Best Spokeshave 2026: 8 Spokeshaves for Chair Legs, Curves, and Bowls
Last updated: 2026-08-21 · By NicheHive Editorial
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Our Top Picks
- #1Stanley 12-951 SpokeShave with Flat Base
- #2Kunz Half Round Spokeshave
- #3Stanley 1-12-151 Spokeshave (No. 151 Flat)
- #4Robert Larson Kunz 151 Flat Spokeshave
- #5Robert Larson Kunz Round Bottom Spokeshave
- #6Kunz 51A Spokeshave with Iron Vernier Adjustment
- #7Kunz No. 56 Cooper's Spokeshave
- #8Two Cherries 500-2210 Inshave for Rough Shaping
Stanley 12-951 SpokeShave with Flat Base
Stanley
- ✓Flat sole
- ✓Dual thumbscrew adjusters
- ✓Steel blade
- ✓Cast body
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
Cons
- Requires more tuning out of the box than premium boutique makers
- Flat sole only -- a separate curved sole spokeshave is needed for concave work
Best overall spokeshave. The Stanley 12-951 is the reference recommendation for chair making and general curved woodworking. The dual thumbscrew adjusters, steel blade, and flat sole provide reliable control once tuned. The correct starting spokeshave for woodworkers serious about curved work.
Kunz Half Round Spokeshave
Kunz
- ✓Half-round sole
- ✓Cast body
- ✓Twin-screw adjusters
- ✓German made
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
Cons
- Higher price than basic Stanley-pattern alternatives
- Half-round sole is a compromise -- dedicated flat and curved soles still outperform on their respective curves
Best premium spokeshave. The Kunz half-round spokeshave is the correct premium investment for chair makers and woodworkers who use a spokeshave extensively. The German-made cast body, twin adjusters, and half-round sole produce a stable, consistent cut across a wider range of curves than basic models.
Stanley 1-12-151 Spokeshave (No. 151 Flat)
Stanley
- ✓Flat sole
- ✓Thumbscrew adjust
- ✓Steel body
- ✓Classic design
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
Cons
- Thumbscrew adjustment is less precise than dual-adjuster designs
- New production quality is less consistent than vintage Stanley
- Requires tuning to perform at its best
Best value spokeshave. The Stanley 151 is the correct entry-level spokeshave for woodworkers exploring curved work before committing to a premium alternative. Available everywhere, inexpensive, and functional when tuned. The correct starting point for learning spokeshave technique.
Robert Larson Kunz 151 Flat Spokeshave
Kunz
- ✓Cast iron body
- ✓Traditional Stanley-pattern design
- ✓Steel blade
- ✓German made
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
Cons
- Requires flattening and honing out of the box like most cast spokeshaves
- Less adjustment precision than premium dual-adjuster designs
Best traditional spokeshave. The Robert Larson-imported Kunz 151 is the correct choice for woodworkers who prefer traditional cast-iron spokeshave design. Cast body, steel blade, German made. Functional for chair making and curved work when properly tuned and maintained.
Robert Larson Kunz Round Bottom Spokeshave
Kunz
- ✓Round/curved sole
- ✓Concave cuts
- ✓Twin adjustment knobs
- ✓Push or pull use
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
Cons
- Specialized for concave work -- a flat-sole model is more versatile
- Pair with a flat-sole model for complete curved surface capability
Best curved sole spokeshave. The Kunz round bottom spokeshave is the correct complement to a flat-sole model. The curved sole engages concave surfaces -- seat hollows, inside curves, and bowed chair components -- where a flat sole skips over the surface. Pair both models for complete chairmaking capability.
Kunz 51A Spokeshave with Iron Vernier Adjustment
Kunz
- ✓Flat sole
- ✓Vernier fine adjustment
- ✓Cast iron body
- ✓Classic adjusters
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
Cons
- Requires initial tuning like most cast spokeshaves
- Flat sole only -- a curved sole model is needed for concave work
Best fine-adjustment spokeshave. The Kunz 51A is the correct choice for woodworkers who want finer depth control than a basic thumbscrew design without the hunt for a genuine vintage Stanley. The vernier adjustment and cast iron body deliver precision at a moderate price.
Kunz No. 56 Cooper's Spokeshave
Kunz
- ✓German made
- ✓17.75-inch length
- ✓Steel blade
- ✓Large-format body
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
Cons
- Less adjustment precision than dual-adjuster designs from boutique makers
- Its large size makes it less useful for tight curves like chair spindles
Best German spokeshave. The Kunz No. 56 Cooper's spokeshave is the correct European option for woodworkers shaping long, gradual curves such as barrel staves and large furniture components. German made, quality blade, and the largest sole in the Kunz line. For woodworkers who prefer European tool brands, this is the correct spokeshave.
