Draw knife info please.

[Kitharode]

I think 'draw knife' is the correct name; handle either end with blade in the middle? For stripping bark off logs and branches, etc. Ideas on best make, best price, or good alternatives most welcome.

Possible daft question: Is there such a thing as a folding draw knife? Cheers, y'all.

 

[Robson Valley]

I use a 12" Stubai drawknife in the early stages of some wood carvings, 25 degree bevel, about $50CAN.
I like it. Much easier to work with (at an early stage) than any sort of spokeshave. Never found a folding one
and a blade guard (mask) is essential when they're sharp.

They come in different sizes (and prices) for different work.
This guy build huge drawknives, 4 dozen at a time, for his tool business,
he stocks a bunch of others for you to look at:

http://www.logbuildingtools.ca/peeling_tools.html

 

[demographic]

Yeah there's folding draw knives, I have one.

Shown on this thread.

 

[Kitharode]

Thanks guys. Good answers. That's a great thread demographic. Seems people like antique, well-used, grandpa's hand me down, rather than modern. Will definately treat myself to one. Cheers.

 

[bobnewboy]

Never seen a folding draw knife, but I've got two which I use for bow building. One is a biggie, called the GB Swedish drawknife, and the other is the much smaller (and cheaper) Mora 220. The big one is good for processing big timber including getting down to growth rings in tough woods, and the Mora is great for final shaping. Horses for courses i s'pose

 

[Robson Valley]

demographic, thanks for the thread. Cool to see a folder and all the others.

Mine looks quite new, I don't think the edge had ever been sharpened (estate sale then gifted to me).
Rare occupational tool these days so the old ones live on.

 

[tombear]

If you ever get up to Colne try this guy

http://colne-tools.com

open Wednesdays and Saturdays. I've had two drawknives off him so far, both for 20 quid or less a pop. I'm still looking for curved ones, 4 straights is enough! On Saturday he had a 6 inch straight bladed all metal job in for £10. All his stuff has been cleaned and sharpened, any damaged wooden handles replaced. Nice chap, happy to chat on the phone if you are after something specific.

ATB

Tom

 

[mr dazzler]

I dont get on with the 220 mora straight draw knife, in fact I think they are they are cwappo, I cannot understand why they produce such a daft item. Its nigh on impossible to control the direction of the cut as you can with the handles set at an angle to the blade on a regular draw knife, the damned thing digs in far too easily.
I have a wee little mathieson? drawknife about 7 inches long I use on spoons sometimes, and a bigger one made by Brian Russell (finest blacksmith in Britain) I would use that on chair legs and other bigger stuff

 

[Robson Valley]

If you know somebody with an oxy/acetylene torch rig, show them a good drawknife
and get them to torch and bend the tangs on the one you don't like. Might as well have something useful.

The other thing, if it has a tendency to dig in, try turning the wood around and cut in the other direction.
The easiest is a cut pulled from bottom (of the log/tree) towards the top.
I have had to draw pencil arrows each night to remind me which way to cut the next time.

 

[Wayne]

I own around 12 drawknives maybe more. I have lost count. Running courses I need a lot of tools.

They range from the big 14 inch blade down to the 4-6 inch range of the pfiel drawknife. Which I like a lot.

The small vertitas drawknife is a very nice new tool.

The mora is hideous and I don't know any of my greenwood worker friends than use one. The double bevel makes it very hard to control the depth of cut.

It is quite handly for cutting in the fades and handle on a bow which is the only reason I still have one.

 

[mrcharly]

The mora is hideous and I don't know any of my greenwood worker friends than use one. The double bevel makes it very hard to control the depth of cut.

It's useful for fine splitting kindling inside your house.
I'm not sure what else.

 

[Dave Budd]

the mora 'drawknife' is not actually a drawknife, it is a push knife. I know people who use it for finishing the outside of bowls and troughs, splitting the wings for fan birds, peeling bark, splitting laths for ash baskets, etc. If you try and use it as a drawknife then you are trying to use a car to cross a pond.

I prefer smaller drawknives for the handles and bows that I make, something in the 5-7" range. They are easy to use, control and less intimidating for the people that I teach than the longer 10-14" ones (which see very little take up when offered).

 

[Wayne]

the mora 'drawknife' is not actually a drawknife, it is a push knife. I know people who use it for finishing the outside of bowls and troughs, splitting the wings for fan birds, peeling bark, splitting laths for ash baskets, etc. If you try and use it as a drawknife then you are trying to use a car to cross a pond.

I prefer smaller drawknives for the handles and bows that I make, something in the 5-7" range. They are easy to use, control and less intimidating for the people that I teach than the longer 10-14" ones (which see very little take up when offered).

Thats how I use it Dave. It's still not a good tool. It doesn't split the wings on Fan birds well. Flex Cut or Sean Hellman make much better tools for that task. My brassic drawknife is much better for removing bark. I don't make Ash laths for baskets so I can't comment on its use for that task except that my trug making friends don't use one.

 

[dabberty]

Yes, there are folding drawknifes, bbut as fara s i know they are not made anymore. The ones I know of and which i have are about a 100 years old:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wil...ved=0ahUKEwiIr7731bzRAhXGrxoKHV2_A-oQ_AUIBygC

 

[bobnewboy]

I see that Mora now list the 220 as a "Wood Splitting Knife".

https://morakniv.se/en/produkter/spantkniv-220/

Perhaps they always have. However I have used it in drawing and pushing for detail work on bows, and find it quite useful. I also use it for preparing tinder which goes into my dry bag which in turn travels with my Kelly kettle. I did make a mistake and try to use the 220 with a scraper action once, which rolled the admittedly thin edge, but it was easily restored with sharpening stones. Now that I have a 106 I tend to use that more for detail carving, and a thick bladed puukko for scraping.

The GB Swedish drawknife I keep slightly dull, or rather 'not totally razor sharp', as it seems to break through early wood without damaging the next lower ring, when chasing rings in staves.

 

[demographic]

I own around 12 drawknives maybe more. I have lost count. Running courses I need a lot of tools.

They range from the big 14 inch blade down to the 4-6 inch range of the pfiel drawknife. Which I like a lot.

The small vertitas drawknife is a very nice new tool.

Any tool I have seen by Veritas/Lee Valleyso far has been great.
One of the tool companies "I trust"