Spokeshave or Block Plane

[bert304]

I have been thinking about which to purchase to use on the stems to shape them and other parts of the canoe. Looking for opinions on what everyone has used or still does use. If you could let me know what brand and where you got the tool from would be great. Thank you

[Jeff in Farmington, MI]

Well, the easy answer is to get one of each! However, if I had to choose only one it would be a low angle block plane because it probably has more uses.
When I built my canoe, I purchased a spokeshave, and it worked very well for shaping the stems. I had never seen a spokeshave before, and I must say that using this fine tool made me feel like somewhat of an old-world craftsman!
I am building a kayak now, and was shaping the stems just the other night. My spokeshave seemed a bit dull, so I picked up my block plane whose blade I had recently sharpened. The stems were shaped in hardly no time. There is nothing quite like making shavings with a truly sharp hand tool!
You can find both spokeshaves and block planes at a Woodcraft store (or online), or from Grizzly.com for as low as $17. You can certainly spend a lot more money on much nicer tools, but in my opinion, even an inexpensive tool does a fine job ... if the user takes the time to sharpen it properly.

Enjoy!
Jeff

[Juneaudave]

I agree with Jeff, and if I could only buy 1, it would be a low angle plane. That said, a spokeshave is really nice for shaping a yoke or a nice paddle. I use a Stanley 60 1/2 low angle block plane and a Veritas low angle spokeshave. Dave

[willo]

Buy both. A low angle block plane will cost more than a spokeshave , but a cheap spokeshave will work great if you take the time to tune it up , You can get cheaper spokeshaves at most hardware stores. And like Jeff said, they need to be sharp. You could spend a small fortune on a block plane but if you don't have a good sharpening system they are use less.

[mtpocket]

I have both and use neither. For shaping stems I use a Shinto Rasp. It is the quickest way to shape anything. The Shinto is the hungriest little tool I ever used. It has a fine tooth on one side and a course tooth on the other. I'll never go back to shaping with a plane.

[Woodchuck]

Don't forget to look at the microplane... It is like a cheese grader with a handle. I got mine at Woodcraft and it is so far superior to a block plane or spokeshave, it's no contest. I bought a spare blade but you could do one canoe with just one. It will take down the stems in nothing flat and give you a smooth surface to boot. I show a picture of it in my website towards the end of the Stripping the Hull section. I WOULD NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE and you can use it for shaping, trimming the edges, etc. A great tool IMHO...
http://nomad17.home.comcast.net

[David James]

Hey Joe,

you might think I'm nuts, but Microplane makes what they call a "foot file". It has a concave shape that might be just right for smothing the inside of a canoe. I just wonder if it's made of the same steel as their wood working microplanes.

Just a thought...

Dave