Any specific instructions for sharpening a draw knife

Since nobody has chimed in.... I use a dremel and lightly run it along the edge. My drawknife is incredibly hard and not much will touch it, files don't bite and I don't have the patience for my diamond stones. I use mine for dehairing hides though and don't need a super fine edge. With the handles like they are it's impossible for me to get the drawknife on my rotary stone but then it's a funky design and difficult to get lots of blades to fit it. Someday I'll put that stone on a better arbor

I also do some wood carving and realize from sharpening chisels that you should only sharpen a drawknife on the beveled edge. Just grind the bevel to meet with the flat edge and keep the flat edge flat. Hope that makes sense.

twarren;
Several questions to answer before you can decide how to go about it.
1. What tools to you have?
2. What kind of shape is the edge in now? Just dull or beat all to hell?
3. What will you be using it on; very hard or very soft woods work best on different angles.
We can go from there.
M

I have grinders, belt sanders, diamond stones, sanding blocks and sand paper.
One is nicked up a little and dull the other beat to hell.
They will be used on white pine mainly.
Terry

Terry;
Twer me;
First;I would make sure the bottom flat is smooth to about a 320 grit at least and FLAT. I would then clamp it to a board and clamp said board in my vise. This allows you some better knuckle room than laying it on a bench.
With stones, paper, files etc. bring the original bevel up to an edge while keeping the BEVEL CONSISTANT; blade still, tools moving.
I would not use a power grinder unless I was very proficient with it. You can burn the edge in a heartbeat. Re-heattreating a drawknife will not be fun.
For white pine I would bring it to a fine edge and about 1200 grit polish or so. If the edge chips out at all just polish down the last fraction of the edge to a very slighty steeper angle.
If you have trouble holding a consistant angle on the bevels; giving them a few swipes with a magic marker will tell you where you are working at. It is easy to be removing metal from a spot when you thought you were somewhere else.
M

Living this side of the pond, opposite to you fellows, what the hell is a draw knife?

The draw knife (also known as a draw shave), had many specialised applications in days gone by. In addition to the traditional use of debarking logs, the draw knife was used by a variety of trades (Carpenter, Chairmaker, Cooper, Wheelwright, etc.) for shaping operations and for the rapid removal of surplus wood.
Thats the best that I can explain it. Terry

Ding ! Lights ! Is it not a or similar to a spoke shave ?

Larger than a spoke shave. Most of them are 6,8,and 10, inch blades.

Scriptus: These are the workhorse tools of traditional bowyers, often used in conjunction with a shaving horse, a sit-on bench that allows you to use your feet to press a lever that clamps wood to the bench, leaving both hands free to pull the draw knife toward you.

Funny since this topic started I've had to buy another drawknife and got it off of fleabay this time. Mine is at home in Canada but I've reccently gotten hold of some very nice yew logs. So I've been busy debarking them and hopefully I'll be able to whittle out a nice yew selfbow to go with my flint heads.