Draw knife questions for the seasoned users

[DVSHUNTER]

Depends on the handles with me. With the normal flea market knife i use mine bevel up flat side down. With my off set handle french draw knif i only use it bevel down. I dont use the french one much.

[Living_waters]

OK I have to eat a little crow, picked up another knife. This one has slightly torqued up handles. Trade bow was worked close 1 to 3 rings of sap wood. So I thought I would flip this knife bevel down and time myself. 12 minutes tip to tip excluding working a few pin knots, and even the knots only took less than 10 min.  
   
Guess it is not only owning the right tools but also knowing how to use them    

[George Tsoukalas]

Bevel up and sharp all the time. If I find a dull tool in my shop I sharpen it. I control the shavings by varying the angle of attack. I get close with a dknife and get to the ring with my shavehooks or push knife. Jawge

[calgarychef]

I took a few carving classes with a master German wood carver, carvers use bevel down.   Chisels are used bevel down for carving so is my drawknife.  

A plane uses bevel up because it helps to draw the blade down into the wood, luckily there's the sole of the plane to stop it from continuing its downward progression.  So if bevel up draws a blade into the wood what does that tell you?  I tells you that bevel down allows greater control.

[tenbrook]

Originally posted by calgarychef:
I took a few carving classes with a master German wood carver, carvers use bevel down.   Chisels are used bevel down for carving so is my drawknife.  

A plane uses bevel up because it helps to draw the blade down into the wood, luckily there's the sole of the plane to stop it from continuing its downward progression.  So if bevel up draws a blade into the wood what does that tell you?  I tells you that bevel down allows greater control.

well put!  

[Walt Francis]

Both ways work.  When peeling logs for log homes 80% of the guys used them bevel down because you had more control and they didn't dig in as much.  Whenever the blade dug in you had to go back clean it up which took longer, thus you made less money.  I use mine bevel down 95% of the time. I have one that likes to be worked bevel up when hogging off the bark but it does not get much use. I keep a couple shaving sharp for hogging and a couple not as sharp for chasing rings.  The last time I sharpened my favorite ring chaser (to get a nick out of the blade) I had to run a piece of 600 grit sandpaper lightly across the edge to dull it a little.

[dmikeyj]

I want to thank all here with the info, I am now not struggling with my drawknife.  I spent 2 hours chasing a hickory ring bevel up (which I just assumed was the way to use it).  Tried it bevel down, and got down 2 more rings in less than an hour.  What a difference!

Mike

[Adam Keiper]

Yes, bevel down always.  Far less tendency to dig in and gives much more control.

[mwosborn]

Bevel down for me and fairly sharp.  Just can't get it to work bevel up.