the drawknife

I wrote a short piece for Highland Hardware about the drawknife and shave horse a few years back, intended for someone interested in picking up the tool. It’s an incredibly simple tool - just a large blade with handles - but is intimidating for makers who have yet to use it. It seems dangerous, being firmly pulled towards one’s chest, but that danger is mitigated by technique.

If you are unsure of the correct drawknife to purchase, you can’t go wrong picking up a straight blade, 8” model. I prefer handles to knobs, but to each their own. The key, with any model, is sharpness and slicing through the workpiece.