Need Draw Knife for longbow project

[Pete Hotard]

Thinking about making a Hickory or Osage longbow from a split stave and need suggestions on a good draw knife. I have an old one I found in my grandpa's shop but it is in pretty poor condition as it looks like someone beat the back of it using it to split wood and it also has a pretty gnarly convex back running from handle to handle. I'm sure I could clean it up to at least get the hammer marks out but i'm not sure how to get it straight again. Unfortunately where I live in Baton Rouge, the antique (rust hunt) tool market is pretty bare. I would like to get a solid older knife but i'm also open to suggestions for new ones as well. What have ya'll used that you have liked? I like the idea of a Lie Neilson but i don't think I want to pay $170 for a knife that may be used sparingly after this project.

There are lots of options on Ebay, but does anyone have any suggestions of what to look for? Brands? Features to look out for?

[Prashun Patel]

Sorry I can't offer advice. When you get one and figure out the best way to sharpen it, please report back. I haven't been successful sharpening mine.

[steven c newman]

Have two knives, one straight edged, one curved. Got both rehabbed up. Used them to "turn" square posts into round ones for a rocking chair build.
drawknives.jpg
They were in bad shape when I got them ( $1 each) so I did abit of rehab..
sharpened curves.jpg
Had to flatten the backs, remove the knicks in the edges, then stoned and sand paper to sharpen up. To hold a knife to stone the edge...one handle up by the elbow the other in the left hand, bevel up and pointing to the right. Right hand holds the stone, I usually push the stone away, some go both directions. Just hone the bevel. Any burrs on the flat can be stoned away as well. They just hang on the back of my plane till, may not even need them again..

Oh, and that rocking chair?
rough shaped.jpg
Start up..
one done.jpg
One done. Lathe was too short for the back posts.
back view.jpg
At 48" long. Took a bit of time to do..

[Mel Fulks]

I would buy on Ebay. Old ones are cheap and I've never come across a bad one. Bought one made by a well known 19th century blacksmith from an antique dealer ,and even that was cheap.

[russell lusthaus]

. . . and if you have a band saw, you could probably get by just fine on your longbow build without a draw knife at all. The only harder part would be debarking the stave, and you could find other ways to proceed in that task. You don't want to get too close to back ring with a draw knife anyway - use a spoke shave and scraper when most of the bark has been removed already.

[Pete Hotard]

. . . and if you have a band saw, you could probably get by just fine on your longbow build without a draw knife at all. The only harder part would be debarking the stave, and you could find other ways to proceed in that task. You don't want to get too close to back ring with a draw knife anyway - use a spoke shave and scraper when most of the bark has been removed already.

Don't have a bandsaw, and even If I did, i'm trying to take the Neander approach to this project. Thanks for the advice though

[Luke Dupont]

Traditionally, drawknives are usually not ground entirely flat on the back. There's usually a small convex bevel. The reason for this is that it too easily digs into the wood and cannot take a proper shaving without that small convex/microbevel.

I'd recommend just taking your drawknife to a coarse oil-stone and removing any nicks, while keeping roughly the same geometry.

I like to use Mora's wood splitters as drawknives. They're only $25 or so, if I recall. Unlike a typical drawknife, they are double bevel and do not have a flat side, but they work just fine.

I also find a smoothing plane set up to take thick shavings is quite useful in this kind of work. You can hog off a lot of material quickly and easily even with a plane, contrary to what many people will tell you.

Good luck on your project and give us some pictures as you go! I personally love this kind of thing and have far more interest in bows / tools / instruments than I do in furniture.

[Pete Hotard]

Traditionally, drawknives are usually not ground entirely flat on the back. There's usually a small convex bevel. The reason for this is that it too easily digs into the wood and cannot take a proper shaving without that small convex/microbevel.

I'd recommend just taking your drawknife to a coarse oil-stone and removing any nicks, while keeping roughly the same geometry.

I like to use Mora's wood splitters as drawknives. They're only $25 or so, if I recall. Unlike a typical drawknife, they are double bevel and do not have a flat side, but they work just fine.

I also find a smoothing plane set up to take thick shavings is quite useful in this kind of work. You can hog off a lot of material quickly and easily even with a plane, contrary to what many people will tell you.

Good luck on your project and give us some pictures as you go! I personally love this kind of thing and have far more interest in bows / tools / instruments than I do in furniture.

So are you talking about a convex that runs parallel to the cutting edge or perpendicular? Because the one i have is convex perpendicular to the cutting edge. Basically like someone took it by the handles and bent their hands upwards towards each other.

[Luke Dupont]

So are you talking about a convex that runs parallel to the cutting edge or perpendicular? Because the one i have is convex perpendicular to the cutting edge. Basically like someone took it by the handles and bent their hands upwards towards each other.

Oh. You mean the blade itself is bent, rather than being straight?

I think those are designed with a specific purpose (hollowing out bowls and such?), as I've seen/heard of them before. Someone else is probably more knowledgeable though.

I was referring to convex geometry of the cutting edge as if viewed from a cross section, which I thought is what you were referring to.

I'm assuming you mean that your drawknife looks something like this?

31W50qhPOJL._AC_US160_.jpg

[Brent Cutshall]

I use an antique, flat drawknife with a convex edge from Swann for any of my drawknife work. Hope you get good at bow-making, I can do flintknapping, make arrows, and most other primitive craft but I've never made a bow I've been satisfied with. Let us know how it goes!

[Glen Canaday]

Hold up. I build bows when I can.

If you are looking to reduce to a single layer in your osage stave, for instance, you WANT dull. You also want the convex back on it if you can swing it. You are looking to split at the pith between growth rings, not cut fibers!

I recommend copies of "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible," (TTBB). There are four volumes in the set. Many items about the topic are covered, including tools.

As for shaping, I start roughing with a hatchet. Some people use broadhatchets or knives or all kinds of stuff. I smooth and surface with a block plane and scraper, and shape handles with a rasp.

[russell lusthaus]

Don't have a bandsaw, and even If I did, i'm trying to take the Neander approach to this project. Thanks for the advice though

Then use an ax. A real neander would use a flint ax. lol.

As to draw knife - - you want the back to be flat and the top to be beveled - - the blade can be straight or convex - I use straight. I would stay away from those blades that are beveled on both sides - no control. As Glen says - many guys like their draw knife to be very dull so as to reduce the chance of digging into and cutting thru the back ring you are chasing. I use mine sharp, but when getting close, turn the blade over so the bevel is face down - this will give you a ton more control and it wont dig in so much - but will also take a much smaller bite. Pay attention to grain orientation. For me, and I make about 2 dozen self bows a year, I only use the draw knife to remove bark and get into the cambium. Any more than that, you are asking for trouble. Remove the cambium with a spoke shave or scraper or even a spoon. That is for white woods. For osage, use the draw knife till you are a ring or two above the one you want, and then switch to scraper or shave. There is no rush - take your time and don't cut thru the ring, and all will be well.

I use a bandsaw to reduce width - but before I had the saw, I used a hand ax.

Russ

[lowell holmes]

I would just sharpen the knife you have and get after it. If that doesn't work, you can still buy a new one. A spoke shave might help as well.
I normally finish up with a shave.

I have two draw knives, one was a beat up freeby and the other moderately priced new one. I can't
tell moch difference between them.

[russell lusthaus]

I would just sharpen the knife you have and get after it.

I agree with this 100%

[steven c newman]

I can send the OP a pair of knives.......that worked just fine for me.