Comments on: Review: Lie-Nielsen Curved Drawknife

By: Scott Stahl

Scott Stahl — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:54:34 +0000

Years ago I was in the hinterlands of Honduras. They used ground down leaf springs from cars for machetes and large draw knives. They did a lot of work with only the ‘tools’ they carried around with them.

If you have the time and the inclination, you can visit the local junkyard to source material for any number of tools.

Lest this sound too negative, I enjoy making my own tools, but I also appreciate more skilled examples being available.

By: Robert Troup

Robert Troup — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:07:51 +0000

Thanks for the goat comment. Now my monitor is covered with coffee. Tell it all, brother, tell it all – oh, don’t believe I’d have told that, brother.

By: Jamie Bacon

Jamie Bacon — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:18:19 +0000

I too think that $170 is a bit pricey, but I’m sure they will sell more than a few of them. There’s lots of people out there that will buy any new tool that LN puts out, and that’s fine. Not my thing, but at least LN is putting the option out there for those that want it. And as always with LN, I’m sure it’s a quality tool.

Jamie Bacon

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:51:15 +0000

I have several vintage drawknives. My favorites are a swan and a witherby that look much like LN’s in terms of style. I also bought a Barr drawknife for around $125 just to see if it had anything on the old ones. Barr uses welds to attach the handle portions to the blade, I like the Barr’s edge retention and over all feel a lot. No doubt LN’s is excellent. Lots of good choices for drawknives.

I most recently used my on a very wide piece of shite pine that needed a radiused end. With the drawknife, I could quickly remove large hunks to arrive at my big curve. It was much faster than sawing and I think produced a nicer result. It was a satisfying operation. Drawknives are fun.

By: Niels

Niels — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:14:17 +0000

For what it’s worth, I’ll start making comments when companies like Lie-Nielsen stop (re)introducing high quality, deeply considered, modern woodworking tools.

It’s been said before and I’ll say it again:
I think we are living in a really amazing time for hand tools. There is a ever expanding selections quality tools and toolmakers available to us (at every price point). I say the more options the better and cheers to Lie-Nielsen (and all the other small companies in the US and abroad) for leading the charge.

Also thank god for the internets and all the people who express their thoughts and share their insights and experience. It’s great to have options, but it’s even better to know what all your options are.

Cheers!

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:48:17 +0000

Jeff,

Yes and no.

While Lie-Nielsen does offer specialty tools that have a rare factor, I don’t think anyone would say there is a block plane shortage or dovetail saw shortage.

Price is not the only reason people buy things. I spend my money with people I want to support.

Chris

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:33:57 +0000

Chris,

I guess time will tell whether the market will support the price. Normally, LN introduces tools that have a strong demand (and concomitant price) in the used market.

Jeff

By: DW

DW — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:24:49 +0000

I agree with Jeff, A $170 drawknife is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. It’s not that there aren’t proper drawknives to be had, it’s that people want to get them out of the box and just use them, and probably people get turned off because they go buy some huge straight debarking knife and immediately decide they don’t work well.

If I had to bet money, I would bet that most of the drawknives bought for $170 won’t be used very much. That will not be true of yours, of course, but most others, I’ll bet it’ll be the case.

I am otherwise pretty easily parted with my money when it comes to tools.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:21:18 +0000

Jeff,

I thought it was called Capitalism, Industry, Making Things, American — stuff like that.

Chris

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:03:28 +0000

With thousands of nice $20 drawknives out there, do we really need a $170 yuppie version?