The best Drawknives, compared.
Top pick: Sorandy straight draw shave Best value: banapoy draw knife – Lowest shelf price among the listings that have UK sentences and are not the top pick. Updated October 2026.
A drawknife is a two-handled blade you pull towards yourself to shave bark and shape wood. In the UK you buy one for green wood, a short log, a handle or a rough chair part, usually in a vice or a shave horse. It has no sole and no depth stop, so the cut is your hands, not a setting. A suitable knife has a stated blade length, a blade form the title and the bullets agree on, and a listing that describes a drawknife. Straight is the general-duty shape. An all-round length is about 8–10 inches, with a bevel near 25 degrees, which is a workshop rule of thumb rather than a standard printed on the tool. Check whether a sheath is listed, and whether a United Kingdom review names a real job. Plan to hone before you trust the edge, and cover the blade at rest. The pull, the clamp and the hone are set out in the [how to use a drawknife](/hub/hand-tools/drawknife/sub/drawknife-how-to-use) guide.
A drawknife is a two-handled blade you pull towards yourself to shave bark and shape wood. In the UK you buy one for green wood, a short log, a handle or a rough chair part, usually in a vice or a shave horse.
36 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +22,800 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What will you do with the edge?
The Sorandy straight draw shave is about £17.77 and 440 g, with package dimensions 34.7 × 7.4 × 5.2 cm, and 5.0 from eight ratings. Two United Kingdom texts are short and positive: one says perfect tool, and another says it works, is comfortable, and needed a bit of a sharpen, which that reviewer expected. The five bullets describe a 60 kg bathroom suction rail and are not features of this knife. Steel, blade length, bevel, and a sheath are not stated once those bullets are set aside. The photograph is the same file as Ejoyous. The score is 25 because the UK sentences are kinder than the page they sit on.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will ignore the suction-cup bullets and you only need a cheap knife that two UK reviewers found usable after a hone.
Less suitable: You need a listing whose bullets match the tool, or a named steel.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the suction-cup bullets part of this tool?
No. The title and the UK reviews describe a drawknife. The five bullets describe a 60 kg bathroom grab bar and are not features.
What do the UK reviews say?
One says perfect tool. Another says it works, is comfortable, and needed a bit of a sharpen, which that reviewer expected.
What size and weight are listed?
Item weight is 440 g. Package dimensions are 34.7 x 7.4 x 5.2 cm. Blade length and steel are not stated outside the discarded bullets.
BAFOVY’s straight draw knife is about £20.48 and 441 g, with tungsten steel claimed at HRC30, double wooden handles, and a bevel named without an angle. amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from three ratings and no review texts, so the perfect line does not describe a cut. Included components say no sheath. The power line says AC/DC, and the age field says Adults, Kid, which is not permission to sell a knife to someone under 18. The photograph matches Greensen and OVAQUIXI. Blade length is not stated. The score is 26 because five stars from three silent ratings cannot outrank a knife that has UK sentences.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a straight title at about £20 and you will ignore the five-star line until you see the knife.
Less suitable: You need reviews, a stated length, or a listing that does not say Kid.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the blade straight?
The blade-shape and blade-type lines say straight. The edge line says bevel, with no angle. No blade length is stated. Weight is 441 g.
Does it include a sheath?
Included components say no.
Can a child buy it because the age field says Kid?
The listing age field says Adults, Kid. That catalogue line is not a licence to sell a knife to someone under 18.
The Rvluw draw knife states 6 inches in the title and on the item-length line, at about £18.99 and 450 g, with a carbon-steel blade described as fully heat treated and no HRC number. The handles are double wooden. Included components say one draw knife, not a sheath. The model code ends in -UK, while the country of origin says China, so the suffix is a seller code rather than proof of UK manufacture. The only review is a United Kingdom five-star dated 19 July 2026, titled Craft, with the body 5*. That line does not say what was cut. The score is 38 because the length and the steel are unusually clear for this table and the review is not.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated 6 inch carbon-steel draw knife and you do not need a review of the cut.
Less suitable: You want UK sentences about bark or furniture, or a blade around 10 inches.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is this draw knife?
The title and the item-length line both say 6 inches. Weight is 450 g.
What is the blade made of?
The blade-material line says carbon steel. A bullet says it is fully heat treated. No HRC number is given. Handles are wood.
What does the only review say?
One United Kingdom review, rated 5, is titled Craft and the body is 5*. It does not describe a job.
Greensen’s straight draw knife is about £17.21 and 430 g, with double wooden handles and a tungsten-steel bullet that claims HRC30. amazon.co.uk shows 4.8 from five ratings, and the saved listing has no review texts, so the stars do not describe bark, hardwood, or a hone. Included components say no, which means no sheath is listed. The power-source line says AC/DC on a hand tool, which is listing noise. The photograph is the same image file as OVAQUIXI B0F41KSQZQ and BAFOVY B0D78DNFQM, so the picture does not separate the three. Blade length is not stated, and the country of origin is China. The score is 29 because the page names steel and a straight form, then stops.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You accept a short specification at about £17.21 and you will judge the edge yourself.
Less suitable: You need a unique photograph, a stated length, or a review that describes a cut.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a sheath included?
The included-components line says no.
What steel and hardness are claimed?
The bullets and the material line say tungsten steel, and a bullet says HRC30. There is no certificate in the file.
Why does the power line say AC/DC?
That line is in the saved listing. The product is a hand drawknife. Treat AC/DC as listing noise, not as a powered tool.
The YWBL-WH straight draw knife is about £19.32, weighs 480 g, and carries 4.5 from 78 amazon.co.uk ratings, which is why the score is 62 and why it is the top pick inside this set. Six of the 29 saved review texts are marked United Kingdom. One UK buyer honed and polished it, then cut hardwoods, and called the quality a surprise at the price. Another, new to the tool, made handles and spoons and debarked green wood, and found it pretty sharp. The same UK sample says the blade is not straight, that the metal was hard to sharpen, and that it feels awkward until you practise. There is no sheath: a UK review says it does not come with a cover, which that person accepted in a workshop. The listing claims tungsten steel at HRC30 and a compound bevel, neither of which is a certificate, and the age field says Kid, which does not make a sale to someone under 18 lawful.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will hone a knife around this price and check that the edge is straight enough for your stock before you keep it.
Less suitable: You need a sheath in the box, or a blade a UK reviewer has already called straight.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it come with a cover?
The included-components line lists the draw knife only. A UK review says it does not come with a cover.
Is the blade straight?
The title and the blade-shape line say straight. One UK review says it is not straight.
What hardness is claimed?
A bullet says tungsten steel at HRC30. That figure is not a certificate in the file.
The Tyenaza listing is a straight iron-blade draw shave with wooden handles at about £19.59 and 530 g. amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 from two ratings, and the saved listing has no review texts, so there is no record of a log, a hone, or a failure. Blade length, hardness, bevel, and a sheath are not stated. The bullets call the blade sharp iron, which is a material word rather than a grade you can check. The browse label sits under utility knives. With no written reviews and no length, you are buying a title and a weight. The score is 35, which keeps it in the table without treating two silent stars as evidence of a cut.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a low-priced straight draw shave and you will inspect the edge yourself before you rely on it.
Less suitable: You need a stated blade length, a sheath, or reviews that describe a job.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the blade made of?
The bullets say a sharp iron blade and sturdy iron, with wooden handles. No hardness number is given.
How long is the blade?
The saved listing does not state a blade length. The item weight is 530 g.
What do the reviews say?
amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings. The saved listing has no review texts, so no praise or complaint is recorded.
The PPI 10 inch straight draw knife from Precise Products, model AH02, is about £38.31 and 649 g, with a sheath named in the included components. The listing shows 4.1 from 234 ratings, the largest count here, but only three of the first 50 saved texts are marked United Kingdom, and those three criticise the price, the grind, or the edge. One UK reviewer said the grind needed a thorough rework, not a quick hone. Another had not used it because it did not feel sharp, after a delivery of about three weeks. The blade-length line says 10 inches and a size line says 25 cm, which is the same length to the nearest centimetre. Hardened steel, high carbon, and tempered all appear, with a compound bevel and no HRC number. The score is 54 because the specification is the fullest in the set and the UK sentences are not praise. Non-UK lines about pine, spruce, ash, or an ill-fitting sheath are not British opinion.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated 10 inch blade and a listed sheath, and you will rework the grind if it arrives as those UK reviews describe.
Less suitable: You want UK reviewers who report a successful peel, or a knife under £21.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this one include a sheath?
