A manual stretcher includes a frame, a shaft, a ratchet, a claw, a joint and a crank. The frame includes two lateral plates, an intermediate plate interconnecting the lateral plates and a hole defined in each of the lateral plates. The frame can be attached to an external structure so that the manual stretcher can be retained in position in operation. The shaft includes a slot defined therein for receiving a portion of a strip of work to be stretched. The shaft is inserted trough the holes. The ratchet is mounted on an end of the shaft. The claw is pivotally mounted on one of the lateral plates of the frame for engagement with the ratchet. The joint is mounted on another end of the shaft for engagement with the crank for rotation of the shaft. The shaft includes two halves. The ratchet includes two meniscus holes defined therein for receiving the halves of the shaft. The joint includes two meniscus recesses defined in an end thereof for receiving the halves of the shaft. Each of the halves of the shaft may include a stop formed on an end thereof for abutting the ratchet. Each of the halves of the shaft includes a hole defined in an end thereof. The joint includes two opposite pin-receiving holes defined in a periphery thereof. A pin can be inserted in the holes defined in the halves of the shaft and the pin-receiving holes defined in the joint, thus securely mounting the joint on the halves of the shaft.