: Mine will get the same treament tonight.

: This is the first one I've owned, so I have no basis for comparison. However,
: it seems like a pretty crude, imprecise tool. The blade adjusmemt
: mechanism flat-out sucks.

Actually that mechanism is pretty advanced for a spokeshave. Many metal spokeshaves have just a blade held by a wingnut and the older wooden shaves have the blade held in place by friction/compression of metal tangs.

: I may try the same things. I do occasionally get some chatter or tearout,
: despite setting the blade carefully for a very shallow cut.

Also ensure that you are skewing the shave (holding it at an angle), for the best results.

: What about wooden spokeshaves? I found instructions for making one and I saw
: that there are kits available that include Hock blades and high quality
: hardware. Have you tried any of these?

I have one wooden shave with a Hock blade, but the sole needs tuning and my results have been inconsistent. I know of a few woodworkers who swear by wooden spokeshaves, and like their cutting action much better (wooden spokeshaves have the blade mounted bevel up, like a drawknife, for more of a slicing action). That said, I am happy working with my antique metal shaves, but would like to experiment more with the wooden shaves in the future. Some of these are works of art, made from bird's eye maple, or other beautiful woods. Making one would be an interesting project. "Galoot" John Gunterman has a good page on making wooden spokeshaves, listed below.

Greg Stamer