Card scraper

[Mark Singer]

There is a lot of postings of beautiful planes at SMC...all wonderful! Just a reminder the card scraper is a great under used, humble , inexpensive tool that is a wonderful complement to the hand plane.... It is amazing what a nicely tuned scraper will do. Sandvick is an old favorite and I think they are still around.

[Lamar Horton]

I couldn't agree more. Some of the finest finishes I have achived have been with a scraper.

[Roy Wall]

I remember using those in High School....

I need to revisit them..

[Dan Moening]

Card scrapers are the gateway drug to handplane addiction.

For a powertool junkie its the first, tentative step towards the slide...

Inexpensive, easy to setup, forgiving in their use.

Before you know it you're {unconsciously} changing the angle of attack, opting for slightly less burr, pushing instead of pulling, or pulling instead of pushing, using a sheer angle...

all things that help you to later understand the minutia of handplane technique.

Wonderful little critters they are....

[Mike Holbrook]

Our friends at Lee Valley have made them even easier to use and sharpen too:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1,310&p=32669
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32633&cat=1,310,41070&ap=1

I actually even have one of the old Sandvicks that Mark mentions too. I bought it many years ago, one of my first purchases, still works.

[Tom LaRussa]

Just a reminder the card scraper is a great under used, humble , inexpensive tool that is a wonderful complement to the hand plane.... It is amazing what a nicely tuned scraper will do.

I couldn't agree more, Mark! :)

Card scrapers are also very easy to make out of any springy steel. For example, if one were to ruin a Japanese-style pull-saw by using it to cut plywood one could make several nice scrapers out of the blade. DAMHIKT! :o

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Thanks for the reminder! The card scraper is the first hand tool on my list :)

[Bob Smalser]

Only slightly more sophisticated than a piece of broken glass....which also can be handy at times, believe it or not.

[James Carmichael]

Wonderful tool and finish, but do my fingers get tired fast!

Once my Jatoba Kebiki is finished, my next tool project will likely be a scraper shave.

Of course, the way this Jatoba works, that may be awhile :eek: