A spoke shave is used to shape round wooden parts such as; wagon wheel spokes and chair rungs.

I made this spoke shave from a black cherry tree that grew on my great-grandfather’s (Jacob Filbeck, 1850-1932, above right photo) farm in southwest Missouri near Rogersville.

In 1972, the tree was bull dozed to make way for a power line. It would have been burned had my father (Ralph Filbeck, 1910-1999) and my nephew, Jim Schupbach, not rescued it from the burn pile.

Several grandfather clocks, rocking chair, toys and other furniture have been made from that beautiful, old tree.

As a boy, Orval Filbeck, 1913-2006, Ralph’s brother, recalled in his memoirs seeing blue jays walking on the ground, drunk from eating the over-ripe fruit from that tree.

I hope you enjoy the heritage of this tool. I use mine to make chairs and I encourage you to use the tool to make useful things. I know my great-grandfather would be pleased.

Russ