Help with a spokeshave please

[shed9]

I've gone through several variations of spokeshaves myself. As above the newer cheaper ones are not worth the pig iron they are made from. Some of the old Prestons can be useful but I often find the older vintage ones generally have little blade left (I know you can get replacements) and to be honest they have proven to be more nice to look at then useful when in my hands. My current top contenders are a LN boggs, a LN Preston copy and the Veritas low angle version. The LN Preston copy is so well made and machined, it's a joy to use, albeit more suited to finer work. The Boggs just does what it should with no complaints and the Veritas is very much a marmite tool in my opinion; it takes some getting used to but worth the perseverance. I knew it was me and not the tool but I nearly gave up on the Veritas and know many people who actually did.

My £0.02 worth, don't waste time on tools that give no joy, buy the best you can. I suspect the Quangsheng boggs copy is a good route. Quangshengs hold a relatively good value on the used market. If you don't like it, pass it on with little lost - if you wait for a few months, you may likely recoup your money entirely.

 

[Hornbeam]

I have never liked the metal spokeshaves. I find the old wooden ones much better. I bought 2 Ron Hock blades last year and made my own one flat and one curved
Ian

 

[billw]

I have the same wooden one in the middle of the three. :shock: :lol:

I've acquired one too, although reading this thread I think I'll just leave it well alone because it's in pretty knackered condition!

 

[Eric The Viking]

One of the best spokeshaves I've used is this one, a Chinese copy of the Lie Nielsen Boggs pattern spokeshave.

https://www.workshopheaven.com/quangshe ... F8QAvD_BwE

I have the Lie Nielsen too and there's barely anything to distinguish them. In fact if this curved sole version had been around a year or two ago I probably wouldn't have bought the Lie Nielsen.

I have a cheaper variant, most probably also Quangsheng (branded Dakota, from, er, Ru****nds). It was bought a lng while back when they introduced them, it's exactly the same pattern as in the link above, but with a cast steel body rather than bronze. It has a very thick iron, which takes and keeps a wicked edge, and it's excellent.

Adjustment is very easy - I simply put the plane on the "pencil box" lid, loosen the iron, and re-tighten the screws whilst pushing the iron into the wood with one finger. It never needs more than that.

Yes, it's a flat sole (as they didn't sell curved sole variants back then), but if I ever wanted curved, I'd seek one out, as it's brilliant.

 

[richarddownunder]

It actually doesn't take a cut. At all. Just corrugates the wood. I have decided it not worth putting a decent iron in. I've managed to get a couple of older Stanley shaves and they work well. Well enough for the frequency I'll use them at any rate. If I really find spokeshaves become a well used tool in my tool cupboard I'll look at a better level as discussed. In the meantime I might try taking the newer one back to the shop that sold it to get their view. If I feel a pang of guilt about selling it on and inflicting it on some other sucker, then how can they sell such rubbish?

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Cheers
Richard