Advice on first spokeshave

[Aaron Karp]

I'm planning to make a canoe paddle with hand tools this summer, and it feels like the right time to buy my first spokeshave. But so many types to choose from! Flat, round, concave, low angle, etc. What's the right place to start for a spokeshave newbie shaping a paddle?

My plan is to use a drawknife and/or plane for removing larger amounts of material, and use the spokeshave for the curves – but this will all be new to me, so any advice is much appreciated.

I do have some (although not much) experience with hand planes and sharpening.

[Brandon Speaks]

I took a canoe paddle making class last weekend, it was really cool. I used my record 151 for the shaft and a draw knife for the blade, used a rasp for the handle.

[Brandon Speaks]

500090This is my not quite finished paddle from the class

[Mike Henderson]

I would start with a flat spokeshave. An excellent spokeshave is the LN Boggs spokeshave but it's designed for fine work. If you want a more agressive spokeshave, a Stanley 151 is a good choice. If you can find a 151 that someone else has fettled, so much the better. The ones "out in the wild" often need some love and attention.

The reason I suggest a 151 rather than some of the other Stanley spokeshaves is that it's easier to adjust blade on the 151. If that doesn't bother you, there are plenty of other Stanley spokeshaves that will work.

Mike

[kenneth hatch]

Aaron,

I've a number of both metal and wood stock shaves, by far the best are from Dave's Shaves http://www.ncworkshops.com/order_form.html . If you want to go cheap WoodRiver makes a good metal shave, I use mine often. Just go with a flat shave to start.

ken


I'm planning to make a canoe paddle with hand tools this summer, and it feels like the right time to buy my first spokeshave. But so many types to choose from! Flat, round, concave, low angle, etc. What's the right place to start for a spokeshave newbie shaping a paddle?

My plan is to use a drawknife and/or plane for removing larger amounts of material, and use the spokeshave for the curves – but this will all be new to me, so any advice is much appreciated.

I do have some (although not much) experience with hand planes and sharpening.

[Daniel Culotta]

I'll just add that I started out with and only had a curved bottom shave for a long time. It does have a learning curve, but I didn't think it was too bad. Maybe a couple of sessions messing around with it and I was comfortable. In general it's a similar mindset to using a drawknife, travisher, scorp, etc where you have to set and hold the blade angle relative to the work based on the feedback you're getting and what you want to do. I can do anything with a curved shave that I can with a flat one. Not that anything I can do is particularly impressive, I'm just saying a curved can do what a flat shave can, plus a little more like concave curves. Though I will admit I recently added a flat shave, and not having to think as much while working on flat or convex curves (i.e. just letting the sole register and do the work) is kinda nice sometimes.

Long story short: flat shave is easier to learn and can do a lot of things. Curved shaves are a little trickier to learn and can do a few more things. Either one you end up with is fine, though if you could truly only ever have one, for me it'd be a curved bottom. If you want to build a collection, maybe flat first for ease of learning, and then add a curved when you want/need it.

[Jim Koepke]

Aaron, a few more details are needed.

Do you want to purchase only one spokeshave? (they can become addictive, I've lost count of the ones in my shop)

Do you want to purchase new or are you willing to work with older vintage shaves?

You also do not have your location in your profile. There are many here who would be happy to have you come by their shop to test drive various shaves to see how they would suit your current need.

For a single shave a flat sole shave would be the natural choice. They are not very good working inside curves. That is where a rounded bottom shave would be more desirable.

For new spokeshaves my first suggestion would be the Veritas 3 spokeshave set but it is currently out of stock and the only spokeshave of the series is the round bottom shave. Those take a little getting used to for a starter shave.

Many speak highly of their Boggs spokeshaves available from Lie-Nielsen.

Mine are all, excepting a couple from Lee Valley (Vertas), mostly vintage Stanley shaves.

jtk

[Aaron Karp]

Do you want to purchase only one spokeshave? (they can become addictive, I've lost count of the ones in my shop)

For the moment, I'd like to keep it to just one. I'm a believer in buying nice tools, but letting your collection grow as you need it to, not before.


