Spokeshaves

[xraymtb]

I'm looking to get my first spokeshave but need some advice on what to get. Really just for tinkering with and having a go.

Budget won't stretch to the real top end ones, can probably spend £40.

So do I go used and if so what do I look for? Or new and cheap and fettle it? Or new and a bit more? Or even a kit and make my own wooden shave?

I quite fancy the last option, if only as its a project in its own right but again wouldn't know where to start.

 

[custard]

For a titchy little tool you can end up sinking an awful lot of time into getting a spokeshave working really well. A flat bottomed Stanley 53 or 54 with a good blade can be made into an excellent tool (if an Ebay photo doesn't separately show the blade assume it's all been used up), and don't dismiss wooden low angle spokeshaves, find a good one that's been lightly used and you won't want to use anything else for end grain or long grain where you're working with the grain.

The machining on most low price, modern spokeshaves is just terrible, and consequently they're very chatter prone.

The real test of a spokeshave, and also of your spokeshave skills, is entering and leaving the cut. Most shaves will give a passable performance once they're established on the workpiece, but the first and last inch are what it's all about!

Good luck.

 

[mouppe]

You have two decisions to make. First, wooden or metal? The blade on a wooden one forms the sole and they can be trickier to sharpen than metal ones, where the blade sits on a frog. Second, convex or flat sole? I would suggest a flat soled one, as they are easier to learn how to use. In time, you will probably want a convex-soled one too but it can wait for now.

I would steer clear of the really cheap ones as they can be a nightmare to use and never really work properly. I had a Kunz once and it was impossible to produce a shaving. Impossible. The adjuster didn't work, and the blade wouldn't hold an edge. If you can afford it, the Veritas is excellent- it's $100 here but not sure how much it is in the UK. A Stanley in good shape would also be a good choice. They're abundant so you should be able to find one that needs very little fettling to work well.

 

[mouppe]

Custard and I are on the same page.

Avoid the budget new ones.

 

[G S Haydon]

I've just been using my flat bottomed Record shave on my current project. As a gamble I've ordered a pair of Silverline shaves, one round, on flat bottomed. They are about £6.00 each delivered. I had success tuning up a silverline #4 was curious as to how bad the shaves would be. Will let you know in due course. All this talk of flat bottoms has a Queen song on loop in my head....

 

[Racers]

The two I use all the time are a home made Hock blade one and Millars Falls cigar shave.
The Hock one is very good you can kits with the slot for the blade already done leaving just the handles to shape.
David Charlesworth makes one from scratch in his first book.
Preston ones are a step up from Stanley/Record ones but expensive on EBay.

Pete

 

[AndyT]

You ought to have a look at Billy Flitch's intro to spokeshaves here

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/topic88720.html

 

[xraymtb]

You ought to have a look at Billy Flitch's intro to spokeshaves here

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/topic88720.html

Interesting read that one. I know the cheaper shaves are not up to scratch out of the box but did think they must be capable with some time put in. After all they are just very small planes!

Trouble is I don't know how they are meant to work so I wouldn't know if it's my technique or the tool itself.

The hock blade kits look nice as do Veritas kits at slightly less but without the wood. EBay appears to be a minefield with overpriced junk, older shaves in poor condition and the Russian roulette of old wooden shaves!

 

[MIGNAL]

I use the Mujingfang wooden shaves. Nicer to use that the metal spokeshaves IMO. Sharpening is like a mini version of sharpening a drawkinife.

 

[xraymtb]

I use the Mujingfang wooden shaves. Nicer to use that the metal spokeshaves IMO. Sharpening is like a mini version of sharpening a drawkinife.

I hadn't noticed them before. They look very nice indeed for that price. Might have to give one a go.

 

[ejtrent]

The woodenshaves of older times can be made to work fantsatically, and they are usually in lovely boxwood and incredibly cheap, I've paid 50p each several times!

 

[rwyoung]

I've just been using my flat bottomed Record shave on my current project. As a gamble I've ordered a pair of Silverline shaves, one round, on flat bottomed. They are about £6.00 each delivered. I had success tuning up a silverline #4 was curious as to how bad the shaves would be. Will let you know in due course. All this talk of flat bottoms has a Queen song on loop in my head....

Flat bottom shaves, they make the convex curves go round.

 

[G S Haydon]

Thank you Rob, I'll be using that line :lol: