The Best Draw Knives | Just Like Butter

by Joost Nusselder | Updated on:  August 20, 2021
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It’s the versatility that draws knives offer which brought about this fame and demand. From peeling or shaving the edges of planks to slicing the bark off the logs, it’s a range of applications that are quite vast. Even for the pros, it’s a dilemma, which one’s actually the best draw knives for them.

Apart from presenting you some top of the class draws knives, we’ll be talking at great length about the facts that make draw knives great. So, let’s get down and get you the extraordinary one.

The-Best-Draw-Knives

Draw Knives buying guide

The competition between the hundreds of manufacturers with their thousand types of draw knives may make you hesitate to make the buy. “What feature you should look for?” Or “What specification you need to prefer?” If you have these questions, and who doesn’t, then this buying guide is for you. So, Let’s get started!

The-Best-Draw-Knives-Review

Edge

The edge needs to be sharp for working on a block of wood with a drawknife. But sometimes, the draw knives you will have in your order, won’t be sharp enough. Then you will need to sharpen it yourself. So, if you want to get rid of that problem, choose the one that contains a different color in both the blade and the edge. The different color in the edge and blade itself reflects the sharpness.

Handles

If comfort is your priority, then you must need to have a well finished and well-designed handle. Otherwise, the handle may hurt you and the precision of the woodwork will be compromised. Besides, the draw knives can be rushed away from your hand and that may cause any kind of accident. Unlike any other wood carving tools, here the handles are to assure more safety.

Length

How to strip wire fast
How to strip wire fast

You can choose the length of your draw knives according to the types of your work. If you have a larger piece of wood to shave or to peel, then choose the larger one. And for smaller projects, choose the shorter draw knives.

The longer drawknife may help you to work with less effort in less time, but it hampers the precision and accuracy. Therefore, the smaller may be precise in cutting but may cost you some extra time and effort.

Blade Thickness

Thickness matters considering the precision as well as the finishing. Remember, the blade should neither be too thick nor too thin. The thick blade can ruin the finishing as well as the accuracy, where the too thin blade can be bend easily while working with a larger piece of wood.

Warranty

Like every other mechanical tool, warranty makes a huge difference in the performance of these draw knives. If the built quality is great, if the durability is fine, then the manufacturers usually get confident enough to assign a warranty period.

Best Draw Knives reviewed

To take you out of the dilemma regarding buying the most valued draw knives, we have prepared a cherry-picked list for you. Here 5 draw knives have been selected considering the features, specifications, performance, durability and of course, the customer’s feedback. So choose your one according to your demand, and get started with your project!

1. FLEXCUT 5” Draw Knife

Highlights

Flexing around contours is an obvious feature for the draw knives. You will not get this feature to a lot of knives. But the designer has imposed this in the FLEXCUT draw knives and that attracts the customers. This American-built draw knife is made with a high-quality steel blade consisting of carbon razor.

The blade is protected by a leather case which ensures the durability of the draw knives. The built quality is premium which makes the knife get into the top of our shortlist. The knife contains a wooden handle that gives a perfect grip and the precision and accuracy as well as comfort is ensured.

The lumberjack prefers this knife for having the final shape and the smoothness can easily be ensured. The incomparable sharpness assures the quality of the woodwork, saves you some time and helps you to use less strength while finishing. The final finishing is admired by all when it is done by this particular draw knife.

Challenges

There is not any kind of warranty available which may make the customer hesitate to buy. Besides, it questions the quality of the product. Though the handle is comfortable and nicely finished, the handle is not screwed with the main knife. So again the durability is at risk. Last, of all, the price may not be affordable to all.

Check on Amazon

 

2. Gerber Fast Draw Knife

Highlights

Unlike the previous one, the handle is connected with the knife by screwing and that ensures the durability of the handle and the grip seems okay, though many have complained about the building design considering the other draw knives. You can easily bend the knife if you want and keep it in your pocket but your safety will not be compromised.

The working procedure is quite different as the structure of this bar different from others. The typical draw knife has got two handles connecting the two ends. You have to grab the two handles and have your work done. But not with this one, as the knife contains a single handle, the work may seem a little hard. But that’s okay if you are used to it.

The precision is pretty nice as you can now work closely to your woodwork, and have any shapes made with this knife. Now if we talk about the built quality, the manufacturer has proved itself to be efficient as the steel blade which is used to make this knife is of high quality and stainless. You don’t have to face rusts even if you don’t use it for a long time.

Challenges

The design of this draw knife is peculiar which can be a drawback too. If you are used to the typical draw knives, then this one is not a good option for you.

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3. Timber Tuff TMB-10DC Curved Draw Shave

Highlights

In the draw knife market, the Timber Tuff is well-known for the affordable price as well as the performance. Here in this review, we are talking about the 10” version of the drawknife. As there is several draw knife available containing the same design, but the performance is quite the same. So don’t mix up the knives.

The curve that is imposed on the knife has helped it increasing the workability as well as efficiency. Due to the curves, the user can save some time and have an accurate finishing. The manufacturer has produced this product with this unique and long-lasting design that ensures the durability as a high-quality steel blade is used.

The handles are made of wood with great finishing that is pretty comfortable to work with and the safety is ensured. To ensure the durability and safety while keeping the knife at rest a blade protector is provided with this draw knife.

The knife is considered to be good with furniture and the performance with carpentry is quite promising than the performance with woodworks. Most importantly, a guaranty of 1 year is provided which reflects the confidence of the product.

Challenges

The sharpness of the knife is often questioned and sometimes the sharpness is criticized even with butter. Besides the handles are said to be easily loosened up by some customers.

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4. Felled Draw Shave Knife

Highlights

On Amazon, there are several sizes and designs available for this product. Choose the type of your draw knife considering the type of your work. If you want something a little more efficient and the budget doesn’t worry you much, then the Felled draw shave knife is the one for you, no matter if your project is too large or too small.

The efficiency is pretty good for this knife and a piece of wood can easily be peeled off in no time and with less effort. The sharpness is found in great condition at the time you get the draw knife package. No matter, if you are a lumberjack or an occasional user, this is a nearly perfect choice for you. Though the price is a little high but considering the performance, this knife worths a try.

The built-quality is pretty satisfying that assures the durability and efficiency has proved the manufacturer to be trust-worthy. The wooden grips have not only ensured the comfort of the users but also the safety. So, the grips get quite good marks by the people who have already worked with it.

Challenges

The price is quite high and may not be afforded by all. So, if you are planning this knife to use in any industries then it might be efficient for you, but not for some household works or anything that is less productive.

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5. BeaverCraft DK2s Draw Knife

Highlights

There are two versions of this BeaverCraft draw knife. One is a knife containing a leather protector for the steel blade and the other one without it. The blade is made of high-quality carbon steel that helps you to have a straight cut and if you want concaves and curves with a complex design too.

A user manual is provided with the package to get to know the pros and advancement of this knife as well as the field of work you can on. You can work with both large or small pieces of wood with great smoothness. The shimmering steel blade has got a nice and efficient cutting edge that helps you finish your work without extra effort.

The handle or the grip is rated pretty good by the customers as the manufacturer has put great effort into the wooden handle. The handle is coated with natural oil that ensures the durability as well as the grip that assures safety. Besides the price is quite affordable by most, you can say this is a hot-shot product.

Challenges

Every low budget product has some drawbacks. This remains indifferent with this draw knife too. The finishing of the product has been questioned by the users. Besides the leather protector that is provided is not scratch-free and sometimes it looks seedy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.

What is a curved draw knife used for?

There are draw knife type tools that have the curve bent into the blade so it forms a cylindrical shape. These are best used for something like scooping out the saddle of a chair seat.

What size draw knife should I use?

For everyone looking for a longer drawknife, I recommend Ox-Heads 10 inch drawknife. Its total length is 10 inches, with 8 inches of blade for carving. This allows you to shave off a lot of wood fast.

What angle should a draw knife be sharpened?

around 30 degrees
A typical range for a flat backed knife is between 25 and 30 degrees. My knives are sharpened around 30 degrees. Flatten the back on a course stone, hone and polish. As with plane blades and chisels, make sure the entire cutting edge is polished.

How do you sharpen a Drawknife?

What does a draw knife look like?

A draw knife consists of a long blade that tapers on either side. One edge tapers down into a bevel, which is drawn over the wood surface. Hence, the name “draw knife.” The other side of the blade extends into two tangs to which the handles are attached at a right angle to the blade.

How do you use a draw knife?

How do you remove bark with a draw knife?

Do you push or pull a spokeshave?

The spokeshave is held between the thumbs and fingers in a light grip. It is pushed or pulled, dictated by the grain direction and the most comfortable working position.

Q: Can draw knives be used for chair seats while sculpting?

Ans: No, this particular tool is designed to shave the logs and other peeling or shaving works with woods.

Q: Are both ends sharpened of this draw knives?

Ans: No, you do not need both ends to be sharpened. Only one sharp side can shave your trees or woods.

Q: What do you mean by ‘flexible draw knife’? Is the bending permanent or it gets backs to the older shape?

Ans: The drawknife that has the flexibility gets back to their older shape often. An exceptional case can be seen if the material quality is not that elastic.

Conclusion

Selecting the best draw knives from the market can be bemusing for you. But if you have followed us up to here this, you must have owned piled enough knowledge about draw knives. Now you can not only point your finger and buy the best-valued draw knives. We suggest others have a nice buy. But for our suggestion, we will make this easier for you by recommending a few draw knives that we have found more efficient.

If budget is not a problem for you, then the FLEXCUT 5” drawknife is the one for you. The exclusive features, performance, design, and precision after finishing have made us say so. Now if you are tired of using the typical draw knives, then you can choose the Gerber first draw knife. You don’t have to worry about the performance as the precision and handling is great with this one.

Considering the budget, the Timber Tuff draw knife is much more affordable compared to the other draw knives and the performance will not disappoint you a bit. So we hope, the buying guide and the reviews will help you well buying your required type of drawknife and have smooth and precise finishing.

I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.