Do you want to purchase new or are you willing to work with older vintage shaves?

I'd prefer to purchase new, unless a vintage tool was already restored. Some day I think this would be enjoyable, but I don't have the time yet.


You also do not have your location in your profile. There are many here who would be happy to have you come by their shop to test drive various shaves to see how they would suit your current need.

That's generous. I'm in New Jersey.

Thank you all for the feedback. It sounds like a flat bottomed shave is the way to go for a novice like myself, and if I encounter an inside curve on my paddle that's too tight (maybe where the shaft meets the handle) I'll use a rasp...or just put a bigger radius on the curve. I don't think there's a rule there.

[Tom M King]

For such work, this is the first one I reach for. They come in flat too.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/112213-veritas-concave-spokeshave?item=05P3376

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I have, and still have, a bunch of Stanley’s (1 with Hock blade), a Woodjoy and an unmarked woodie, and LN Boggs flat and concave. I inevitably reach for the Boggs, they are so perfectly balanced and a joy to use. The flat gets the most use, but the concave is a game changer for round objects such as spindles and handles. My only curved sole shave is a Stanley 63 with the aforementioned Hock blade. I don’t use it often but it does the job when needed, thus have not seen the need to upgrade to the Boggs or LN small brass curved sole.

[Jim Koepke]

For such work, this is the first one I reach for. They come in flat too.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/112213-veritas-concave-spokeshave?item=05P3376

Yes, this is a great shave and one of two shaves in my kit from Lee Valley (Veritas). Unfortunately it is currently out of stock. The flat bottomed Veritas shave also shows as "out of stock."

This is my other shave from Lee Valley:

500113

In this image it was being tested on an inside curve. This was taken a little over 9 years ago when the shave first arrived in my shop.

It is great for smaller fine work > https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/71042-cast-round-spokeshave?item=15P1701

Mine was purchased when they were first introduced. It did need a little fettling. I do not know if the newer ones are the same or have been improved.

jtk

[Brandon Speaks]

I'd prefer to purchase new, unless a vintage tool was already restored. Some day I think this would be enjoyable, but I don't have the time yet.



In general I am with you on that. For a spoke shave though they are a really really simple tool. Your not doing anything with the frame and beyond that there are the screws to adjust the blade, the blade, and the cap. The one I used for that paddle class I had picked up who knows where some years before and never used. I decided I wanted to bring my own to the class that morning so pulled it out, cleaned off a bit of rust and sharpened the blade. Well more than sharpened, I put a whole new bevel on it but still not more than 30 minutes by hand, had I gone out to the garage to use the grinder it would not have taken more than 10 min tops.

Nothing against buying new ones, I am sure they are great. Just know cleaning up a reasonable condition old one is a far smaller time investment than something like rehabbing an old plane or saw.

[steven c newman]

500121
I just might have a spare Stanley No. 151 in the shop, that the OP can have...IF he so wants...
Can throw it in the mail tomorrow, even....if I knew where to send it....on my dime.

[Eric Brown]

I would recommend a traditional bronze adjustable from Moberg Tools http://www.mobergtools.com/
They won't rust (except the blade) are made heavier, and the blade itself is thicker that similar shaves.
Another point is to set for a very fine shaving and take more passes. Less likely to tear out with a finer shaving.

[Brandon Speaks]

I would recommend a traditional bronze adjustable from Moberg Tools http://www.mobergtools.com/
They won't rust (except the blade) are made heavier, and the blade itself is thicker that similar shaves.
Another point is to set for a very fine shaving and take more passes. Less likely to tear out with a finer shaving.

Those look really nice and not a bad price for bronze.

[Gary Focht]

Another point is to set for a very fine shaving and take more passes. Less likely to tear out with a finer shaving.

Paul Sellers advocates for setting the blade for a thin shaving on one side and thicker on the other side so you don’t have to reset the iron for different thickness shavings.

