# The Millers Falls No. 1 Cigar Shave



## Smitty_Cabinetshop

*Millers Falls No. 1*










A recent addition to the shop, the MF "Cigar Shave" is a unique tool with a mixed reputation when it comes to performing well. This forum is for future reference; a place to index sites, sources and methodologiea that help owners of the tool get the most out of it. Here is an extract of text from a now-defunct site regarding sharpening the No. 1:

"The Millers Falls 'cigar' shave is probably one of my favorite tools but it used to drive me bonkers! Sharpened and set right, it's one of the most versatile tools ever and can do things absolutely no other can. It shaves very tight radius internal curves…yet runs true on the flat… turning to external curves with ease.

But, and it's a huge BUT, most are left on the shelf unused because they are either not razor sharp or the user can't get the setting right or both. [It's important to] sharpen the strange cutter, then when that variable is removed, set it to cut efficiently and with ease. Once these two simple tips are followed you will have a tool you simply won't want to put down.

[T]he first thing which MUST be done is to have a razor sharp cutter. The shave relies on this but it's not immediately apparent how to do this. It really is quite simple and you will normally only need a range of sharpening "stones" but I highly recommend diamond plates because of the flatness. That is a key to the sharpening.

The cutter looks complicated but in actual fact..it's just a plane iron. Laid next to a standard iron, you can see it is just curled back on itself. It has a very tiny "primary" bevel you can just see. If this has not been touched before LEAVE IT that way!

The cutter also has two wide bevels on either end of the "tube"...these rest under and between the large countersunk head screws you see in this picture. Tightening these screws wedges the cutter tight…it's as simple as that. You can loosen these off a bit and rotate the cutter by pushing the blunt end…and this is how you set the edge to the mouth.

Be sure you have the cutter the right way around… Many are not!
Following the idea that this is just a curled plane iron, flip it over and you will find a wide area. THIS IS NOT A BEVEL!! It is a face - as the face on the ordinary iron next to it. They are both the same and should be treated as such."

Jeff52Pickup did a great sharpening video here:





Then, an introductory artictle posted by Lee Valley with patent details:
http://www.leevalley.com/newsletters/Woodworking/2/2/patents.htm

A robust discussion on the old tools archive:
http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/117460/thread/

A blog post with pics and a slight discussion of sharpening:
https://workingbyhand.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/the-millers-falls-no-1-spokeshave/

Boatman53 (Jim) created a jig for use with the venerable Eclipse:
http://lumberjocks.com/replies/2842250

Michael Brady described such a jig in 2011 on Wood Central:



> Actually, you can put the cutter from a MF #1 shave into an Eclipse jig, but you need to make a simple fixture to do it. This is my original design: I used a scrap of oak 1/2" thick and 3"x4", with the 3" wide end grain rounded over so that it is similar to the metal section of the shave in profile. I placed two flat head screws in the rounded section of the wood at the same spacing as the screws that hold the cutter in the shave. What you have now is a way to hold the cutter on the rounded-over end of the wood block much the way it is held in the shave. This wood block is then inserted into the upper jaws of the Elipse jig. You can adjust the block or the cutter until the flat of the bevel aligns with the sharpening stone. Go through your regular schedule of grits. I went all the way through 8000 grit on mine. As said in this thread, you have to sharpen the whole bevel…no microbevel…or the shave will not stay in the cut due to its very small radius.
> 
> I would say that my #1 shave is as easy to use as any small radiused shave I have used. The steel in that cutter is very nice quality.


Here's a discussion on WoodCentral where David Charlesworth cautions *against* entirely removing the interior bevel:

http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/forum/archives_handtools.pl/bid/3001/md/read/id/155924/sbj/cigar-spokeshave/

Kelly Tool Works produced a cigar shave in the 1990s (?) and offered the following sharpening instructions with their tool (thanks to the Wayback Machine for this):










Have a cigar shave? How's it working? How did you tune it? Share pics and stories below!


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## DLK

Excellent idea to post this. Now the information won't be lost when an LJ (probably me) finally acquires a cigar shave.


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## AnthonyReed

"methodologiea"


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## theoldfart

Good idea posting this Smitty.


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## KelleyCrafts

Awesome!


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## Johnny7

Thanks Smitty!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Re-posting OldTools Archive content put on the Epic Thread yesterday:



> I followed this discussion with great interest
> last month on the problems with tuning a Millers
> Falls number 1 spokeshave. I have one that I
> had sharpened, and I'd made some shavings with
> it, but never really used it. Today I was
> working on a frame saw, and I thought that MF #1
> would do the trick on some curvy bits.
> Well, the only way I'd gotten this thing to take
> shavings before was by opening the mouth about
> 3/8". I took heed of some of the advice I'd
> overheard on the Porch, here, and started grinding
> the bevel of the blade. I removed metal from the
> heel of the blade so that there would be a more
> acute angle at the edge. I tried to avoid taking
> away any metal right at the edge, just trying
> to grind a sharper bevel so the heel of the blade
> would sit lower. The more acute I made the angle,
> the more I could close up the mouth and still take
> a shaving. Once I got it to about 1/16", I left
> it. Works MUCH better now.
> 
> I can understand how uneducated users of these would
> grind steeper bevels on them if they didn't know
> any better. It takes some work to grind it correctly.
> This is probably why there are lots of old ones out
> there that "don't work very well."
> 
> By the way, mine has a patent date of Feb 19, 1884.
> It has four screw holes, a shallow bevel about 1/16"
> wide inside the mouth, and both handles screw on
> clockwise.


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## donwilwol

Don't have one, don't need one
Don't have one, don't need one
Don't have one, don't need one
Don't have one, don't need one


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

^ Who are you, and what have you done with Don W?


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## donwilwol

See, I can now say I've limited my collecting!


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## theoldfart

Sure! Right! Uhhhh!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

This would be a user, Don. Think of it that way and it's not collecting.


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## JayT

Don, I thought you had moved from collector to hoarder. Hoarders don't have a ceiling (at least most can't see it because of all the stuff) so if you don't want a cigar shave, you'll have to change your sig line.


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## Brit

I've bid on a few over the years. Haven't been successful yet. Good ones are not that common over here. Moore and Wright made one too.










I would guess any info applies to both makes.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

By the looks of that cutter, I'd agree with your guess. Good looking tool, that is!


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## Boatman53

Hey Don if you make it to the show I've got an extra one I can let go pretty reasonably. The handles don't match so I thought I'd have time to turn one or two out of some exotic wood. Instead I found one in good condition and don't have to do a thing.
Jim


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## donwilwol

Life decided I had more important things to do Jim. Maybe next time. Ugghh


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Added Kelly Tool Works instruction above. And this snipped from a discussion board around 2009:



> The cutter is very difficult to hold while honing and requires a main and back bevel to cut properly. I double stick tape the cutter to a section of dowel and use sandpaper on a granite plate as the sharpening medium.


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## TheFridge

Filthy enablers I tell you.

4" cabriole legs do sound pretty awesome though.


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## runswithscissors

The cigar shave is good for peeling carrots and spuds, too.


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## Aidan1211

But you know YOU WANT ONE! I'll let you borrow one of mine sometime…..... When I'm not using it. Wait never mind I'm always using them. Pain in the butt to tune and sharpen, once done it's awesome.



> Don t have one, don t need one
> Don t have one, don t need one
> Don t have one, don t need one
> Don t have one, don t need one
> 
> - Don W


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## waho6o9

Good stuff, thanks Smitty!


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## BrentParkin

Looked for one of these for ages. Then discovered the brand new Kelly Tool Works one in the 90's. Bought the KTW and then found a real MF one the following week. I have never bothered to clean up the MF one. It's in a drawer somewhere…. LOL.


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## mafe

Sexy!
And I miss one in my workshop…
Always found them beautiful and would love one day to run into one.
Thanks for the info.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## smance

Can't wait to find one myself. Thanks for the info.


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## Ocelot

Found it. When it arrives, I'll know what I've really bought. This thread is helpful already.


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## Ocelot

The MF No 1 arrived. I'm fearing that somebody filed the mouth. I don't know if that'll ruin it or even if it happened. I haven't had time to look at it closely yet. It just came at lunch time and I'm still at work (and will be for awhile).


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Not the end of the world (I filed mine too, to reshape a bunged former hack).


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## GlenintheNorth

And I think I just joined the "atta boy" club. Wow this thing is super finicky.

It has a Kelley iron in it. The original is in really, really bad shape to where it's not usable save as a reference for replacements. The diameter of the Kelley is too big by just a little bit though the original is spot on. I think that is why I have had so much trouble…the mouth can not close up enough.

I think that if I can grind the flat to a steeper angle I can match the angle of attack that gets me this shaving. Problem is, no one makes replacements if I should screw it up!


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## Ocelot

There's a guy on ebay that makes these in his home machine shop, sells 'em for $150.


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## Brit

I finally snagged one tonight. Looking forward to playing with it.

Seller's pics:


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## Ocelot

Brit,

That's a far nicer-looking one than mine.

I'm hoping mine doesn't have to be pretty to work.

-Paul


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Andy, that does look like a beauty!!

Congrats on the shaving, Glen. That original must be in really, really bad shape… Any chance of getting a pic of the train wreck that is the cutter?


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## TheFridge

Looks like I'm gonna have to try to tune up my real and fake one so I don't feel left out. Peer pressure is a b.


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## Brit

So I've read all the material Smitty posted / linked to and I understand it all. So far though, the only photo I've seen of the No.1 producing decent shavings is the black and white photo that Smitty posted at the start of this thread. The other photos show shavings that look to me like they are leaning more towards scrapings than shavings.

Smitty - please would you take another photo showing the mouth of your No.1. The iron that came with mine looks like it was brand new. I polished the existing bevel and I'm getting the same scrapings/shavings that everyone except you seem to be getting. To me, the angle forming the cutting edge would benefit from being more acute. Can you share what you did to sharpen yours please?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Andy - Yes, I can dive back into the MF #1 fettling pool. Shop time has been essentially NIL for several weeks but the brain housing group can be tapped and pictures taken. Stand by…

EDIT: This from above jives with your thought, Andy: "The more acute I made the angle, the more I could close up the mouth and still take a shaving. Once I got it to about 1/16", I left it. Works MUCH better now."

As I recall, I went the acute way but didn't attain a closed mouth (1/16") at all. So that (to me) was a bit of a red herring. Ended up re-shaping the mouth of the shave to 1) make it uniform, after a previous owner munged it up a bit; and 2) to create a mouth surface closer to be slightly off-set yet still parallel with the cutter's bevel, kinda like a jointer. It was during this trial-and-error work I got the plane to perform.

Pictures to come that show the cutter and mouth.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop




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## Brit

Thanks very much Smitty. Do you have a mirobevel on the concave side?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

No, just one big 'ole primary bevel.










It really is all about that gap created (and circled above) between the primary bevel and the workpiece. A microbevel on either side would adversely impact the end goal (inside = make it a scraper; outside = no worky).


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## Ocelot

hmmm. It might work better hollow ground on the outside.


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## Brit

I got it purring like a cat by the fire now Smitty. Mouth is about 1/32". I tried it on pine, sapele, white oak and hard maple. It will only get better now with successive sharpenings.


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## Ocelot

Gives one hope!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

1/32" is an amazingly tight setup, Andy! Do tell! I'm guessing the mouth on yours has to be the key. Now I seek pics.


