Replies

1. 
   esch5995 | Jan 23, 2022 12:11pm | #1

   My opinion does not matter, I don't say that lightly but it's a fact. Both tools are excellent by two of the best manufacturers on the market today. The deciding factor will be which is going to most comfortable for you to work with. My hands and style of working are probably quite different than yours so what works for me can be quite different than what you like. The best thing but usually difficult is to try to hold and use both. Can you find them locally, or order them both and return the loser? Another deciding factor in these strange times may be availability and how quickly you need the tool. I'm sorry to seem flippant but if you were asking me if the Lie-Nielsen or Veritas was worth the extra money compared to a second tier tool like Kunz I would say hell yes but the tools you are comparing are both excellent and the differences become subjective.

1. 
   user-3395150 | Jan 23, 2022 02:38pm | #3

   I agree. If you can get your hands on these prior to purchasing, that's the best test. I have the Veritas and I'm really happy with it. I imagine I would like the LN as well.

2. 
   smeac | Jan 24, 2022 08:28am | #11

   Absolutely... I once had L-N shaves and have since switched to Veritas; it’s purely an individual preference (& the PMV11 is nice too). With that said, I really think where I had my ah-ha moment (as we seemingly do at some point with each tool family where it all clicks, ie saw sharpening, cambered irons, etc) was when I bought a couple of old wooden spokeshaves. They’re really inexpensive, if there’s something you want to change, then the fun of making a new body is well worth the time. Graduating to building a few of my own with the Hock and Veritas cutter kits has been a great experience for me and is a cheap and enjoyable way to get into spokeshaves that are set up for really specific situations. Just my 2¢

2. 
   johnpendery | Jan 23, 2022 01:19pm | #2

   No experience with Veritas spokeshaves, but have several Lie Nielsen spokeshaves that I am very happy with.

   The Veritas tools I have are very well made, as are all my Lie Nielsen tools.

   Ideally someone who has used both will weigh in, but I’ve never purchased a tool of either manufacture that I have not been satisfied with.

3. 
   Go_Bills | Jan 23, 2022 02:56pm | #4

   Thanks for the comments.

   Do you guys have any comments on the thumb wheel adjustment capabilities of the Veritas vs the Lie-Nielson.

   Go Bills!!

1. 
   smeac | Jan 25, 2022 07:39am | #15

   Both are great and easily hold square or skewed.

4. 
   user-210490 | Jan 23, 2022 03:20pm | #5

   I have the Veritas low angle spokeshave and am very happy with it. There are two brass adjustment screws that hold the blade.

5. 
   gary_vaiskauckas | Jan 23, 2022 03:42pm | #6

   As others have said you can't go wrong with either choice.

   I struggled on deciding between the L-N and L-V Flat Spokshaves and I finally concluded that both were excellent tools and I chose the L-N Flat Spokeshave because it was supported by L-N with their Honing Guide for sharpening. I think the L-V would have also worked with the L-N Honing Guide, but I needed some justification to break the tie.

   Here is a video from the excellent FWW Mike Pekovich on hand planes. At about 3:10 into the video he demonstates his L-V Spokeshave.

   https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/handplanes/ep-6-special-purpose-planes

   Relative to your question on thumb wheel adjustment - the L-V has an adjustment to retain the setting after removing the blade for sharpening. The L-N has to be reset each time. You get close to the setting by placing the tool and blade on the bench, tighten it, try it and then make any final adjustments. My view is the L-V thumb wheels are probably a nice feature, but I have no experience with it.

   After you make your choice and try your Spokeshave report back on your decision and impressions of the tool.

6. 
   rjlii | Jan 23, 2022 04:45pm | #7

   I always struggled getting vintage Stanleys without thumb wheels dialed in properly. For that reason I considered the LV products. In the end I went with the LN Boggs shaves and have zero regrets. They are very easy to set up. These are not “hogging” shaves. They seem to be best suited to lighter cuts. In the Pekovich video I see he uses his shave with a push stroke. I use mine with a pull stroke. “Japanese style”?

1. 
   jim_hall | Jan 23, 2022 09:55pm | #8

   Agree with RJLII on LN Boggs spokeshave seems to be best suited for lighter cuts. I use a wooden spoke shave for more aggressive work. No experience with Veritas spokeshave.

7. 
   john_c2 | Jan 24, 2022 01:46am | #9

   I couldn't decide at first either. I ended up getting the Veritas round bottom and the Lie Nielsen flat, since I wanted a round and flat anyway. It was nice to have both, and really compare. I ended up getting a Lie Nielsen round as well. I like the L-N better. It sets up very easily, and I find I don't use the adjusters once I start working.

8. 
   lat_axe | Jan 24, 2022 04:57am | #10

   The Veritas spokeshaves (flat, convex and curved) were my choice, long ago. They've performed very well indeed over a couple of decades. At the time I bought them, they were less expensive than the LN but the prices seem to be about the same these days.

   As with many Veritas designs, their spokeshaves have a couple of very useful innovations compared to basic traditional designs. For example, their standard spokeshaves come with two thin shims of different thickness than can together be used between the blade and the spokeshave's blade bed to alter the mouth opening to suit different thicknesses of cutting.

   Another innovation is the ability to change the handle shape and size to one you prefer, with a small kit of metal parts to enable this more easily.

   https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/100615-handle-kit-for-veritas-flat-round-and-concave-spokeshaves?item=05P3320

   The double wheel adjuster is also much easier to use to orient the blade than are methods requiring the user to move the blade in the body "by hand". The two wheels also allow a skewed blade, with very thin shavings taken at one side and gradually thicker shavings from the other end of the blade.

   Veritas shaves are very versatile indeed.

   ***********
   One alternative to the standard LV - LN choice is a spokeshave kit providing the metal parts that you fit to a body you make yourself from wood. I can recommend the Veritas kit (if you can find it for sale) having made two of them myself, now. It'll cost you about 1/3rd the price of an LV or LN metal 'shave.

   The Veritas spokeshave kit also uses a double wheel adjuster albeit of a different design to the metal body adjuster. It's very effective. There are other spokeshave kits but they seem more traditional (harder to adjust accurately) and are often more expensive as they come with part-made wooden bodies as well as the metal parts.

   https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/49710-veritas-hardware-kits-for-wooden-spokeshaves

   Lataxe

9. 
   joeleonetti | Jan 24, 2022 12:52pm | #12

   I've got both the LN (Boggs one) and Veritas spokeshaves you mention. I reach for the LN more often. Having said that, I use my boring old Stanley spokeshave most often. Both the LN and Veritas are fine spokeshaves and I really think either is very good.

10. 
    TaunTonMacoute | Jan 25, 2022 06:34am | #13

    As of Jan 25, 2022 the only shave that L-N shows in stock is the Boggs flat-faced model. All other models are shown as "out of stock" with only a notification of in-stock status being available. I don't think they'll accept a backorder, but you might want to call to make sure if you want to get in the queue.

    Not sure about Lee Valley's offerings.

1. 
   john_c2 | Jan 25, 2022 07:26am | #14

   If L-N will let you place a backorder, it will show it on the product page. Other items will only let you input an email address and you'll get a notification when the items are available.

   I've done both. Backorders are usually just a few weeks of waiting. The email notices are a really long wait.