The curl of my dreams...

[JW_Halverson]

I just received in the mail a wonderful new spokeshave from Lee Valley Tools.  It's the Veritas flat sole unit with the A2 steel blade. 

The sole is lazer flat, the the bed where the blade lies has been machined smooth so that the blade lies evenly against a flat and smooth surface...excellent for preventing "chatter".  The thumbscrews for setting depth are deeply knurled and are closely matched to the threading on the bolts.  That way it takes some actual effort to turn them, preventing them from getting outa tune from brushing against your leg or something.  The blade is lapped to a satin finish and is good and sharp right out of the box!  They use a 30 degree angle on the blade and a 35 degree microbevel right on the very edge.  The whole blade is bedded at a 45 degree angle to the sole so that the blade has a good relief behind the cutting edge allowing "springback" of the wood being cut.  It comes with two shims that you can put between the blade and the bed of the tool so that the throat where the curls come up and out is narrower.  This is excellent for working with woods that are famous for grain tear outs. 

The rosewood handles are lathe turned and pretty as can be...and I hate them.  Since they are perfectly round in cross section I don't feel I have the control I like to rock the blade up on the end of a stroke.  But this is no problem at all because the handles screw out and can be replaced with any design you care to manufacture.  I intend to make a nice pair of curved osage grips that are slightly oval in cross section.  Maybe even a pair of elk horn grips...or cowhorn....or cast resin...you get the point. 

What can I say, boys love curls!

[HoBow]

SWEET! I love a nice spokeshave. 

[criveraville]

Ive never had one, but I'm getting there..  do have an old draw knife

[Cameroo]

Are you a sales rep for Lee Valley? You should be

[mullet]

I gave mine to Hillbilly, I like my drawknife.

[JW_Halverson]

My next tool to upgrade will be a decent OLD drawknife.  On the right woods, it is a godsend.  A good drawknife will hog firewood off a stave, slip between two growth rings, or slice curls so thin they could be used for rolling papers. 

Aw man, I do love well made and well sharpened tools. 

[Mark Anderson]

I got a spokeshave for Christmas from my dear wife. It not the lee Valley one though, it came from Grizzly. I do love it however.
I've been using draw knives for as long as I can remember so they are like second nature to me but this spokeshave can do some things a draw knife cant. I love it most for smoothing out the sides of my limbs, it does pay to keep it sharp though!!!
Enjoy your new toy, and make LOTS of curls.
Mark

[mullet]

JW, I'll see if I can find you one at the Flea Market before the Classic. I've passed on a few old ones lately.

[JW_Halverson]

Thanks, Eddy!  I used to see them until I started looking for them.  Goes that way, ya know.