Modern Stanley spokeshaves

[ydb1md]

I know that modern stanley planes are a pale shadow of their former selves.

How are their modern spokeshaves? Are they worth looking at or should I stick with the antiques?

 

[Philly]

Dave
NO! Move away from from those horrible, nasty, shadows of their former selves! :shock:
Please save your money-the recent offerings from Lee Valley are vastly superior. I bought a new Record a while ago-awful! Badly machined (sole was machined off-centre and to the right), bed was warped so the blade wouldn't sit flat, blade was made of solder. Needless to say, after wasting hours trying to tweak it ( Boggs-style) it is now in the bin.
Hope I don't sound too negative :lol:
Philly

 

[Waka]

Dave

I'll second Philly on the LV shaves, excellent tools for the money, you won't be dissapointed.

 

[MikeW]

Hey Dave,

Probably any tool can be made to work properly. Question is, how much effort do you desire to put into a new tool? If sweat equity is worth the savings, you would be better off imo to pick up a vintage Stanley shave.

But even at that, the vintage shave will simply not perform as well as a LN Boggs (which I have) or the LV (which I've used). Either will serve you without messing with them. For the rest of your life.

Take care, Mike

 

[bugbear]

How are their modern spokeshaves?

More expensive and lower quality than their s/h spokeshaves.

I would either buy s/h Stanley or Record, or new LV, depending on cash/time availability.

BugBear

 

[Chris Knight]

I have the LN Boggs shaves (flat and compass sole versions). They are two of my favourite tools and work astonishingly well. The little LN shave - I have a compass sole version - is also excellent. I find that I use a spokeshave now in places and for purposes that had I had never considered before, when my experience was only of the usual rotten modern metal version.

 

[Alf]

Please, I don't understand. Some persons who I previously considered as Slope Slippees of Good Standing (or Sliding) seem to be advocating an either/or policy. I'm shocked. :shock:

Obviously you need a few old Stanley/Record/Prestons of assorted varieties for the benefit their open mouths give for rough work. Something with an adjuster, something without for awkward corners where the adjuster gets in the way, maybe an adjustable mouth for when you want to travel light.

Then you want LN and LV versions for the finer cuts, and 'cos we don't want to be accused of nationalistic bias you really should have at least one of each manufacturer.

Then you can't beat the low angle for end grain, and making your own shave is damn good fun, so maybe a kit or two? Perhaps at least one Hock and one LV to compare styles? One of each size, that is... A few old ones for rougher work is again advisable, and it's just as well to have ones with and without adjusters, just to see which you like. There are 3 or 4 different adjusters you'll probably want to sample. Then there's plated and unplated, beech and boxwood, and the range of sizes...

All these need to be both straight and round soled, natch.

Then there's convex, concave, chamfer, cigar, rebating...

Sheesh. Either/or indeed. Amateurs. :roll:

Cheers, Alf

 

[ydb1md]

Galoots,

Thanks for all the replies. I was relatively sure that was the case. But, I remained optimistic just in case.

I just received my first spokeshave in the mail last night -- an old Stanley 63 -- and even though the blade was dull and some Japanning was missing, it got me to thinking about a flat shave, concave shave, etc.

It's always good to be set straight by the experienced.

 

[Waka]

Sheesh. Either/or indeed. Amateurs

You really mean to say I need to have more than the three I have? Will this tool purchase never end. :?

Now wheres the catalog :lol:

 

[MikeW]

...Sheesh. Either/or indeed. Amateurs. :roll:
Cheers, Alf

Hey, I've turned into a minimalist...what did you expect out of me :lol:

 

[Alf]

Hey, I've turned into a minimalist...

Ah, these passing fads and fancies; it'll never last. :lol:

 

[ydb1md]

Hey, I've turned into a minimalist...

Ah, these passing fads and fancies; it'll never last. :lol:

What about his stacks of hand saws? Nothing minimalist there.

Unless he was researching saw handles to find the perfect form . . . .

 

[Alf]

Hey, I've turned into a minimalist...

Ah, these passing fads and fancies; it'll never last. :lol:

What about his stacks of hand saws? Nothing minimalist there.

See? Told you it wouldn't last. :lol:

 

[MikeW]

Hey, I've turned into a minimalist...

Ah, these passing fads and fancies; it'll never last. :lol:

What about his stacks of hand saws? Nothing minimalist there.

See? Told you it wouldn't last. :lol:

Yes, but, but...really, there for making mortgage payments. It's not like they're my *own* saws :wink:

Well, OK. One or two have joined my own stash. Diamonds found amongst the masses of the neglected. Like a wonderful, full (maybe never sharpened) D7 (you know, the 7 is inside the D) panel saw. 20" blade with full unknicked nib.

Other than that, they are going to suffer the same fate as the 13 that are in the citric bath as I write this. Destined to be cleaned and cut up into other saw blades, to be used by someone for the next 100 years.

That's it, I'm a recycler. Making treasure from trash.

Mike

 

[Philly]

That's it, I'm a recycler. Making treasure from trash.

Mike

Hey Mike, we have TV shows here that do the opposite! :lol:
(You also notice Chris was quite restrained in his posting-he has more shaves than I have planes. No kidding! :shock: )
Cheers
Philly

 

[Chris Knight]

(You also notice Chris was quite restrained in his posting

Yes, I thought I was doing quite well there..

 

[Pete W]

Will this tool purchase never end. :?

No.

 

[Frank D.]

Nope.

 

[Alf]

Will this tool purchase never end. :?

No.

I naturally assumed that was a rhetorical question. :roll: