What Is The Best Draw Knife Available Today?

I’m building a new cabin and need a new draw knife to replace the old one that’s worn out. Any recommendations on what’s the best available on the market today? If you’ve ever used one, you will know why this is important. I have a good 5 dozen logs to strip.

This one looks promising. Any other suggestions? Nothing Chinese made please.

https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Mull...55011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=gateway&sr=8-16

 

Subscribing to see what answers are given. I may add one to my INCH

 

All of my best draw knives came from garage sales and flea markets. they are old steel and work hardened. I have about 10 and I doubt that any of them are less than fifty years old and a couple are well past a hundred.

I have never tried one of these but I do have some of their wood carving knives and they are excelent and made with German steel.


https://www.amazon.com/Cherries-500...s=draw+knife&qid=1562969651&s=gateway&sr=8-28

 

that one in your link looks good. I really can't say. I have several. pexto is a good brand but I think they're no longer made. Can you slip the bark with a spud?

 

A spud would be way too much work. I need to peal many dozens of 21 and 17 foot logs. My draw knife is simply worn out.

 

At one time peeling logs was my job, I've peeled many, many logs. I used a drawknife mostly because the customer wanted the look of a drawknife peel. When that didn't matter I used a spud, depending on species I can flat debark a log fast with a spud especially if the tree is cut when the sap is up. Depending on time of year too, frozen bark comes off hard, drawknife is the only way with that. I have also used a pressure washer. I have also used a pressure washer for fleshing hides in a frame but that is a different story.

Back in the old days in my area, the loggers would cut pulp wood. Pulpwood here is trembling aspen. Anyhoo the end user would not take the log unless it was peeled. All the loggers used spuds.

Didn't mean to rattle on but this is the first time I heard that a spud is more work. The drawknife in your link looks like a good one.

 

Randyt, I guess I haven’t given a spud a fair shake. This is a bit like the one I’ve used.

https://www.amazon.com/Felled-Debar...t=&hvlocphy=1012873&hvtargid=pla-644507978786

I’m sure there are better spuds on the market. They were always a pain in the rear for the knotty spruce I’ll be peeling. The draw knife is what I’ve seen used, but I’m am certainly no professional on the subject! I am peeling the bark within a day or two of felling the trees, so the bark comes off pretty easy.

 

This place is a constant source of new knowledge to me. I have never seen or heard of a "spud" but can see what it would be a great tool for rough work. My use for draw knives is more along the lines of stripping walking stick sized "logs" and shaping things for furniture sized projects.

The lumber industry in the East Texas Piney woods is all pine. They don't strip the bark until it is at the sawmill. They soak the bark and allow it to rest and then the bark just basically will slide off. Up until a few years ago, we had 4 lumber yards that cut their own lumber and a huge plywood mill that pealed the pine trees on a lathe into sheets. I loved their lumber because it was a true size. A 2X4 was 2" by 4".

If they keep shrinking the actual size of lumber, if I live long enough, people will be using 2x4s for toothpicks and will be using 1/2" plywood for toilet paper.

 

The spud in the link don't really look like a good one. The ones I've used are a bit rounded on the end. One that comes to mind is made from a model T spring and the gear shift knob is attached to one end for a handle.

I guess the best way to explain it (maybe) is that the spud doesn't really peel the log, it's more like skinning the log. Along parallel slit is made along the log and the spud is spudded between the log and bark and the bark is levered off in big chunks.

 

I pulled up a YouTube video of someone using a spud. It sure looked easy but I didn’t see a lot of knots in the wood. I know I need to practice to get my logs looking good. As Dick Proenneke would say, my cuts “looks like what a Cub Scout did with a dull pocket knife.”

I think I’ll research some more on spuds and order me a good one.

 

the drawknife gives the best hand peeled look.