Drawknives

[gutpile]

I only use drawknife to remove bark and chase a ring..I do not rough out bow with drawknife.. that is a job for hatchet or bandsaw... gut

[Strichev]

I use a Pfeil small straight bladed drawknife (110 mm blade) with offset handles for finer work and a large curved drawknife  (430 mm total, 240 mm blade) also by Pfeil for rough work, although both drawknives work just fine in either role. It's just that the larger one allows for sort of sideways draw cut/slicing movement that lends itself to roughing out. The curvature also makes making flat surfaces easier. I'm very happy with the quality of both blades.

If you're in Europe they're worth it, especially the small one. My only complaint is that the handles on the larger one could be peened with a plate at the end and not just curved into the wood on the inside.

I've checked the prices in the USA and it turns out that what costs 40 € after tax here is an $80 drawknife in America. Mind that I've read that pfeil tools are overpirced in EU for the quality you get. I don't know if that's ture, one would need to ask a metallurgist to be sure. Anyway, I don't regret buying the two drawknives.

[JW_Halverson]

Hamish got close, but missed my favorite drawknife. It is the Lee Valley Austrian hand forged drawknife. It has the curved blade and is hardened to Rc58-60. I have had mine for about 10 years and have yet to sharpen it.  I just hone slightly with a fine diamond stone and then strop with polishing compound rubbed into leather glued to a pine 1x2.

Right now they are selling it for $49.50.  Unlike antiques, the whole tool is made of high quality steel. The old ones are often iron or low grade steel with a harder steel bit forged in at the cutting edge. Once that is ground down by resharpening enough you are down to soft iron and it won't hold an edge.

[Ozi Sapling]

A small side restoration project, I've just picked up this one from an antique shop.  $45 AUS (approx $32 US).

Goes against what JW_Halverson just said, but I'm still also looking to get a new one for immediate use.

IMG_1649 by Ozi Sapling, on Flickr

[osage outlaw]

If you are grinding on a vintage draw knife enough to cut through the hardened steel you are doing something wrong.  I've removed the bark and sapwood off of hundreds of osage staves with a really old draw knife.  It's still sharp enough to cut your hand. 

[Ringeck85]

I found an old rusty Dunlap (?) draw knife for $2 years ago (2013) at an old country junk/antique store, and all I did was remove the rust with several sessions of rubbing it with steel wool and WD-40/paper towels (what I do to get rust off my steel practice swords).  Then I slightly sharpened the blade with a file and a whetstone.  The old wooden handles unfortunately broke off but I whittled up some new ones that have held up so far.

Agreed with osage outlaw: For old forged steel blades (at least in my experience with antique swords, etc., which are usually more delicate animals than draw knives) you do not want to mess too much with the edge, you might (?anyone feel free to chime in) screw it up.

[Ozi Sapling]

Well that's good to know. Thanks Osage and Ringeck for that advice.

JW_H - Here's hoping the one I've pick up hasn't already been brutalized. I'll see if I can tell where the join is with the hardened steel.

The handles are a bit knackered (worse on other side than shown), so will likely need replacement.

[Eric Krewson]

Drawknives can work equally well sharp or dull if you are chasing a ring. If your drawknife holds and edge great, if it doesn't a few passes with a stone will put it back in shape quickly, no big deal.

I build an occasional flintlock rifle, my chisels and gouges are just OK, nothing special. I keep a leather strop next to my work and stop for a little stropping every 10 or 15 minutes or so while I am working.