Drawknife

[AndyP]

I need a drawknife to get the bark off of some 3” thick boards, see raised bed thread in Projects board.

Have been looking on ebay both here and the UK and have noticed that all the UK ones come with long screwdriver like handles. In France all the vintage ones have round knobs eg like drawer knobs. Modern ones here are like the UK.
I was wondering which would be more comfortable having never used either. Gut feeling suggests the longer handle would be more comfortable.

Thoughts welcome.

I am prepared to make new handles but as they tend to be screwed on changing the shape is out of the question.

 

[RogerS]

I'd never really thought much about that until you mentioned it. I then thought about handles sticking out in line with the blade ...the screwdriver option and then thought about a pair of knobs as you suggest. I imagined trying to use the knife with either and intuitively felt that the control using knobs was much better and would feel more comfortable in the hand.

Then I Googled drawknives to see what was out there and. Having a pair of screwdriver handles at 90 degrees to the blade? Meaning you're wasting energy in gripping the handle hard as you pull the knife toward you. Jeez...who on earth came up with that cr*p idea ?

This one is marginally better

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Mapl ... Sw-o9fJUs4

 

[AndyP]

Thanks Roger, I will have to find one locally as UK eBay sellers in the past have gone OTT when posting here.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks Roger, I will have to find one locally as UK eBay sellers in the past have gone OTT when posting here.

I can always get something for you on eBay and then send on.

 

[Doug]

I need a drawknife to get the bark off of some 3” thick boards, see raised bed thread in Projects board

I remove quite a bit of bark off planks & just use a small hand axe, the single handed operation leaving my other hand free to steady the plank, a drawer knife would make it quite a slower job, just my shillings worth :eusa-think:

 

[greeno]

Every variant and more!

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... nives.html

 

[RogerS]

Every variant and more!

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... nives.html

The downside of, say, the top three, for example is that you're wasting an awful lot of energy maintaining a friction grip on those handles as you pull the knife towards you.

 

[AndyP]

Every variant and more!

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... nives.html

Thankyou. for what I expect to be a one off project I will stick with ebay prices if I can.

 

[AndyP]

Thanks Roger, I will have to find one locally as UK eBay sellers in the past have gone OTT when posting here.

I can always get something for you on eBay and then send on.

thanks Rog, Once I am straight in my mind what I want to do I am sure I can get something on ebay here.

 

[AndyP]

I need a drawknife to get the bark off of some 3” thick boards, see raised bed thread in Projects board

I remove quite a bit of bark off planks & just use a small hand axe, the single handed operation leaving my other hand free to steady the plank, a drawer knife would make it quite a slower job, just my shillings worth :eusa-think:

Interesting Doug. When you use the hand axe are you chopping down vertically? I can see me having problems controlling the axe horizontally on 2m long boards.

Edit:
:eusa-think: unless I stand on top of the board of course. I'll have a go.

 

[Woodbloke]

Personally I'd stick with the little hand axe. Provided it's really sharp they're quite a precision tool, especially if you 'choke' off the handle by holding it very close to the head. I've just tried my hand at a bit of spoon carving and the basic form of the spoon can easily (with some care :eusa-whistle: ) be roughed out with a carving axe. I use the Japanese one from WH but there are plenty more - Rob

Edit - to take the bark off a two metre board, I'd upend the thing vertically with one hand atop and de-bark chopping downwards, starting at the centre, then reverse the board and de-bark the other half.

 

[Malc2098]

Just a thought, would the the bark come off with a pressure washer?

 

[AndyP]

My kranzle PW is rated at 160 bar from what I have read and seen I do not think that will be enough.

 

[Mike G]

My draw knife has round knobs. It's an old English one. I used it only a few days ago for the very same job.....cleaning up a waney edge.

 

[Woodbloke]

....cleaning up a waney edge.

Don't you mean a live edge Mike? :lol: :lol: - Rob

 

[AndyP]

Just “won” this on ebay.fr. 17euro inc p&p.
Woodworm in the handles which I cannot quite see how they are affixed. I hope just screwed, in which case I can make new ones if necessary.



I did have a go with a freshly honed hand axe yesterday evening but found it very awkward. Will see how I get on with the drawknife.

 

[Rod]

I’ve got an old one without handles, the ends are long tapered tangs which must have been forced into the handles.

Rod

 

[Woodbloke]

I’ve got an old one without handles, the ends are long tapered tangs which must have been forced into the handles.

Rod

I saw on some of the knives on the CHT page that the tapered tang(s) appears to have been 'cinched' over so that it won't pull off in use - Rob

 

[AndyP]

Well pleased



handles don't need replacing.

For peeling bark I discovered that having the knife too sharp was a disadvantage as it it would slice into the wood all too easily. Once the blade is under the bark a rocking motion was enough to lever the majority of the bark away.

 

[heimlaga]

In my opinion Scandinavian style drawknives are best for peeling bark. The curved blade and straight handles make them a lot less tiring to use than drawknives with straight blade and angled handles.

Billnäs and Gränsfors are my favourite makes. Billnäs quit making them in the 70-ies or thereabout so Gränsfors is the name to look for.
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/produkt/g ... -bandkniv/

I am too late for this discussion and for barking just a bunch of boards it makes no difference so your drawknife will certainly serve you well Andy.
When you bark logs all day for a log building or when you work your way through two 6 ton tractor trailers stacked full of newly sawn boards with waney edges it is another matter.

 

[RogerS]

In my opinion Scandinavian style drawknives are best for peeling bark. The curved blade and straight handles make them a lot less tiring to use than drawknives with straight blade and angled handles.

Billnäs and Gränsfors are my favourite makes. Billnäs quit making them in the 70-ies or thereabout so Gränsfors is the name to look for.
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/produkt/g ... -bandkniv/

.....

Spot on. Ergonomically, that design knocks spots of the usual design where you rely on your friction grip.

 

[AndyP]

In my opinion Scandinavian style drawknives are best for peeling bark. The curved blade and straight handles make them a lot less tiring to use than drawknives with straight blade and angled handles.

Billnäs and Gränsfors are my favourite makes. Billnäs quit making them in the 70-ies or thereabout so Gränsfors is the name to look for.
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/produkt/g ... -bandkniv/

I am too late for this discussion and for barking just a bunch of boards it makes no difference so your drawknife will certainly serve you well Andy.
When you bark logs all day for a log building or when you work your way through two 6 ton tractor trailers stacked full of newly sawn boards with waney edges it is another matter.

Thanks for the info.
I have not yet finished debarking boards but I will have to make do with what I have for now.
one thing I did learn was that debarking while the bark and sap are still "wet" was a doddle and could be done easily with a bark spud with no fear of digging into the wood.

 

[AndyP]

Just found the english version of the above link. Certainly a premium tool at a very premium price.

 

[heimlaga]

Indeed it is rather expensive.

Fortunately for me I can often find that type of drawknives secondhand for very little money. A couple of months ago I even picked a nece Billnäs drawknife out of a heap at the local scrap yard and paid roughly an euro for it.

Processing your own timber is very rewarding but there are quite some investments needed to really get it going.

 

[AndyP]

Not sure if you have seen this thread, not fine woodwork by any means.

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4660

The boards came from these logs

viewtopic.php?p=69623#p69623

And taken to a local sawmill who planked them in 3” slabs for 65 euros

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4629&p=69824&hilit=Sawmill&sid=d0e0c093fad6ffc917b9629cc9be8d8d#p69824

They were young trees so very knotty and I am not at all sure how much useful timber they will produce. They have been outside since June. I am just taking the last of the bark off and moving them into the garage.