In the world of woodworking, it’s important to have the right tools for whatever jobs you may be doing. If you do any type of woodwork that requires shaving, cutting, and more, having some of the best draw knives on hand are absolutely vital for your tasks.
You’re probably familiar with the spoke shave and that’s all well and good, but the draw knife serves a completely different purpose and yet is just as important to have on hand. With a steel blade and often wooden handles, this type of knife is not your everyday knife. The blade is designed with a cutting edge that will easily slice through wood or bark and help you prepare your materials for your project.
Finding high quality draw knives can be challenging. This tool is not just a simple tool with handles and a sharp edge. It has a unique build that can help save time and energy in cutting and shaving down wood and related posts for your projects.
We’ve scoured the market to find you the very best options that are available without having to go seek out specialty shops to find one. As we walk through this buying guide, you will see some of the best draw knives on the market, complete with detailed reviews as well as use cons and pros to help you in your search.
If you want the best tool to shave wood, stick with us for the best drawknife options!
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Table of Contents
The Best Drawknives Reviewed
In this part of the guide, we will share a number of draw knife options for you. We made every effort to find the very best that is readily available while also finding a variety of options so you can choose whichever draw knife will work best for your needs.
Let’s get started!
1. Best Overall: Timber Tuff 8-Inch Straight Draw Shave Tool
This first option is the Timber Tuff TMB-08Ds. It’s a straight draw shave tool that is 8 inches and it easily adds up to the best overall option we could find. It comes with a blade that is designed for razor sharp precision. The straight blade gives you a whole different capability than a curved draw knife might.
The Timber Tuff TMB-08DS easily falls into one of the best drawknives because of the straight drawknife design alone but also because of the size, the angle, the wooden handles, and the high carbon steel straight blade materials. This 8 inch blade really has a lot to offer with a hardness measurement of HRC 30.
The wooden handles are comfortable and angled so they are easy to grip in whatever manner you need to in order to place your blade properly. This draw knife from Timber Tuff has a 30-degree angle with leads to blade accuracy and faster movement while you work. You can shave logs, woods, fence posts, and more with the razor sharp steel blade.
This Timber Tuff draw knife is covered by a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty for parts. It’s comfortable and easy to handle with a lightweight build. The overall dimensions of the draw knife measure up to about 17.25 x 5.25 x 2 inches from end to end, including the handles.
- Straight blade draw knives with razor sharp blade
- Reliable and highly-rated brand
- Comfortable wood handles that are ergonomic ash grip handles
- Easily shave wood with this tool
- Blade length is 8 inches and the blade comes with the tool
- One of the blade cons is that you may have to sharpen it to use it initially
- You may have to sharpen the drawknife blade regularly as you work
Why We Like It
When you have a time consuming project, you need a reliable drawknife for the task. This hand tool easily slices through wood and the blade makes it simple with a straight edge and slight bevel, as long as you keep it sharp for use. The knife comes ready to do its best work with durable steel and comfortable handles.
2. Budget Pick: Beaver Craft DK2s Draw Knife with Leather Sheath
This next option is a BeaverCraft draw knife that is our budget-friendly choice. It even comes with a leather sheath, which you really can’t beat for the price. This is a 4.3 inch draw knife with a sharp blade. It is another straight drawknife option that is solid and sturdy. We love the added blade protector from the leather sheath as well.
This handles as a shave tool with a straw draw steel blade that is a high carbon steel blade. It’s simple and yet effective. The handles are also straight so you can grip and move as you need to. The razor sharp blade will easily rough wood when you use it for your work. The grip handles provide a firm grip that is comfortable and controlled and less likely to make your hands tired when you use them.
You can rely on the draw knife cutting edge to easily cut through wood both hard and soft and this draw knife is designed to last a long time. When you purchase this hand tool, you even get some free eBooks that teach you how to properly use it, sharpen it, and avoid rust on the blade.
This draw knife blade makes carving, drawing, and shaping wood much simpler. Most users leave a comment that they love the sharp edge of the tool and there are no blade cons shared as the sharp edge lasts a long time as well.
