the.com/spokeshave
a hand plane that hugs curves wheelwrights couldn't bully with anything flat
means A small hand tool with a blade set between two handles, used to shave and smooth curved surfaces like chair legs, oars, and wheel spokes.
from A plain compound of exactly what it did: shave the spokes of wooden wheels. It comes from "spoke" (the radial rods of a wheel, from Old English "spaca") plus "shave" (from Old English "sceafan," to scrape or pare away). The name later outgrew its origin, sticking to the tool even when no spoke was anywhere in sight.
- name origin
- once shaped wooden wheel spokes by hand
- shape
- two handles flanking a tiny central blade
- curve master
- flattens nothing, follows everything
- chair work
- still beloved by green woodworkers and bowyers
- flat vs round
- sole comes in two flavors for opposite curves
veritas low angle — modern precision spokeshave by lee valley tools with 12-degree blade angle for fine woodworking
old woodworker's spokeshave — 18th-19th century hand tool with curved sole used by wheelwrights to shape wheel spokes