Brand/Manufacturer: Bastionhead
Style: Bevel-down
Blade Width: approx. 5 or 7 inches
Overall Width: approx. 14.5 or 16.5 inches
Handle Construction/Material: Ash, sugar maple, or similar durable hardwood. As with all the drawknives I make, the two handles on any one tool are always made from directly adjacent sections of a single piece of wood. Circular cross section. Bandsawn texture for superior grip. Fastened with epoxy.
I have had many requests, largely from bowyers, for an affordable, solid, no frills drawknife that simply works well and holds a good edge. I designed the Bastionhead Basic to fill this niche as best as possible. Since the thick blade is integral to the frame, these require a lot less welding and grinding than my premium Original series drawknives, but I still make them entirely myself in small batches. The Basic also has a little more tolerance for slight asymmetries and minor cosmetic imperfections to keep the labor time, and therefore the price, to a minimum, but it is still an extremely high quality, hand made, and professionally tuned tool.
The blade is made from 1/4" thick 5160 steel stock, arc welded to the 1/2" round mild steel handle frames, making the Basic drawknife much more hefty and robust than most. The flat bevel is ground at 30 degrees.
The video shows typical Basic drawknife performance cutting dry ash. Drawknives ship razor sharp, ready to work, and include a reusable plastic edge cover.
Bastionhead Basic Drawknife, Bevel-down
I offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee for a period of one year from the purchase date of any Bastionhead Basic drawknife. If you are unhappy with the tool for any reason, you can return it within the one year period and receive a refund of the purchase price and all shipping charges. Additionally, I offer a lifetime guarantee on the build quality of the tool. For example, if the weld fails or the handles come loose, I will repair or replace the tool at no charge. Of course, this excludes failures or damage caused by mistreatment, such as impact or excessive moisture exposure.
Most drawknives fall into two basic categories, those that are intended to be used with the bevel facing up and those intended to be used with the bevel facing down. Bevel-up drawknives typically are better for working flat or straight areas, for instance removing bark or chamfering corners. Bevel-down drawknives are more suited to contouring work, like shaping axe handles, curvy table legs, or spoons. Perhaps one out of every dozen or so vintage drawknives that I encounter can be used comfortably in either orientation.
