Cheap Lee Valley Narex Adzes

Made by Narex in the Czech Republic, these are good adzes at reasonable prices. They have drop-forged, double-curved heads with the heft and balance needed for efficient stock removal on concave work. Supplied with a leather blade guard, each comes sharpened and honed to a keen edge and fitted to a stout, comfortable ash handle.

The hand adze has a handle with a pronounced recurve for clearance, and a compact shape that’s ideal for close work with the stock held on a low bench. It measures 11 3/8″ overall and weighs 1 3/4 lb, with an aggressive 2 1/4″ radius sweep.

The gutter adze is based on the style of adze traditionally used to hollow rain gutters from solid wood. Designed to be used from a standing position, it is 24″ long and weighs just over 3 lb, with a moderate 3 1/4″ radius sweep.