What kind of drawknife do you recommend?

[ccase39]

Curved or flat? What's best for working a stave? I'm tempted to get both but need to watch my funds with Christmas coming and all.

[osage outlaw]

Both will work.  Try to find an old one at antique stores or flea markets.  You can get some at a decent price on the big auction site also.  Look for tight handles and a good edge without any chips or pitting in it. 

[ccase39]

Yea found one yesterday that was very old but mint. They wanted 50 for it. Should have jumped on it.

[stuckinthemud]

Both my drawknives are antique, one with a short (6") blade, the other with a long (10") blade. I only use the long blade as the length of the blade allows me to slide the knife across the timber as I draw it, like a slicing action, with the blade held diagonally not parallel to the cut - it is a very effective and efficient cutting action that the shorter blade does not do so well.  Strongly recommend you seek out as long a blade as you can.

[osage outlaw]

Yea found one yesterday that was very old but mint. They wanted 50 for it. Should have jumped on it.

You can find them on there for a lot less than that.

[osage outlaw]

There is a Jennings ending in 3 hours for a good price.  It has a big chip out of the blade but its on the edge.  You won't be using that part of the blade anyway.  Besides the chip it looks in great shape. 

[JW_Halverson]

Sharp?

[Drewster]

A flat 8" blade works really well for me.  I have a Worth that I got from the big auction site.  Excellent old draw knife.  Be patient and fine a good one.  They're available.  And yes, good tight handles and no pitting.  The back of the blade should be absolutely flat......and indeed sharp.

[bubby]

I have two i got from an old guy that was cleaning out his barn got both for $20 one curved one straight I'll use both chasing a ring

[huisme]

Dull and flat for ring chasing, round and sharp for mass reduction

[George Tsoukalas]

i prefer curved probably because I inherited from my dad. Jawge

[Fred Arnold]

I prefer curved and sharp for chasing rings, straight and sharp for removing bark and sapwood. I do keep a duller straight handy for scraping. I just traded my pristine 8" Keen Kutter and picked up a 14" James Swan cast steel to try for bark removal.

[PlanB]

14" straight, stamped Winsted Edge Tool Works, stamped U.S.N., ca. 1945,

I've had it 40 years, myself. Fantastic tool. I've tried other more modern drawknives from expensive wood tool outfits with full color catalogs that other people have bought, and they have all the angles and shapes wrong. This thing can remove masses of wood faster than a circular saw in making a 30' mast, or slice the finest shavings. It is very slightly curved in face direction toward the bevel side. Handle angles slightly greater than 90 degrees, forged arms curve up and there is hand clearance to the blade. The narrow blade puts the cutting edge aft of the handles so it doesn't dig in. I don't find the extra length a hindrance, and actually you can get great leverage for a fine shaving on a very small spot by holding one side stationary, arm tight to your side, with the blade at a sharp angle crosswise to the work and using the other as a lever, like a paper cutter. Length in a drawknife, doesn't mean coarse or roughing work only.

[PEARL DRUMS]

We all got used to whatever shape our first knife was. Matter of fact? I don't even know what shape mine is. I like them razor sharp for all applications.

[Selfbowman]

One old sharp and one old dull. One concave and one convex. The concave is from being sharpened long  before I got it at a antique store. Long  before I new it would be used for bow making. Had it a while . The handles on both need to be replaced because they are loose.   Oh well I love the old tools.
Arvin