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## Brit

3 hours an a few thousand passes on the waterstones sorted out the iron Smitty. I made the mistake of cutting my fingernails beforehand though and now I have really sore thumbs from applying pressure. Like you, I also filed the mouth slightly too as I found the original machining wasn't actually that good as the clearance on one side of the iron was less than the other side. Didn't take much to put that right, but it works better for doing it. I'll take some more photos today and post them tonight.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Yep, you can see I still have a side that doesn't align mouth with cutter's edge.

3 hours is a very long time in today's measure, and certainly was 'back in the day,' so if that's what it took to (sometimes?) get these tools working properly, it's no wonder they have a reputation.


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## Brit

Here is a photo of the mouth as it currently stands. I am still going to refine it a bit more because I feel it could be better. Once I'm happy with it, I'll take some more close up photos and try to take some measurements.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Very nice. Tells me I have a ways to go as well. But then, is it 'it works, it's good', like not flattening the soles of planes without cause?

Either way, yours is a beauty at this stage, Andy. Incredible, actually.


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## GlenintheNorth

I forgot to favorite this. Oops…

I'll get a pic of that iron and the setup on that shave as soon as I can, but it may be almost irrelevant soon.

For today I took possession of another one! (Special thanks to Mos for his 0%-interest banking skillz.) This new one has a mouth that is *tiny*, and the original iron is only dull.

Handling that one made me realize something. My original shave's mouth is huge, and the bevel on the Kelly iron has a microbevel on it that I'll never be able to remove. I think it was a used iron when I got it. The new one has only the long primary and the mouth is not filed, so it appears it might be far more awesome.

Detailed pics when I can get 'em.


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## Brit

Smitty I would agree. If you're happy with how it cuts, leave it alone.

Glen - Sounds good. I look forward to seeing that one.


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## Mosquito

> (Special thanks to Mos for his 0%-interest banking skillz.)
> 
> - GlenintheNorth


I can enable like the rest of 'em


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## GlenintheNorth

Two of the original iron:
.









.









.

The old shave above:








.

The newer shave:









The Kelly iron as received:








.

As you can see, I got it with a microbevel (and a big one, to boot) already on it. I am reading that and the wide open filed mouth are probably the reasons for the poor performance.

And the Kelly didn't match the radius of the body of the shave so when tightened down it pulls the edge away from the mouth opening. That can't be helping, either.

I do not have time to get the other iron into shape (and the original of the other is a lost cause) but when I do I'll post back in here about it.


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## GlenintheNorth

This forum software does not do this crap well.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

It prefers pics in landscape mode


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## GlenintheNorth

Joy. I'm on my phone with little control of that kind of thing.


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## TheFridge

Yeah I have to rotate the pic by a degree or so and save. I think any kind of edit that'll resave the pic will work.


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## Brit

Thanks for the photos Glen.

I think what we also have to remember is that these shaves were made at a time when tools were not sold as 'ready-to-go' out of the box. Manufacturers expected craftsmen to sharpen and hone tools according to the task at hand.


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## GlenintheNorth

That is true, but I don't recall any MF documentation saying to open the mouth up until the shave was nigh useless…!


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## mafe

You guys are sooooo wonderful.
Just a thought from Denmark.
Mads


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## Ocelot

Hey Smitty, that first article you linked to 4 years ago is now a dead link. Is there any chance you can find another copy of the article somewhere?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

I'll check.

Edit: no luck via wayback machine. Wictor Kruk took it away.

I replaced it with this discussion, as well as another blog post.


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## Ocelot

Thanks


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## Vendo79

Hi everyone,
I just picked up one of these gems from the past and was curious if anyone has a lead on a new blade? The old one was cracked through as it was in a junk pile for years before I got it off the side of the road in a pile.

Thank you,
Matt.


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## Johnny7

> Hi everyone,
> I just picked up one of these gems from the past and was curious if anyone has a lead on a new blade? The old one was cracked through as it was in a junk pile for years before I got it off the side of the road in a pile.
> 
> Thank you,
> Matt.
> 
> - Vendo79


You may want to call St. James Bay tool co.
I think he was making repros.

It's that or e*ay.


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