- Great for use when you need to work on drawing or shaping wood pieces
- Smaller tools with steady grip and comfortable wood handles
- The blade comes with a sharp and ready edge
- Long lasting sharpness with a durable steel blade
- Comes with a blade protector
- Some users leave a comment that you can’t sharpen the knife when the edge dulls. However, it is a long lasting drawknife blade
Why We Like It
You can’t get much better than a company that stands behind their products like Beaver Craft. Their service is impressive and this drawknife with hardened steel and a 4.3 inch blade is great for many work use needs. This tool is well worth a look!
3. Stubai Drawknife
If you’re looking for a straight draw knife that is made from high quality German steel, look no further. This 10 inch blade is a Stubai drawknife that you absolutely must take a look at. This is a premium Stubai drawknife and it’s well worth the cost when you look at the quality of materials and the reliability.
This Stubai drawknife is made in Austria, using Stubai steel for the steel blade. This is considered a mid sized knife with quality wooden handles that you can easily grasp and control as needed. The handles are offset to make it more comfortable when you use these draw knives.
The 10 inch straight blade is great for shaving wood, working with fence posts, and other draw knife needs. This brand is well-known in the drawknife and other industries because of both quality and workmanship design.
This drawknife can almost work like a curved draw knife but it really isn’t curved. The 10 inch straight blade gives you a lot of versatility and lets you work with larger pieces of wood when you need to. The handles look small but it’s amazing how well they work with the tool overall.
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- This tool is a premium model
- You can use this for a lot of wood work needs
- This knife has a sharp and sturdy edge
- Made with hardened steel that lasts
- The handles are comfortable and steady
- The most common complaint about this draw knife is the handles could be improved in design and quality
Why We Like It
These draw knives are superior to many other options with a sharp edge blade and a comfortable hold. You can tell that the blade was the focus of the process and these draw knives are highly rated across the board in quality and longevity.
4. Flexcut 5-Inch Draw Knife, Curved
Next up, we have a curved blade drawknife for you. Flexcut 5-Inch Draw Knife is an awesome option if you’re looking for curved and it even comes with a sheath to cover and protect your edge as well. This is the next best thing to a Two Cherries blade with an ox head approach. The blade is perfectly curved and the wooden handles are made with ash to be ergonomic and comfortable in every way possible.
These draw knives are highly rated across the board because of the comparison to Ox Head or Two Cherries. This knife offers a 5 inch blade that you can work with. The knife is made in the USA and is built to be something you can rely on to use every time you work.
This is one of the best drawknives with a curve that you will find, particularly for this price. The handles are ash, which means they are strong and sturdy and durable. The nice thing about the curve on the knife blade is that it makes it more flexible so you can work with a variety of shapes on your wood – like a chair leg, perhaps?
On this drawknife, we keep coming back to the handles because they are made of ash wood and they are ergonomic by design. You can always have a solid grip on the knife. The blade is made with hardened steel so the drawknife is reliable for any use you might put it to!
- Curved drawknife option
- Durable ash wood handles that are ergonomic
- Made in the USA
- Comes with a nice sheath made of leather
- Blade provides 5 inches of workable knife
- This drawknife is designed with flex and it may take some use to get familiar with that
Why We Like It
We love this design from top to bottom. With great wooden handles, flex that gives you versatility, and a sharp and sturdy blade, you can count on this for any use you might need. We particularly like the flex to the edge that gives you the ability to manipulate your blade as needed for your work.
5. Lumber Jack Tools 10-Inch Draw Knife
For our last option, we leave you with one more really great knife from Lumberjack Tools. This is another USA brand but the build and style of the knife are completely different from the others you have seen here today. While it’s still a traditional drawknife, it’s all black and sleek design with no wood.
This knife and the blade from handle to edge, are all made with premium tool steel. This was used to give every aspect of the tool a long-lasting and give the blade superior sharpness you can depend on. The handles have urethane coating so they are sturdy but they are also designed to be ergonomic for comfort as well.
This tool is made for all-weather use so extreme weather conditions as well as oil, dirt, and water won’t harm your blade or your handles. This is a solid brand and this particular option is highly rated for quality across the board.
