Thread: Kunz spokeshave

Not good

Originally Posted by Pac man

I quite like the look of the Kunz spokeshaves Carbatec has. German-made. Good?
Not good

There's ya real man's conversation for ya.

Kunz is not a name synonymous with quality. For your 25- 50 bucks you will get what you pay for.
Question is what do want to do with it and what is your price range.
What one does your mate have?



Hey pmcgee you made my day.

Originally Posted by pmcgee

There's ya real man's conversation for ya.

Yep

Shave stuff. Saw a friend using one of a plywood edge. Beautiful job. So I guess I just want a utilitarian midle of the range one. I'm no furniture-maker.

For an almost identical product, buy a second-hand Stanley or Record. $20 will get you a good one on everyone's favorite auction website or you can find them at markets for less. If you are after concave or convex shaves the prices are higher but for a workaday flat bottomed shave you'll save a few dollars and not sacrifice any quality.

Strange,
I have my fathers old square which is a Kunz brand. It will be at least 60 years old if not more. What has happened to the brand.....or do I need to look for a new square ??
3RU

Cherp read this one for more info on spokeshaves

Originally Posted by Horaldic

For an almost identical product, buy a second-hand Stanley or Record.

Make sure it's an OLD second hand one - I've got a modern 151 and it's horrible. I've got a vintage 51 and it's OK. Then I've got older, worn wooden ones and they are a dream....hang on, someone's not doing it right.

I'm sure the new gen. shaves would suit me fine. My old Stanleys have given great service and I won't be shelving them just yet.

They used to make furniture. Now they shape necks and carve the inside and outside of double basses, mandolins and archtop guitars.





My 2 cents


OzBassForum • View topic - What sort of spoke shave should I buy?

I have an old 51 with a pretty knackered blade. I'm not convinced that it's worth putting much additional effort or money into.

I'm wondering how difficult it would be to make one. I'm thinking about using the blade and possibly chip breaker out of one of these: Ryuma small plane w/chipbreaker, 42 x 150mm : Tools from Japan, Japanese woodworking tools direct from Japan., which I know to be very good, and setting it into something resembing a short japanese-style plane bed with handles on the sides.

I can't think why this wouldn't work, and I think there would be advantages in using the thick Japanese blade...

Hhhhmmmm......A few years ago I had two spokeshaves. I couldn't get either to work. Then I saw a friend (who lives in Melbourne) using one and he was a bit of a gun with it. He was in Hobart at the time. I showed him my spokeshaves and asked why I couldn't get either to work. Turned out one was very old with a concave blade and the other was Chinese and was built in such as fashion as it could not work at all. It is a mystery to me why somebody would make and build a tool which by its very design and manufacture can not work, but that's another story. Looking at the replies here and suggestions and links, I have come to the conclusion that the world of spokeshaves is not simple as I had assumed, but complex, with various tools for individual tasks and a range of makers and quality. I gotta start somewhere, so I bought a Stanley 151. If it is no good I will buy a Veritas or some other brand and try that, all the while keeping my eye out at markets/garage sales/ebay for better older ones. I expect that like most things, by trial and error and a few years, I will know a lot more about them than I do now. I put an ad on here to buy a couple of used spokeshaves, but no takers. That doesn't really surprise me. I expect woodies who have a decent one have no intention of selling it. I wouldn't either.

I can't get on with any of the spokeshaves with the twin adjuster screws (151?), but I get on famously with the adjuster-less ones – what ever their designation is. I have a secondhand adjuster-less Kunz and it works fine.

They're some of my most frequently used tools which I use for shaping cabriole legs and tool handles etc.