The Classic Woodworking Tool: The Draw Knife
A draw knife is a traditional woodworking tool that has been around for centuries. It’s used to shape and smooth wood by removing shavings, and can be found in many woodworkers’ toolboxes. Let’s take a look at the history of the draw knife and explore how it can be used in various projects.
What is a Draw Knife?
A draw knife is a simple but effective tool that consists of a short blade with two handles on either end. The blade is much longer than it is deep and the bevel on a draw knife is always up. It looks like a large version of your kitchen paring knife, but with two handles instead of one. The draw knife was first used by ancient Egyptians in 3000 BCE, who used it to fashion wooden tools out of logs.
The draw knife gets its name from how it is used: you simple grab the handles and draw the knife toward you with the bevel up. It also goes by several other names including draw shave, drawing knife, and shaving knife. At one time, woodworkers sat on a bench that also served as a clamp of holding device for the wood being shaped. That bench is called a shaving horse.
The length of the blade on a draw knife determines how they are sized. An 8 inch draw knife, for example, will have a sharpened bevel part of the blade that is 8 inches long. The size of most draw knives are usually between 8 inches and can be as long as 18 or 20 inches. Most are in the 6 to 12 inch size.
What is a Draw Knife Used For?
Draw knives are most commonly used for shaving down or smoothing out wood surfaces. They can also be used for removing bark from trees and cut limbs, and hey can also be used to create hollows in wooden planks or logs (though this requires more skill). Additionally, they can be used to shape pieces of furniture or other wooden objects, to shape rough shape cylindrical objects such as chair or table legs, or for preparing wood for use on a lathe. A draw knife is especially useful when working with curved surfaces because it allows you to shave away large or small amounts of material depending on the angle at which the blade enters the wood.
A steep angle will lead to an aggressive cut removing a lot of material. The steeper angle, however, will take a lot more physical effort. Lowering the angle removes less material and give you a finer finish.
How Do I Use a Draw Knife?
Draw knives are typically used by pulling or drawing the blade toward you from the middle of the wood rather than the entire length at one time. With the wood clamped down, held in a vise, or otherwise secured. By tilting the beveled blade upward or downward to change the angle of the blade entering the wood, the user can adjust the depth of cut and how much wood is removed in one pass.
A steep angle will lead to an aggressive cut removing a lot of material. The steeper angle, however, will take a lot more physical effort. Lowering the angle removes less material and give you a finer finish on the wood. It’s important to make sure the blade is sharp to ensure clean cuts.
The draw knife is an incredibly versatile tool that has been around for millennia and still finds use today among woodworkers everywhere thanks to its effectiveness at shaving down materials and creating unique shapes from them quickly and efficiently. Whether you’re looking for an easy way to shave down some rough edges or craft beautiful furniture from logs, the humble yet powerful drawknife might just be what you need! Be sure to handle your tools carefully though; even something as simple as a drawknife can cause serious injury if not treated with respect!
