32"-1/8" thick and 1" wide. That one is a double bevel with no secondary, probably 15* on a side as opposed to the traditional scandi 12.5*. Sorry I can't give better specs, mine has been MIA since I moved a couple of years ago. :eek: (building a shop and life keeps getting in the way, so a lot of my hand tools are in storage)
Click to expand...

Those specs are good enough, thanx! I have a bunch of 1084 in 1/8 X 1-1/4. I think I will trow one together real quick. I would still like to buy a proper one, too.


-Xander
 
that should work well. You using canola or peanut for your quench, or an engineered oil?
 
I saw the draw knife below at a garage sale this morning. Do not really know what I will do with it, but I "had to buy" given the good condition and the count it on one hand price. When I got it home and looked closer I saw "Greenlee" and "USA." It has a 10" cutting edge and is approximately 15 in wide total.

A search led to this thread. Another link was https://www.vintagetools.net/product/greenlee-x-inch-drawknife-538g


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Looks like a decent buy, and after I clean up and tung oil handles it will be a nice display piece even if I do not use very much.
 
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