New Lee Valley Veritas Low-Angle Spokeshave

Until about 1900, most spokeshaves had wooden bodies, hand-forged low-angle blades that fit into holes in the body, and were adjusted by tapping the ends of the tangs. They cut beautifully due to the low cutting angle, but the blades were not easy to adjust and became expensive.

This spokeshave has the same low cutting angle as spokeshaves of old (20° bevel), but adjustment of cutting depth has been simplified substantially. Instead of adjusting blade projection, the blade is fixed, forming the sole of the spokeshave, while the adjustable toe piece controls the depth of cut. In one orientation, the toe piece is suited to convex and flat work; flipped 180°, it is set for concave work. The blade is fixed by two machine screws that wedge it in position when the knurled knobs on the top of the shave are tightened. Because the blade can be moved forward or backward, the mouth opening is controllable.

The cast aluminum body has a powder coating and, with fittings, the tool weighs just over 6 oz. Supplied with a 2″ wide, 1/8″ thick A2 or PM-V11 tool steel blade.

The ease of cutting and the ergonomically shaped body make this tool capable of much more precise work than the standard spokeshaves of today. A beautiful tool with classic origins.

Made in Canada.