(Part 2) Best products from r/Woodcarving

A strop is only for honing (the final step to achieving a razor-sharp edge), while a whetstone could be used for anything from shaping the initial bevel to honing, depending on the grit.

If you do buy some Flexcut knives, which I highly recommend, you will probably only need a strop if you properly maintain them. In fact, they recommend you never use a whetstone and only opt for a Powerstrop if you neglect them for too long.

Many sites will recommend you buy tools one by one so you can get what you need, but as another beginner, I was extremely happy I purchased the Flexcut Deluxe Set. It was probably one more knife and one more palm tool than I needed, but it helped me understand what was out there and how to use them. A good, cheaper alternative might be this set.

No matter what you buy, one of the most important things to do from both a safety and usability (and enjoyment!) factor is to keep your tools as sharp as possible. That way it requires less force to move the tool through the wood, which is a common injury mechanism, and it makes it easier to create fun things. For the weird angles with V and gouge tools, I use another Flexcut invention. It works okay, but you can get the same results with folded sandpaper or other methods. I also bought a fullsize knife strop because it really does make a difference and you can get some with a lot more surface area. I haven't needed to buy a whetstone yet.

Also, I've since supplemented my starter set with Dockyard tools, which also come very sharp and keep their edge well. So far I've only used their micro tools, but I understand they have decent sets as well.

Speaking from unfortunate experience, you should definitely pick up a pair of kevlar gloves. I had a pretty serious hand injury (partially severed tendon) because I was just doing some touchups and wasn't using my gloves and got a bit sloppy. It only takes one single wrong stroke, and I had gotten complacent since I'd been so careful in the past. The gloves let me be more reckless and have definitely saved me from cuts, although they wouldn't protect against a stabbing cut. Thumb guards are also popular, but I don't actually like them very much. The gloves are nice because you can get a great grip on the tools.

When you have a knife or a set, you'll need some wood to practice on. I found ebay to be a great resource...just search for "basswood" and pick a few different sizes. 2x2x6 seems to be a good starting point to me. Make sure it is kiln-dried as well. Here is a good assortment that is pretty cheap. Butternut is another good choice, but for a beginner, I'd stick with basswood from personal experience.

Finally, if you are wanting a good book to introduce you to the subject, I'd recommend the Complete Book of Woodcarving. I've bought a number of books on the subject, but it is definitely the best if you are only buying one and need an overview to the entire craft. Old Time Whittling is only 30 pages, but gave some great examples and was very useful to me as well.

Wow are you every lucky, that's some nice stuff there once you clean it up and if you take care of it.

For carving with gouges I strongly recommend these three books:

Chris Pye's Woodcarving Course

Chris Pye's - Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment vol. 1

[Chris Pye's - Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment vol. 2](
https://www.amazon.com/Woodcarving-Tools-Materials-Equipment-2/dp/1861082029/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466087662&sr=8-2&keywords=Chris+Pye)

As a beginner I found them immensely useful to learn how to properly use and take care of my tools. If you use gouges wrongly not only do you create dangerous situations for yourself but also you tend to do worse work at much more effort than required. The first book above is great for teaching you how to use the tools, it does so by walking you through some projects and teaching you the grips to use and such. It's really good. The other two books are like encyclopedia's practically on how to look after that good quality gear you have. They'll tell you everything you need to know and more about them, like what those numbers are on the tangs (the "sweep" of the gouge) and how to sharpen a v-tool (those V shaped gouges you've got there).

For the stones I think you've lucked into something there. I used to restore straight razors as a hobby and those guys are insane sharpening fanatics and know a ton about sharpening stones. If you went to talk to them I bet they could identify the stones for you dead on. This is where they hang out. If you went on their forums I'm sure they'd love to help you figure out what the various stones are. In my experience old stones your grandpa used to have that you find outclass modern stuff by a mile and a half so long as you use them properly. I've seen it again and again when guys luck into finds like yours on that forum heh.

