Need Draw Knife for longbow project

[lowell holmes]

It just occurred to me that Pete may have a scorp instead of a drawknife. If that's the case, he probably needs to buy a draw knife.
Pete, a scorp is used for hollowing out chair seats.

You can also buy them for 15 to 20 dollars at the auction site.

[Luke Dupont]

It just occurred to me that Pete may have a scorp instead of a drawknife. If that's the case, he probably needs to buy a draw knife.
Pete, a scorp is used for hollowing out chair seats.

You can also buy them for 15 to 20 dollars at the auction site.

That's my suspicion as well.

Also, I second the ebay suggestion. You can find excellent vintage tools at good prices.

[lowell holmes]

What I should have said is you can buy draw knives on the auction site.

[george wilson]

There are at least 3 draw knives on "The Best Things" tool site. One is a 9" drawknife and is about $65.00. The others are not real expensive.I suggest you go there and get a vintage tool with decent steel in it for less than you'd pay retail for a new one.

[Bob Glenn]

Be aware there are bevel up and bevel down draw knives as well. A bevel up draw knife is good for following grain, as the flat back doesn't tend to dig into the wood. A bevel down draw knife has the ability to pull out of a cut for shaping, since there is only a small surface of the blade on the wood. The difference is the angle of the handles to the blade. You can use either bevel up or down draw knives either way, however, if you're on the shaving horse for very long, you will know which one works best. Bevel up blades work well dull, but you want a razor sharp edge on a bevel down blade. Your experience will be your guide.

[george wilson]

I have only ever purchased one drawknife: A Keen Kutter I bought used for $1.00 in the 60's. It takes a razor sharp edge and holds it pretty well. I made a miniature sort of draw knife with French type round handles that I've posted here before. Used it on violin necks and other small things. Made it in the 70's.

[Pete Hotard]

That's my suspicion as well.

Also, I second the ebay suggestion. You can find excellent vintage tools at good prices.

It definitely is not a scorp, it is just a bent and mistreated drawknife. ill get to work on it and let ya'll know the outcome

[Mike Holbrook]

I made a long post on dawknives at some point. Peter Galbert is an expert/artist with one. He explains them well in his book "Chairmaker's Notebook'. As the OP has noted, the problem with many of the old drawknives is they often got used to split wood instead of their intended use. They were not designed to be used like a froe or wedge. Unfortunately most of the ones I have bought at auctions have had considerable damage to the blades requiring considerable work to put back into service. Galbert speculates that many blades were made curved simply because it was easier.

Galbert makes a sharpening tool especially for sharpening drawknives for those who may have trouble getting one sharp. He devotes an entire chapter in his book to techniques for sharpening hand tools like dawknives, scorps....

[stevo wis]

I would very much encourage you to use a drawknife. It is a great tool that can hog off a bunch at a time or just take a little when slicing and skewing the blade. I have had good luck with Witherby and James Swan drawknives. Ebay gets about $25-30 for nice knives. Look for solid handles and a blade that is not rusted and pitted too badly.
Also a drawknife has to be really sharp. I polish mine to 8000. There is a lot written about drawknives by Pete Galbert, Curtis Buchanan and others.
Good luck.
Stevo

[Mark Fisher]

A pretty common good drawknife is from Greenlee. I have one I've used on a few projects and it works great. I think I spent about $20 for a good one. I saw and used a Lie Neilsen at a workshop and it seemed fine too, but I'm not an expert.

[Matt Lau]

I'm curious about how people can make a bow with a drawknife, but no spokeshave.
I'm never made a bow, but...an I missing something?

[Pete Hotard]

I'm curious about how people can make a bow with a drawknife, but no spokeshave.
I'm never made a bow, but...an I missing something?

I have a spokeshave, just need a drawknife to hog off the bulk of the material from the stave

[Glen Canaday]

Many woods are strong in tension but not compression, or strong in compression and not tension. The principle use of a drawknife is not to shape the bow, it is to alter the heartwood/sapwood ratio in a particular stave so that the strengths and weaknesses can be equalized.

A bow that is overly strong in tension can develop crysals on the belly at a particular draw weight, and one that is particularly strong in compression can break on the back due to forces exerted at draw length. Think locust for tension strength and pine heartwood for compressive. At the same draw weight, the locust can be crushed when drawing, but the pine can pull apart.

If the amount of sapwood on the back of the bow is reduced so that it does not overpower, or is not overpowered by, the heartwood belly, at a particular draw weight the bow can survive throwing an arrow.

A dull draw knife is normally used to reduce the sapwood on the back by splitting the growth rings at the pith of the spring growth. It is dull in order to avoid cutting through the fibers of the desired ring so as to not weaken the chosen back ring.

[Prashun Patel]

wow, that's fascinating. Thanks, Glen

[Dave Lehnert]

Have a Menards Hardware in your area?
I dont own one but the price is right if money is a concern.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...50545457579303