Handle Type on a Drawknife?

[Paul F]

Thank you very much again.

Paul F.

[DarkSoul]

My drawknife is an amazing 12" in length. Yes, the blade itself is one foot long! With handles even longer. I don't know any better, but I've come to like this length. It allows me to make very long diagonal strokes. I really shave off a curl, instead of chopping off chunks. The handle length is somewhat intermediate. Not a short knob, nor very long. They're like pear shaped and maybe 3" long or so. I think I would prefer long handles over short handles, as it would allow me to control the angle of the blade better.

[Dalton Knapper]

Paul - that one on E-bay looks great. You can see in one of the pictures it has a great deal of steel left. The length is good enough too. The only real advantage to a longer blade is that on some particularly hard woods holding the drawknife an an angle    (the lateral angle - not verticle angle) allows you to sort of slice the wood along the length of the blade, but this is not real necessary as you can do the same thing in a fixed position.

I think that is a winner. The quality of the steel is far, far more important than anything else. Also, be sure to sharpen it only with a hone - you can shape it with power tools if necessary, but I find a medium whetstone to be the best way to keep one sharp - just like any knife or plane.

[bhenders]

A longer blade prevents knuckle scuffing that is inevitably going to happen.

[Tom Leemans]

I like the longer handles. Less wear and tear on your hands. A slightly curved blade allows for more finessing IMO. My personal knife has a slightly curved 9" blade and "teardrop or pear shaped" handles. It was my grandpa's. I was lucky enough to grab it when I was a young boy, when he passed away. I thought it was cool. If you saw it, you'd think it was only a few years old. He took care of his tools. So do I. I come from old school master carpenter/cabinetmakers who took pride in their craft.

Dark Soul - Yours sounds like a log peeler's knife

[Paul F]

Thank you all for your reply's.  I put a bid in on it, so we'll see how it goes.  I have been looking for a longer one as well, but this one keep's catching my eye lol.  I'll let you know how it goes....and HOW IT FEEL'S. 

Paul F.