Yes. The included-components line says sheath. Some non-UK reviews argue about whether that sheath fits. Those are not UK reviews.
How long is the blade?
The blade-length line and the title say 10 inches. A size line also says 25 cm. Weight is 649 g.
Are the 234 reviews British?
The listing shows 4.1 from 234 ratings. In the first 50 texts saved in the saved listing, 3 are marked United Kingdom, and those three criticise price, grind, or sharpness.
The banapoy draw knife is about £15.43, the lowest price in this set, at 440 g with dimensions 35 × 7 × 5 cm. It shows 4.0 from 13 ratings. Two United Kingdom texts praise it: one says the quality was good and only a slight sharpening made it razor sharp, and another calls it a brilliant tool and value for money. No UK complaint sentence is saved. The title says straight draw shave, and one bullet calls it a curved draw knife, so the file does not settle the shape. Tungsten steel and HRC30 appear as bullet claims, not as a certificate, and a separate blade length is not given. The score is 41, and it is the best value here because it is the cheapest listing that still has UK sentences, with that shape conflict left in view.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest row that has UK sentences and you will check whether the blade is straight or curved when it arrives.
Less suitable: You need a settled straight blade, a stated edge length, or a sheath.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a straight or a curved draw knife?
The title says straight draw shave. One bullet calls it a curved draw knife. The file does not resolve that.
What size is listed?
Product dimensions are 35 x 7 x 5 cm and the weight is 440 g. A separate blade length is not given.
What do the UK reviews say?
One UK review praises the quality and says only a slight sharpen was needed. Another calls it a brilliant tool. No UK complaint sentence is in the file.
OVAQUIXI’s drawknife puts 10 inch in the title, at about £15.45 and 441 g, with tungsten steel claimed at HRC30 and double wooden handles. amazon.co.uk shows 4.0 from one rating, and the saved listing has no review text. The title does not say straight or curved. Bullets say Vane/Wing where a blade description should sit. The photograph is the same file as Greensen B0DBJ8G63H and BAFOVY B0D78DNFQM, so the 10 inch claim is not backed by a picture that belongs only to this ASIN. A sheath is not stated, and the country of origin is China. The score is 22, the lowest in the set, because the price is concrete and almost everything else is shared or missing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing 10 inch titles at the bottom of the price list and you will not trust the picture alone.
Less suitable: You want a unique photo, a UK review, or a sheath.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the blade?
The title says 10 inch. No separate blade-length specification is in the file. Weight is 441 g.
What hardness is claimed?
A bullet says the blade is tungsten steel at HRC30. That is listing copy, not a certificate.
Is the photograph unique?
The image URL is the same file id as Greensen B0DBJ8G63H and BAFOVY B0D78DNFQM. The listings are still separate ASINs.
The Ejoyous straight draw shave is about £17.59 and 410 g, the lightest weight in this set, with tungsten steel and double wooden handles and no hardness number. amazon.co.uk shows 3.8 from six ratings, and all three saved texts are marked United Kingdom. One reviewer used it and said it did the job. Another said the blade is not straight and curves downwards. A third said the steel by the handle was sharper than the blade and took about 20 minutes to make safe. Included components say no. The image file is the same as Sorandy B0CLFD6V89. The score is 27 because those UK texts describe a curve and a sharp tang on a knife the title calls straight.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will spend time making the handle area safe and you can return a knife that curves.
Less suitable: You need a straight edge on arrival, or a sheath.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the blade straight?
The title says straight. A UK review says it is not straight and curves downwards.
Is it safe to pick up as delivered?
A UK review says the steel by the handle was sharper than the blade and took about 20 minutes to make safe. Another UK review says it did the job.
What steel is named?
The blade-material line says tungsten steel. Handles are wood. Weight is 410 g. No hardness number is in the file.
For this comparison we scored ten drawknife listings on amazon.co.uk. Prices, stars and review counts are the figures on those listings on 22 October 2026. There was no workshop test and no measured edge test. The method file awards up to 45 points for UK use evidence, 30 for whether length, steel, form and a sheath are stated, and 15 for the price band, then deducts for listing faults. Those four published blocks are weighted 45, 30, 15 and 10 here so the weights sum to 100. In the method file the last block only reduces a score, and the floor is 0.
