IMO, Shaving horses are best left for wagon spokes and table legs, as they were intended. Popularity aside, they are not well suited to handling large staves or flexible pieces like bows. And if you cannot stand to work sitting down, as I, you may find them downright miserable. My suggestion is to get a 5 or 6-inch machinist's vise and mount it to a post, heavy woodworking bench, or portable bench with a sturdy frame (not the collapsible B&D variety). Mount it high enoughso thatit's comfortable to work at. You'll be able to crank a death grip on even large staves for debarking and heavy drawknifing, and if you pad the jaws with a piece of leather, be able to finesse the tiller with a fine cabinet scraper, all the while saving your back, legs, and sanity. Expect to find new retail prices near $100, perhaps 1/2, 1/4th, or even less of that at flea markets, ebay, or off-market tool shops. Don't worry about American vs. Chinese quality (in the case of vises anyway). Just get something big and heavy and will work fine.
