Drawknife-who uses one?

[bb07]

This is one tool I haven't used much but definitely would like to. A shaving horse would sure be nice, if I ever get around to that!
Here's the one I have used a bit, but mostly for peeling logs so far.
Austrian Drawknife - Lee Valley Tools

Another one I picked up on ebay for around $20 is this old C.E Jennings, a wee little guy with a 4'' blade. This one is considered to be an antique, made by a company that closed it's doors in the early 1900's I think.
To protect the edge (and me) I wrap the edge with a strip of hide.

Does anyone have any tips/tricks to share in using one of these? More drawknife pics are always welcome if you have any, thanks

 

[demographic]

I have one of the folding ones. Not sure when it was made but it was patented in 1895. Its made by A.J Wilkinson & Co, Boston Massachusetts.

 

[dwardo]

The folding one is a stunner!

I use one a lot for roughing out bow staves. Great tools and can be used either way up with a little practice. Your work has to be secure to use one but they are great tools.
My draw knife must be 80 plus years old and will no doubt outlast me.

 

[Hugo]

I protect the blade by having a piece of wood with a channel cut into it for the blade edge, piece of string attached to the wood to tie it fast.
I do this to curved blades as well, I have three of them.
Yes I use them on a regular basis.

 

[Peter_t]

i love using a drawknife and shaving horse, it makes working so fast and easy

i have a french pattern knife and it works really well

pete

 

[Muddypaws]

Here are my two. First the old one (formerly my dad's, now mine), the blade is marked "Ward - Cast Steel". It has an 8" cutting edge. You can see the grooved piece of wood that serves as the edge protector.

Secondly what I call my 'travel sized' one that I made from part of an old leaf spring, 4" cutting edge, rough shaped and ground using an angle grinder.

The edge protector is a small piece of soft leather, with a couple of magnetic strips superglued on (they came from the door seal of an old fridge), so is quick to get it on and off.

Although primarily I use them for green woodwork, occasionally they get used in proper carpentry, useful for quick stock removal, particularly if I have my plane set finely, and I don't want to lose that setting.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I learning how to use one at the moment, haven't started to use the knife yet as I haven't finished the horse yet its getting there though,

My first horse!

My first Draw knife,

 

[dwardo]

Not as shiney as the ones above but mine and wouldnt trade it

 

[Retired Member southey]

Thats a corker Dwardo! whats the edge angle like, I feel mine may be too obtuse, maybe,

 

[Biker]

I use 'em too. I have three. A small one which I take out with me in my carpentry tool kit on jobs and I often find a use for it, even if it's for stock removal like muddypaws mentioned above and I don't want to mess with my smoothing plane settings. There's also something rather primitive in a way about using a tool like that that gives you a sense of satisfaction you don't get using a power tool or such. Sorta makes you feel at one with the workpiece. Silly I know but that's the way I feel about it when using a drawknife, it's one of the few tools I get that feeling with when using it.

The two which I have in my workshop are both or French origin - one is flat while the other is curved like Peter_ t's described above. The flat one has a concave blade shape, like a sickle. This tool is AMAZING!! Like Dwardo said about his I wouldn't trade it. I can take a fag paper thin shaving off or a nice fat chunk. This is my preferred tool for forming the handles for the axes I restore, I finish those handles using an old wooden spokeshave, a must for anyone who's got themselves a shave horse. You can get a good finish using the drawknife but a good spokeshave is the next stage up for that finer finish.

I have yet to make a shave horse, but I have a big engineering vice clamped to my workbench which is set about mid chest height, so clamping the work piece in that with soft jaws or padding works well for me.

Drawknives? I love 'em!

 

[Kepis]

Here's a few of mine, all of these get used on a weekly if not daily basis.

Marples Draw Knife, 10" cutting edge, no idea of age, but it's old, the handles show love for a tool by it previous owner as they are mismatched

Brades Draw Knife, a biggie this one, 12" cutting edge, again no idea how old it is

Ibbotson Drawknife, one of my smaller ones with a 6" cutting edge & Boxwood handles, no idea of age, but it's a lovely tool to use

You can tell the Ibbotson & Brades are really old as when you hold the handles, there are worn finger depressions in the handles where decades and decades of use have worn the wood down.

 

[sasquatch]

i love using a drawknife and shaving horse, it makes working so fast and easy

i have a french pattern knife and it works really well

pete

I've got one real similar to yours and it's a joy to use. I aquired it through a trade with Biker last year and couldn't be more pleased with a draw knife. If only I had more projects to use it on...