Veneer Lathe Knives for Meinan, Fezer and Capital
Replacement peeling knives for Japanese, Brazilian and American veneer lines. Raute is the name everyone knows; the plywood mills running Meinan lathes in Asia and Fezer or Capital machines in the Americas need the same knife made to a different holder — and usually a different edge angle.
The holder decides the section
A peeling knife is clamped between a knife bar and a pressure bar, and the clamping geometry — the angle at which the knife meets the log, the support behind the edge, the way the bar is bolted — differs between lathe builders. Two knives of identical length and thickness can be wrong for each other's machine because the bevel runs on the wrong face.
| Build | Where you meet it | What is different |
|---|---|---|
| Meinan | Japan, SE Asia plywood lines | Compact lathes, tight section tolerance, knife changed as a set with the bar |
| Fezer | Brazil, South America | Heavier sections for large-diameter logs; long knives that must stay straight over the full length |
| Capital | North America | Inch-dimensioned holders; knife and pressure bar ground as a matched pair |
| Raute | Global, Scandinavia-led | Dedicated Raute page → |
Edge angle follows the species, not the lathe
The same lathe peeling poplar and eucalyptus needs two different edges. Soft, uniform species tolerate a sharper, thinner edge; dense tropical hardwood and frozen logs need more support behind the edge or it folds on the first revolution.
| Species | Edge angle | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Poplar, basswood | 19–21° | Clean cut, low force, veneer stays flat |
| Pine, spruce | 20–22° | Resin and knots need a slightly stronger edge |
| Eucalyptus, acacia | 22–24° | Dense fibre; a thin edge dulls within hours |
| Rubberwood | 21–23° | Grit in the bark is the wear driver |
| Frozen logs | 24–26° | Ice acts as an abrasive; edge must resist chipping |
Standard material is 6CrW2Si; 9CrSi and 5CrW2Si are used where the line runs abrasive species. Edge straightness is held within 0.05 mm over the full length — on a 2700 mm knife that is what decides whether the veneer comes off at a constant thickness or tapers across the width.
Pressure bar: order it with the knife
The pressure bar controls the gap the veneer passes through. A new knife against a worn bar gives you a gap that changes along the length, which shows up as wavy veneer and thickness variation the operator cannot adjust out. We grind pressure bars as matched sets with the knife on request — see pressure bars →
What to send
| Send this | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lathe make, model, max log length | Meinan, Fezer, Capital, Raute, Taihei |
| Knife size | Length × width × thickness, or the size written on the old knife |
| Species and target veneer thickness | Sets edge angle |
| Photo of the old knife in the holder | Shows which face the bevel runs on |
| Pressure bar in the same order? | Cheaper and better as a matched set |
Send your lathe model and knife size
Frequently asked
Is a Meinan knife the same as a Raute knife?
Sometimes in size, rarely in bevel geometry. The holder clamps the knife at a set angle and the bevel has to sit on the cutting face; send a photo of the knife in the holder and we match the geometry rather than only the outline.
Can you make one knife to trial on a long line?
Yes — one piece is the normal way to start. Run it against your current knife on the same species before ordering a set.
Do you supply in inches for Capital lathes?
Yes, ground to the inch drawing rather than converted and rounded.
Related: Veneer peeling knife overview · Setup: angle, gap, rough veneer · Veneer slicer knives
Send your lathe model and the size on the old knife
Species and target veneer thickness lets us set the edge angle before quoting.
Send an Inquiry