The shaving horse is undoubtedly one of the most ingenious machines ever invented – or perhaps I should I say ‘ever evolved’ – its unique combination of practical dynamics and ergonomics make it a joy to use and it’s an indispensable tool in the woodland workshop.

Put simply, the shaving horse is a quick-release clamp, designed to hold green-wood stock whilst using the draw knife. Its genius lies in the way your legs naturally push forward whilst pulling back on the draw knife: the more you pull, the more you instinctively push forward with your legs and the tighter the clamping action. It’s a perfect self-regulating mechanism.

This new design is the latest iteration of one I built decades ago, based on Jennie Alexander’s example in her seminal book, ‘Make a Chair from a Tree’. Over the years it’s evolved to become quite a different animal: It’s significantly shorter and a little more adjustable and it’s forward third leg now acts as the hinge point for the bed.

I may well post up ‘my take’ on the design soon, but you might also seek out Jennie Alexander’s book for details of the original. It was this book that, over forty years ago, pretty-much changed my life!

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