Canadian Woodworking Magazine eNewsletter

The new Chair Devils and Scraper Shave from Veritas can be thought of as 'precision spokeshaves'. They aren't made for rough shaping - for that you would want to use one of the 'conventional' Veritas spokeshaves, such as their flat, round and concave spokeshaves.

Like all shaves, the Chair Devils and Scraper Shave have two in-line handles and a cutting blade that projects from a short sole to regulate the depth of cut. They incorporate traditional wood handles - in this case Bubinga, a lustrous reddish brown African hardwood - and precision machined metal bodies. The other bits are machined solid brass.

Unlike most traditional spokeshaves the Chair Devils and Scraper Shave don't have blade adjusting screws. You manually adjust the depth of cut - this isn't as difficult as you might think, and the instructions that come with the shaves clearly outline how to do it.

These precision shaves are exceptionally well machined - which is what we have come to expect from Veritas Tools. The cap and bed are dead flat and have crisp, square shoulders. The back of the blade is ground flat. You will need to hone the blades on the Chair Devils. Again, follow the instructions provided and you'll have no problem.

On the Scraper Shave there is a 45° bevel on the front of the blade. Like a card scraper you need to put a burr on this blade. I first honed the bevel, then placed the blade against a board that had a 15° angle cut on the top. This made it easy to raise a burr with a burnisher.

These precisions shaves are very easy to use. You need to let the shave do the work, and apply light pressure. Remember these shaves aren't for removing a lot of stock - they are for putting a final finish on your work. When you're done using one of these shaves you shouldn't need to follow up with sandpaper.

Set aside some time to become familiar with these shaves before you begin using them on a project, particularly if you aren't a regular user of spokeshaves. The learning curve isn't steep, but they do require a touch of finesse.

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Specifications:

Chair Devils (05P33.60) and Scraper Shave (05P33.70)
$165.00 (Chair Devils, set of 3); $65 (individually); $65 Scraper Shave
Veritas Tools
Lee Valley Tools

10" overall
3" handles, 7/8" diameter
1 5/8" blade width
Chair Devils have 1/2", 7/8" and 1 1/4" diameter blades
.04" thick blades
Machined steel bodies
Solid brass toe and fittings
Weight: 295 grams (10.4 oz)

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Adjusting the blade takes a bit of practice - but is not overly difficult	Let the shave do the work

The mouth is small - but then, so are the shavings	Aim for shavings - if you're getting sawdust reduce the angle of the hook on the blade