Abstract: A veneer lathe including a knife blade which is adjustable to different pitch angles. The veneer lathe includes a feed carriage mounted for movement on guides fixed to a lathe frame and a blade carriage supporting the knife blade. The blade carriage is a massive member pivotally mounted by trunnions on the feed carriage so as to rotate under the force of gravity. A support device is operative between the feed carriage and the blade carriage for supporting the blade carriage against the force of gravity in an angularly biased position relative to the feed carriage. The lathe also includes a control responsive to different types of wood for allowing the means for supporting the blade carriage to retract at different rates under the force of gravity exerted on the blade carriage.