- Made in the USA
- Designed with tool steel and urethane handles
- 10 inch blade with a sharp edge
- Designed for superior and lasting sharpness
- Ergonomic handles for your comfort
- Some users mention that this is best for rough work like de-barking
Why We Like It
We like the look and design of this particular model but it also has great quality. This is your blade that you can count on when you’re working outside in any type of weather. It’s made in the USA and it delivers in all the ways that really count!
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Buyer’s Guide
Now that we’ve shared some of our top options with you, let’s talk about qualities you might want to keep in mind. As you set out to pick out your best draw knives, we want to prepare you with everything you should consider before you make a final decision.
Materials
One of the primary things that you should look at when selecting from various draw knives is the materials. You obviously will want high quality materials that will last and won’t just fall apart or fail you when you’re in the middle of a task.
The most common blade material you will see is steel. Of course, you don’t want just any steel. You really want hardened steel for your draw knives. You want strength and durability from your materials. You also want a sharp edge.
Ultimately, you are working with wood and you may have a different use for your drawknife than another worker. Be sure that the materials are going to work properly for you. Look for strength and reliability. Look for a sharp edge. Look for qualities that you know you can depend on!
Sharpness
The whole purpose of a drawknife is to be able to cut, slice, shape, and pare wood right? If you’re going to use it for the purpose intended (cutting wood) you need a sharp blade. You may want to specifically check out the sharpness of the blade by checking out the thickness of the blade.
Here’s a special tip for you. When a drawknife has a thin edge, the blade actually stays sharper for longer. This might seem a little backwards for some but it’s true! You won’t have to sharpen or replace your blade nearly as often if it is thinner.
The very best options will always come ready to use with little to no sharpening or preparation of any kind required before you can get to work with your next wood project.
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Handles
Next up, you need to consider your handles. A lot of drawknives have handles that are made of wood but they don’t necessarily have to be. There are 2 absolutely essential things to consider when you are checking out the handle situation for your drawknife options.
- Ergonomic
- Durable
Comfort is absolutely essential. You’re going to have your hands on this little piece of equipment for some hefty work. If it doesn’t have an ergonomic design, your hands will be killing you at the end of your tasks. In line with that same concept, you also don’t want your hands to slip when you are working.
This is a knife with a sharp blade. If you don’t have the utmost control and non-slip surface, this is a safety risk. There may be times you are pulling that blade towards you and to lose your grip or slip could be detrimental. We certainly don’t want this to happen to any of you over a simple piece of wood!
You will find that the majority of handles are wooden but you might also find rubberized plastic handles as well. Both of these are ok as long as they are treated and comfortable but also made so that you have the ultimate control over every movement you make!
On the same note about your handles, you should also look for durability and sturdiness. Another common mishap with drawknives is that sometimes the handles are poorly placed or poorly attached. Did you know that some tool manufacturers actually just glue their handles into place? This is not reliable at all so if you see it, avoid it!
What happens in this case is the handles tend to just fall or break off, making your drawknife useless. Again, this could be a safety risk because you don’t want that handle to fail you when you are in the middle of a stroke with the knife.
So, to summarize, be sure that your knife handle is both comfortable and durable before you make a purchase. This is absolutely essential not just for the quality of the tool but also for the safety of your person while you are working.
Blade Design
We talked slightly about materials already but the blade design really is about far more than just the materials. Blade strength is one thing and so is the sharpness but what about the length or the curve of the blade? What about an angled edge?
All of these things are factors that you may want to keep in mind as you look at your options. With old drawknives, the edges were never beveled or angled and some woodworkers still prefer this concept. However, most tool makers have started slightly angling the edges as it has been shown to improve accuracy and speed. It’s really a matter of preference more than anything but something to be aware of.
The length of the blade can matter. There are all sorts of lengths out there. You might see blades as small as 3 or 4 inches, clear up to 10-15 inches. What you need might depend on your project. It might even be a good idea to have more than one size available if you use this type of tool frequently.
It stands to reason that a longer blade will cover larger areas faster so you can move quickly over large surfaces. Ultimately, it depends on the surfaces you are working on. Make sense?
From here, consider that you might find a straight edge or a curved edge for the knife blade. For the most part, it doesn’t make much of a difference which one you go with, although you might have a preference. If you do a lot of work with circular items and you want some additional flex, we recommend a curved blade. Otherwise, it may not really matter to you overall.