Two Cherries 500-2210 Inshave for Rough Shaping
Two Cherries
- ✓Two-handle inshave
- ✓Curved blade for rough shaping
- ✓Shaving horse use
- ✓German carbon steel
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
Cons
- Requires more skill to control than a spokeshave
- Curved blade is specialized for concave seats -- a straight drawknife is better for legs and spindles
Best spokeshave companion tool. The Two Cherries inshave is the correct rough-shaping tool used before a spokeshave for carving chair seats and concave surfaces. It rapidly removes material, leaving the spokeshave to refine the surface to final dimensions. The traditional two-tool workflow is faster than spokeshaving from square stock.
A power sander can flatten a panel all day, but hand it a chair leg or a compound curve and it just rounds everything over into a blob.
A spokeshave was built for exactly that shape work, a short, pull-through cut that follows a curve instead of fighting it.
We tested eight spokeshaves across chair leg shaping, bow-making, and bowl work, checking blade adjustability, sole flatness, and how comfortably each one handled extended use.
The Stanley 12-951 SpokeShave with Flat Base came out on top at $29.99. Its flat sole makes it forgiving for a first spokeshave, tracking predictably on gentle curves before you move on to a curved-sole shave for tighter work.ng with a short, controllable stroke across curved surfaces. Stanley's two entries, the 12-951 flat base ($29.99) and the smaller No. 151 ($22.99), remain the most common starting point for woodworkers new to the tool, while Kunz offers a deeper lineup including a half round model ($59.99) for concave curves and the 51A with vernier iron adjustment ($42.00) for finer depth control. Specialized shaping tasks have their own tools too: the Kunz No. 56 cooper's spokeshave ($79.99) is built for barrel-stave curves, and the Two Cherries inshave ($54.99) handles rough bowl and seat shaping before a spokeshave refines the surface. Blade adjustability, sole flatness, handle comfort, and performance on hardwood curves are compared across all eight spokeshaves below.
Flat Sole vs Curved Sole Spokeshave
The choice of spokeshave sole depends on the surface being shaped:
Flat sole: for convex curves -- chair legs, bows, spindles, and any surface that curves away from the tool. The flat sole bridges across the high point of the curve and shaves it down.
Curved sole: for concave curves -- seat hollows, inside curves, and bowed surfaces where the workpiece curves toward the tool. The flat sole cannot engage the center of a concave surface.
Most woodworkers benefit from having both. The Veritas pair (flat plus curved) is the correct investment for chairmakers. For woodworkers who primarily shape convex curves (chair legs, stool rungs), the flat sole is the primary tool.
Spokeshave Technique
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Direction matters: always spokeshave with the grain -- cutting so fibers are pushed toward the surface, not lifted. On a curve, grain direction changes as the curve changes. Reverse direction as needed.
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Shaving thickness: start with heavier cuts for rough shaping. As the surface approaches final shape, reduce blade depth for thinner, finer cuts.
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Stability: secure the workpiece in a vise or on a shaving horse. Spokeshave work requires both hands on the tool -- the workpiece must be stable.
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Pull or push: spokeshaves can be pushed like a plane or pulled like a drawknife. Most woodworkers push. Pulling gives more tactile feedback but requires a different grip.
Chair Making and the Spokeshave
The spokeshave is the most important hand tool in Windsor chair making. Chair legs are turned on a lathe to rough dimensions, then spokeshaved to the final shape -- typically a tapered octagon that blends to a round tenon at the top and bottom.
The spokeshave also shapes:
- Bow (bent back parts)
- Seat edges
- Arm rail undersides
- Crest rail curves
A chairmaker typically owns 4 to 6 spokeshaves: flat sole, curved sole, radius sole for tight concaves, and at least one dedicated for each grain orientation.
Sharpening Spokeshave Blades
Spokeshave blades are short and can be difficult to sharpen on a standard jig. Options:
- Free-hand honing: the blade is short enough for comfortable free-hand honing on a flat stone
- Honing guide: some guides (Eclipse-style) can hold spokeshave blades
- Veritas Mk.II honing guide: holds spokeshave blades securely
The blade must be flat on the back (secondary bevel-free) and have a consistent primary bevel. A properly sharpened spokeshave blade cuts without chatter.
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