Spokeshave Leaves a Smooth Surface

The Lee Valley cast round spokeshave is a close reproduction of the Preston 1374 shave. At 6-3/4 in. long, it’s compact, neatly fitting my small hands and reaching into tight spaces. But it’s also comfortable and beautiful. Initially, because of the curved sole, it required a little practice to establish solid contact with the wood to draw a shaving. But after getting the hang of it, I was pleased with the shave and the smooth results I got with it. (It left a smoother cut when skewed slightly.) The blade, made of Veritas’s PM-V11 alloy steel, can be removed quickly for sharpening via a slot that fits around the thumbscrew to hold it in place. Loosen the screw and the blade slides out.

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