Drawknives were a more common tool, that was used extensively on farms. There are a few modern tool companies who make drawknives, but antique drawnives they can be found at quite reasonable prices if you hunt around at flea markets, yard sales, or antique stores. By the way, Elia Bizzarri apprenticed under Curtis Buchanan. Here’s a great article by Curtis Buchanan called, “ How to Sharpen and Use a Drawknife” (Fine Woodworking issue #268). So, for example, if you found a drawknife at a flea market, and you wanted to use it bevel down, you could sit in a chair, hold it out in front of you at waist height, and see if the handles allow you to keep your arms straight when the bevel is down. The desired handle angle also depends on if you choose to use your drawknife bevel down or bevel up, because you want your wrist to be straight when working. If you prefer using it bevel down (like Elia), then a flat back is prefered. But if using a drawknife with the bevel up, the back can’t be dead flat, but needs to be slightly rounded, so that the drawknife won’t get stuck, and can come up out of the cut. He said that this feature isn’t so important for shaving chair spindles, but more so for the curved surfaces of a windsor seat.Įlia said that a drawknife can be used either bevel down or bevel up, but he prefers to use it bevel down. He said that a thinner blade offers the ability to get a shorter blade bevel, which means it will get into concave surfaces more easily. What to look for in a Drawknife?ĭifferent people have different preferences when it comes to drawknives, but Windsor Chair maker Elia Bizzarri prefers a drawknife that tapers slightly toward the cutting edge. The woodworker holds both handles, and pulls the drawknife toward their body, shaving wood off the workpiece. It’s the main tool used on a shave horse. Here’s a little video that the Ellis brothers filmed in my school:Ī draw knife is a very useful tool for both rough cuts, to break down green wood into a rough shape, and for refining cuts. You can find plenty of plans & videos online, and you can also take the popular class at our school: “ Build a German Shave Horse with Ervin & Willie Ellis ”. Yes, there are some that you can buy, but it’s a pretty simple project to build. The best shave horse is one that you’ve made yourself. Oh, and that the legs don’t break! Where to find a Shave Horse? The main consideration is that the angle of the ramp is comfortable for you to work with, and that the dumb head clamps your work tightly. My kids love being able to use the word “dumb head” without facing retribution. The dumbhead (or swinging vise) can either be made from a log, or from laminating boards together. ![]() Here are some different styles that I’ve photographed over the years, to give you some inspiration: You stick the piece of green wood into the jaws, and your foot pressure will hold the wood tightly.ĭifferent people prefer different styles of shaving horses. It is basically the green woodworker’s workbench.
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