hand forged draw-knives

These look GOOD!

Very nice. One of these days I'll have to take some time and try and make one of those. I've always loved draw knives, but never really have any need for one regularly.

​thanks i appreciate that.

​thanks,they arent too bad to make and i find them nice use to refine shapes on axe/hammer handles mostly.

Nice pair of draw knives. The blades look flat and the handles look pretty level with the blades. Are you using them for draw shaves or truing up timbers?

I find curving the blades downward in the center a bit and having the handles angle up slightly from the plane of the blade makes better draw knives for pealing bark. A straight blade and handles angled down from the plane of the blade makes for better spoke and handle shaves.

Please bear in mind that's just my experience with draw knives, what there is of it. I know I've read about them but that was years ago and I wasn't so interested by then. It's funny how quickly a guy learns to peal logs while they're green <grin>

Frosty The Lucky.

​mostly use them for handle making,but as i do a bit of odd wood-working i occasionally peel bark with them.i appreciate the kind words from a senior member.thanks

od, how are you attaching your handles?  Threading, epoxy, etc.?

​just friction fit like a file handle you buy from the store.

Hmmm.....my file handles are always coming loose, no matter what I do.  I would think that with a friction fit and pulling, the handles would come loose.  I've been toying with the idea of forging some draw knive blades with a curvature approximating my favorite handle shape to help shape them.

If you heat the tails and drive the handles on, the ligum "melts" and acts as glue. Not hot enug to scorch but hotter than boiling water.

for lage files get your handles from a farrier supply, they are threaded and screw on to the rat tail, smaller ones realy like golf balls. 

I'll try the heat trick, thanks Charles. :-)

I have a draw knife that is at least 150 years old.  The tangs go all the way through the handles and are then bent over.

I have two very old ones where the tangs pass completely through the handles.  The tang ends are threaded and secured with a small domed washer and nut.  They appear to be original.  Those won't come off for sure.

I thought about doing that, but since I don't have any threading dies, etc. I'll use another method...heat, epoxy.  Problem with epoxy is that if you ever need to remove the blade you pretty much have to destroy the handles...not good.

Not screwed on , just bet over with or without a washer