Do spokeshaves count

[Mike Hutchison]

The "How many hand planes do you have?" thread is a good chance
for me to ask if there is any debate about whether or not a spokeshave
should properly be called or classed as a plane. I don't include the one or
two I have in a hand plane count. No particular reason except maybe I
thought "what's next? Drawknives?" More likely it is because spokeshaves are
on my #@*!! list due to the fact I have not been able to get them to work
consistently for me.

[Tony Zaffuto]

The "How many hand planes do you have?" thread is a good chance
for me to ask if there is any debate about whether or not a spokeshave
should properly be called or classed as a plane. I don't include the one or
two I have in a hand plane count. No particular reason except maybe I
thought "what's next? Drawknives?" More likely it is because spokeshaves are
on my #@*!! list due to the fact I have not been able to get them to work
consistently for me.

How about scraper shaves? Beading shaves? I swear the first two I bought are rabbits!

[Jim Koepke]

The "How many hand planes do you have?" thread is a good chance
for me to ask if there is any debate about whether or not a spokeshave
should properly be called or classed as a plane. I don't include the one or
two I have in a hand plane count. No particular reason except maybe I
thought "what's next? Drawknives?" More likely it is because spokeshaves are
on my #@*!! list due to the fact I have not been able to get them to work
consistently for me.

Hi Mike, Interesting question with many ways to answer.

Some might say they are just small versions of planes.

Others might say they are not listed on Patrick's Blood & Gore, The Source of Information on Planes made by Stanley, then no, they are not planes.

As far as your spokeshaves giving you problems, this may be of help to explain or give you ideas of how to approach the problems:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?153938

My two piece of junk are going to the flea market with me this Saturday. My intent will be to sell the box, but only if the buyer will take the contents.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I think they are all tools in a woodworkers shop. Each has a different function even if he have sharp knife edges.

They may no be brothers and sisters, but they are in the family of edged tools. They are at least cousins.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Is a spokeshave a plane? It has been stated that a plane is nothing more than a chisel in a holder. If that is the case then a spokeshave too is a plane since it too is nothing more than a chisel in a different type of holder. Is this logic? My answer is maybe. The final question is does it really matter if like me you have a spokeshave problem?

[Derek Cohen]

Dave, what do you consider to be a “spokeshave problem”?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kyle Iwamoto]

"Spokeshave problem" may be related to my "plane collecting disease" problem..... I do not have a spokeshave problem. I only have 2. And 1 drawknife.
Hello. My name is Kyle and I'm a planealolic…

[Kurtis Johnson]

There was a brief but interesting discussion on a recent episode of Fine Wood Working Shop Talk Live where the hosts thought out loud whether or not a block plane was less like a bench plane, and more like a spokeshave because they are, arguably, used more for shaping than for creating planer surfaces. An interesting classification system would be shaping versus planing tools. In such a system, I would see spoke shaves in the same category of as draw knives, both being shaping tools. Like with any rules there would be exceptions that defy. A common use of draw knives has been to debark trees in preparation of dimension lumber by a variety of methods, hardly a shaping excercise. Also, low angle block plane are used a lot to enhance planed surfaces, such as to clean up on reversing grain, etc., so a block plane maybe spans both categories as well. Still, Fun to think about.

[lowell holmes]

I have both and I bet you do too. They normally don't achieve the same result.

I use the planes to make straight edges and I usually make shaped surfaces with the shaves.

[bridger berdel]

Spoke shaves have sole before the iron. In my book that makes them planes.

[Jim Koepke]

Spoke shaves have sole before the iron. In my book that makes them planes.

If anything, spokeshaves are nothing more than a different configuration for the construction of a plane.

One spokeshave that takes that to the limit is a rabbet/rebate spokeshave:

#68 Sole.jpg

What always puzzles me is why didn't the designers use a gull wing style handle?

jtk

[Dave Anderson NH]

To answer your question Derek I went to the shop and counted my spokeshaves. I have 19 of various types and vintages. Number 20 is under construction in the shop right now as a result of the class I taught for our guild last weekend on how to build one with a Hock blade. It is a bear to make in this case since the body is Lacewood and quite hard and brittle. I have to take extra care to prevent tearout.

[Derek Cohen]

Dave, I have about 7 or 8 spokeshaves, all of which have been used or get used. There are a few wooden types, from high angle HNT Gordon to low angle Stanley 84s. The ones that are used most are the Boggs spokeshaves.



I suppose one might also include drawknives (a couple of 8" and 9" Witherbys), a Ray Iles scorp, and a couple of travishers I made.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

My two piece of junk are going to the flea market with me this Saturday. My intent will be to sell the box, but only if the buyer will take the contents.

One person liked the box, but he didn't want to take the spokeshaves. Box and shaves are still taking up space for now.

jtk

[Jerry Lowetz]

Then there are "moulding planes", they very much are shapers.

Definitions can be tough. I go with the "if it holds some sort of blade in a holder fo give a consistent plane, whether curved or straight, it's a plane"
Sure knives have "holders" but they are just to hold, not to assist in consistent angles.