It really boils down to a matter of preference in many ways but you should be aware of how many different factors influence the decision you might make.
A Balanced Design
Finally, you want to check out the overall design of the knife. It seems silly that this might be so crucial but it really is very important. The very best options will always have a good balance with size and weight. When you hold them in your hand, you want them to feel both solid and comfortable.
This is your job or maybe your hobby and you don’t want it to just become a chore. if you have the opportunity to choose a drawknife with a convex handle, these are typically the most balanced. A convex handle face outward slightly so your hold is more comfortable and balanced no matter your task. It also lets you exercise more control, particularly when you are removing bark or working with larger and rougher materials.
The size and weight should all measure out together, along with the blade. When that knife enters your hands, it should just feel like that is where it belongs and your tasks should be made easier overall, rather than more challenging!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Use a Drawknife?
Drawknives are typically used for trimming or shaving wood. They can also be used to remove the bark from a tree limb or piece. Ultimately, you should be able to grip the knife with both hands. Most of the time, the bevel can face up or down, depending on what you are doing. Your grip will also change for these same reasons.
How to Sharpen a Drawknife?
If you have ever sharpened a chisel or a plane, a drawknife is pretty similar. Follow these steps to help you with the process.
- Secure the knife so that it is stable and secure while sharpening. No movement should happen while sharpening.
- Sharpen the beveled side first.
- Lay your sharpening stone flat and rub it at the same angle over the entire bevel.
- Move to the flat side. You can sharpen at any angle on this side.
- Finish up by polishing your knife to avoid burrs and imperfections.
What is the Best Drawknife?
We love the Timber Tuff that we listed in our best overall slot on the reviews. However, there are many great options out there. Any of the ones you find here in this guide can be considered the best option!
Conclusion
Now that we’ve shared our best options with you, along with a guide to keep you informed, its’s time for you to make a decision. We hope that you can find something here that will work for you to get the tasks you need taken care of.
Which drawknife are you considering?
Expert Tip
A drawknife that has a thin edge compared to a thick edge will stay sharper for longer.
Did You Know?
The structure and design of the handle on the tool in question is the most essential piece to choosing a quality drawknife that is both safe and reliable.
Amazon Recommends:
- Made in Austria, in the Stubai Valley, of the best Stubai Steel
- Mid size drawknife for general woodworking use, with offset handles for comfortable use.
- Blade length 9 1/4". Overall length 17", hight quality steel holds a keen edge
- May come with Stubai stamped in the steel or not. Forging lines may be visible. This product is not cast as can be seen by the excellent edge holding ability in the reviews.
- The brand name "Stubai" stands for quality and workmanship. The Stubai Tool industry is the biggest hand tool manufacturer in Austria
- Sharp 8" straight blade, 5 mm thick with a 30° angle for fast and accurate work
- WOOD WORKING TOOLS FOR BUILDING FURNITURE: Rapidly remove wood and bark from logs, fence posts, and firewood with the Felled | 8 Inch Straight Wood Shaving Knife Draw Shave Wood Debarking Tool; Often used by timber framers, wood turners and carvers, and furniture fabricators these log draw knife woodworking hand tools quickly remove excess materials to shape surfaces to create spindles, pegs, seats, bowls, and much more
- Designed with a long-lasting and durable steel blade with a hardness of HRC 30 for a reliable product
- KEEN BEVELED BLADE: Constructed of hardened steel provides this straight edge tree bark scraper tool with durability and longevity; Finely polished beveled edges can easily be honed to keep your bark stripper wood shaver tool sharp for accuracy and ease of use; Drawknife woodworking tool set includes rubber edge protector to protect you and the draw knife blade when traveling
- Wood grip handles are comfortable and provide you with a secure hold; the included blade protector keeps the blade sharp and protects the user
- 5 inches of workable edge
- Flexible blade conforms to projects as needed
- Two ergonomic ash hardwood handles provide solid grip
- Comes with sturdy leather sheath
- Flexcut has been proudly manufacturing quality user-friendly and affordable woodcarving, whittling and printmaking tools in Erie, Pennsylvania since 1992.