Luban Spokeshaves - Are they any good?

[ED65]

Anyone looking to buy an old spokeshave with an adjustable mouth, in addition to the no. 53 already mentioned the 52 is also worth looking for. This has straight handles where the former has gullwing handles. These are two of Garrett Hack's favourite shaves and he says he uses the 52 most of the time.

 

[Bodgers]

I have a 'modern' Stanley spoke-shave, which despite Sir Paul's opinions, just isn't doing it for me.

If someone already asked this and I missed it apologies, but what are you asking it to do? There are finer and coarser spokeshaves but the former aren't necessarily needed; tight mouths have always been valued by some users because of what they needed their shaves to do but bog-standard Stanley 151s (and the 51 before it) sold in their thousands and clearly did everything their users expected of them. A lot can be achieved with a basic shave if used religiously 'downhill' and skewed as and when needed.

Ok, the wood is Sapele. I have some test 'curves' I have cut on the bandsaw that approximate the curve of a chair arm rest and back.

I have a fantasy (when the workbench is finished) of doing a mid century style chair with a curved back rest. The curve is pronounced, but not ultra tight. Basically taking down what will be rough cut arm rests joined to a curved back rest smoothed to be ready for sanding.

From the Stanley I am getting chatter and general unpleasantness...

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The Stanley #53 is all things for all people. It has an adjustable mouth, which may be opened up for coarse/thick shavings, or closed down for fine, finishing shavings.

Replacement blades are available from Ray Iles in HCS (I've just purchased one).

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[ED65]

Ok, the wood is Sapele. I have some test 'curves' I have cut on the bandsaw that approximate the curve of a chair arm rest and back.

I have a fantasy (when the workbench is finished) of doing a mid century style chair with a curved back rest. The curve is pronounced, but not ultra tight. Basically taking down what will be rough cut arm rests joined to a curved back rest smoothed to be ready for sanding.

From the Stanley I am getting chatter and general unpleasantness...

Given it's sapele you might need a tight mouth to control tearout. I was mostly wondering if you were using a wood like this that's a challenge for a wide-mouthed spokeshave.

I'd love a 53 but don't see one in my future any time soon since I've never seen one in the wild and P&P would take even the cheapest on eBay out of reach. So if I had to do this now, and my current shaves just weren't capable even freshly honed and adjusted for semitransparent shavings, I'd smooth the bandsawn surface with a fine rasp (or 80-grit paper wrapped around a dowel which does the job at least as well, if not better), then file, then scrape and/or sand. It'll get the job done. A bit less elegantly perhaps but the end result is what matters.

Not sure how applicable that would be to the back rest though, if it's widish then maybe you could do with a compass plane? Woodies don't cost an arm and a leg like the flexible-soled metal ones. Since you have a bandsaw you could convert a standard coffin smoother without too much bother.