Best Spokeshave 2026: 8 Spokeshaves for Chair Legs, Curves, and Bowls

Pros

• Dual thumbscrew adjusters for depth and skew control on both sides of the blade
• Steel blade holds a serviceable edge with periodic honing
• Flat sole for convex curve shaping on chair legs and turned stock
• Widely available cast-body spokeshave with a proven, decades-old design

Pros

• German-manufactured Kunz quality -- among the most precisely machined cast spokeshave bodies available
• Half-round sole handles both convex and gently concave curves
• Twin brass thumbscrews provide independent depth adjustment at each end of the blade
• A step up from basic Stanley-pattern spokeshaves for chair makers and instrument builders

Pros

• The Stanley 151 is the classic spokeshave design that has been in production for generations
• The most available spokeshave at retail -- found at every hardware store
• Lowest price point for a functional spokeshave
• Accepts replacement blades from multiple sources

Pros

• Cast iron body spokeshave in the traditional pattern used for over a century
• German-made Kunz manufacturing to a consistent quality standard
• Imported to the US by Robert Larson, a long-established hand tool distributor
• The correct traditional tool for woodworkers who prefer classic cast-body hand tools

Pros

• Curved sole for cutting concave surfaces -- the complement to a flat-sole model
• Twin adjustment knobs for precise depth control at each end of the blade
• Can be pushed or pulled depending on grain direction and user preference
• The correct curved-sole spokeshave for inside curves, seat hollows, and concave chair parts

Pros

• Vernier-style fine adjustment gives finer depth control than simple thumbscrews
• Cast iron body quality exceeds basic production spokeshaves
• A traditional cast design with a modern adjustment refinement
• Available new -- no restoration required unlike sourcing genuine vintage Stanley tools

Pros

• Kunz is the German maker that produces professional-grade cast hand tools
• The largest spokeshave in the Kunz line -- 17.75 inches for wide, gradual curves and timber-frame work
• German-made quality -- consistently better than basic new-production alternatives
• Correct for woodworkers who prefer European tool brands and need extra sole length

Pros

• The curved inshave blade removes material much faster than a spokeshave -- correct for rough shaping seats and concave surfaces before finishing with the spokeshave
• The two-tool workflow (inshave/drawknife rough, spokeshave finish) is the traditional chair-making process
• German Two Cherries carbon steel holds an edge well through repeated rough shaping
• The correct pre-spokeshave tool for green wood chair seat carving