Use points
45%A UK review that names work done, with 20 or more ratings, scores 45. The same kind of review with under 20 ratings scores 28. UK reviews that only praise the knife, without a named job, and 10 or more ratings, score 24. UK reviews that are only critical, with 50 or more ratings, score 20. A UK review that does not describe work, with under 10 ratings, scores 8. No review text scores 5. Stars from outside the United Kingdom do not add use points.
Order points
30%A blade length on a specification line scores 10. A length that appears only in the title scores 5, unless that photograph is also used by another listing in this set, in which case the title length scores 0. Named steel scores 8. A blade form that is stated and not contradicted by a bullet or a UK review scores 7. A sheath stated as yes or no scores 5. If no review text describes work, order points are capped at 15.
Price points
15%A shelf price under £21 scores 15. From £21 to £30 scores 8. Over £30 scores 4. The price is the amazon.co.uk shelf price in this snapshot. It is not a promise of the next price.
Deductions
10%A UK review that says the blade is not straight, or that it curves, deducts 8. Sharp steel beside the handle deducts 10. Bullets that describe a different product deduct 12. A photograph shared with another listing in this set deducts 6. A title and a bullet that disagree on straight versus curved deduct 6. An age field that says Kid deducts 3. The floor is 0. The weight of 10 is the gap between the 90-point positive ceiling in the method file and 100. The method applies these figures as deductions, not as a 10-point award.
A drawknife is the tool for a free cut with no sole. Match the job first, then the blade form and the stated length, then whether the listing actually describes a drawknife. A star line is not a UK review unless the text is marked United Kingdom and names a job.
A drawknife is a two-handled blade you pull towards yourself to shave bark and shape wood. You hold one handle in each hand and draw the edge towards you. It has no sole and no depth stop, so the thickness of the shaving is your hands, not a setting on the tool. In the UK it is a green-wood and rough-shaping tool: bark on a short log, a handle blank, or a chair part before a soled tool takes over.
A large rating count can sit on texts that are not marked United Kingdom. A five-star line with no review text does not name a job. Read the UK sentences, including the ones that say the blade curves or that the grind needs rework.
A tungsten-steel or HRC30 bullet is a seller sentence, not a certificate. Bullets that describe a different product are not features of the knife. An age field that says Kid does not make a sale to someone under 18 lawful.
A final hone is expected. Seasoned, dirty bark blunts the edge. Bark peels more easily just after felling, and a long pole is a peeling-spade job. Stop if a weld or a crack is visible.
The job comes first, because a drawknife is not a soled tool. It removes wood quickly and has no depth stop. A spokeshave fairs the surface. A long pole wants a peeling spade. A chair seat wants an inshave. Straight is the general-duty shape for debarking and rounding. Curved or bent is a chairmaking form. An all-round straight knife is about 8–10 inches, with a bevel near 25 degrees.
The listing has to describe a drawknife. Bullets that belong to another product are not features, even when the title is right. A pencil set and a kitchen knife block were already outside this comparison for that reason. A sheath stated as yes or no is clearer than a silence. Only some pages name one. Then read whose stars you are looking at. Stars from outside the United Kingdom do not count as British use.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have a vice or a shave horse and you expect to hone before you trust the edge. UK texts on the YWBL-WH name hardwood, spoons and green wood after a hone. A UK review also says the blade is not straight, and there is no sheath.
You want the lowest shelf price among the listings that have UK sentences, and you will check whether the blade is straight or curved when it arrives. Two UK texts on the banapoy praise the quality after a slight sharpen. A separate blade length is not given.
You want a blade length on the specification line and a sheath in the included components, and you will rework the grind if it arrives as the UK texts describe. Those three UK texts criticise price, grind or sharpness. Shop knives from UK makers are not rows in this table.
The top pick is the YWBL-WH straight draw knife. It scores 62, at about £19.32, with 4.5 from 78 amazon.co.uk ratings. UK texts name hardwood, spoons and green wood after a hone. A UK review also says the blade is not straight, and there is no sheath. HRC30 is a bullet, not a certificate. The best value is the banapoy draw knife at about £15.43, score 41, with 4.0 from 13 ratings. It is the lowest shelf price among the listings that have UK sentences and are not the top pick. The title says straight and one bullet says curved.
banapoy draw knife
Lowest shelf price among the listings that have UK sentences and are not the top pick.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Sources for this comparison, last checked on 22 October 2026.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Listings, review counts and public sources still decide the comparison. We did not run a lab test.