[Jim Koepke]

Paul Sellers advocates for setting the blade for a thin shaving on one side and thicker on the other side so you don’t have to reset the iron for different thickness shavings.

Sounds good until you want something to be square instead of at an angle.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

For such work, this is the first one I reach for. They come in flat too.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/112213-veritas-concave-spokeshave?item=05P3376

I agree. I have the Boggs shaves from LN and they are fantastic tools, but as others have mentioned they are best used for fine work. If I could only have one for both heavy and fine cuts, it would be this one. They're supposed to be back in stock in a couple of weeks.

https://assets.leevalley.com/Size4/10059/05P3373-veritas-flat-spokeshave-pm-v11-f-01.jpg

[John Keeton]

I would recommend a traditional bronze adjustable from Moberg Tools http://www.mobergtools.com/.
I use spokeshaves a LOT and while a bit of weight or heft in the body can help balance the shave, the Moberg adjustable shave weighs 16 oz, a full third more than either the Boggs or the Veritas. That would be an issue for me.

I don’t really care for adjustable shaves. I have owned and used a couple of 151s, but the gull wing handles and the added weight of the adjustable mechanism seemed to negatively affect the balance. When one is working with speed and for extended periods of time that can be a real issue. But, the Veritas has handle alignment much like the Boggs - more inline with the body and that would go a long way toward correcting the balance issue.

I use the Boggs flat and round, the LN small flat and round, and two Stanley 52s with PM-V11 blades, which also have good handle alignment. While I haven’t used the Veritas shaves, if I were going to get an adjustable shave it would be that one!

[Joel Gelman]

There are many here who would be happy to have you come by their shop to test drive various shaves to see how they would suit your current need.

Jim Koepke

Sure! I am in Southern California

When I went to the Garrett Hack Precision with Hand Tools workshop, I was asked to bring many tools that included a card-cabinet scraper and a spokeshave. The suggestions were Stanley 52 and 53 and other notable mentions were LN "Boggs". I only had a Pinnacle 151 and was told fine. Turns out I did not use it or the scraper. There was a brief spokeshave demo, but the small table with straight legs did not benefit from a spokeshave.

I was lucky to get into the 2024 workshop this summer, and to prepare, I want to spend some time in advance playing around more with spokeshaves (and card/cabinet scrapers) and I will try to get a little "Hack time" with spokeshaves. When I look up the 53/52, mostly on eBay in active and sold listings, seems there are many choices $35 - $68 where to me, many look very similar, all rusted including the blade where perhaps the owner did not sharpen-use it in the last 20+ years. I understand LV sells replacement blades for the 52 in A2 and PM-V11 but not sure about the 53..

Just curious, any suggestions on how to pick the right 52 and 53?

[Richard Coers]

No need to over think this. A multi sided shaft would work just as well as a round. When you get above more than 8 sides, the shaft is very close to round at that diameter. A 16 side shaft is super close to round. You don't need to spend big money to get your first working oar. Our native people got by just fine with a piece of rock

[steven c newman]

I am still trying to figure this one out..
513177
And get it sharp..

[Eric Brown]

Another one to consider is https://www.mobergtools.com/

They also have some with adjustable mouths, so you can go from a fine to a coarse shave quickly. They are bronze, won't rust, but are not cheap either.

[Joel Gelman]

So many options. To keep it simple, let's say I want a Stanley 53. That means very used. I only see them on eBay and occasionally Time Bode tools when looking on the internet. I do not see printine examples for a premium price. They all look similar to me. Maybe there are things to look for. I was hoping someone could advise me on how to select. I certainly would be willing to pay a premium for a pristine example (if I could find one) as these are not all that expensive in general.

[Mike Henderson]

There are many here who would be happy to have you come by their shop to test drive various shaves to see how they would suit your current need.

Sure! I am in Southern California



Where in southern California? You might be close to me and I have a bunch of spokeshaves.

MIke

[Joel Gelman]

Live in South Bay and work in Orange County