The knife on the far left is a good knife I'm jealous of. You could use that for any kind of knife carving work you see out there (caricatures, bird carving, etc..) not just chip carving. If you get into that make sure you get one of these and try to find some of this high friction guard tape for your knife holding thumb. That tape is the best stuff on earth and has saved my thumb from being cut in half many a time.

Finally pay close attention to what syntax said about needing a strop, that's super important as you'll learn. Just buy your own leather and glue it down to some MDF with 5-minute epoxy and then rub honing compound into the leather. Use this frequently as you work.

Oh and final bit of advice is one power tool every carver needs is a band saw, like you say to cut out patterns and do bulk wood removal. If you haven't got one make friends with someone who does quick!

It depends on what kind of carving you're trying to do. Chip carving? Turning? Relief? In-the-Round? Large pieces? Small pieces?

I learned a Japanese style of woodcarving while I was living over there and I used a set like this while I was getting started. Here's a link to something similar on American Amazon. I since upgraded to professional-grade tools, but I actually still use my intro set on a semi-regular basis when doing relief and in-the-round.

My carving style primarily uses yew, but the techniques also translate well to softer woods like pine, cedar, alder, spruce, cypress, and basswood. These are all softwoods and I work in very small sizes, so I don't need chisels or a mallet, but I need small, sharp knives/gouges in order to cut cleanly and smoothly.

If you're hand carving, you're going to want to start with basswood. It's soft and easy to cut, but it doesn't chip as badly as other softwoods like pine or cedar. As you get better you can move up to harder woods like satinwood and yew which will hold detail much better, but will also be harder on your tools and require finer technique.

Last tip, don't bite off more than you can chew with your first couple projects. My teacher got me started working a basic border pattern to teach cutting technique before I tried doing anything in 3D. Remember to keep it simple, low detail, as few appendages as possible. Owls are usually a good place to start, though smooth rounded edges like that can be tough as a beginner. Also, drawing is 3/4 of a successful project. Draw it and redraw it as you cut and you'll be in a good place.

P.s. - A link to my carving page

I started in November last year after getting some wood carving gifts for my birthday. I had never even attempted it before, but I've now found a life long passion hobby. Below are the links to all of the things I was given for my birthday. It's not fancy at all, but it's also enough of a good investment that you can tell if carving is for you without breaking the bank. In all it's around $30. Also, https://bit.ly/2JPID0Z. This article has information on understanding wood grain, something that is insanely important to making the right cuts. The important thing I've found is when you are making your cut, make them small and shallow. Even if you're looking to remove a lot of wood. You will end up digging in too deep and ripping an irrecoverable chunk out of your block if you're too heavy handed with it. Just go with the flow and take your time. But, most important of all...post everything you make here. This community is so friendly, honest and helpful you only stand to improve by sharing your progress!

https://amzn.to/2JS2DjC - Wood Carving tools
https://amzn.to/2qAG364 - Basswood mixed size bag
https://amzn.to/2H7TPYY - 20 minute Whittling Projects book.

P.S Good luck if you do take it up! Go create!

Which would be easier to start with? I see the benefit of both. Do you have a rotary tool that you would recommend? I've browsed around and was thinking about the Dremel 4000 here but part of me wants to go the hand route....I can do that inside my house without pissing anyone off as much with a rotary. Any recommendations on knives and micros? What about there and here. I'd like to stay under or around $100.00 on my first go of tools. Thanks again

agreed, basswood is the perfect starting wood. you can get it for pretty cheap from amazon in smaller pieces, or hardware stores like here in a little more bulk and variety (i recommend both, i have both and will get more of both). Great for starting out and learning how to make the cuts and use the tools. then try out other woods as you feel more comfortable.

I started with this then got one of these for removing larger chunks.
*note the irwin one comes with a factory edge meaning it will need to be sharpened...so you'll need one of these and this to get that baby super sharp. then run it over the flat part of this and you'll be in like Flynn.

Also the flexcut slip strop if used every 20 minutes of carving (with any tool) will keep the edges super sharp for longer, meaning you dont have to go to the harsh stone right away. Also, note, when using the stone, to soak for at least 20 minutes before using. There are plenty of great youtube videos out there teaching proper sharpening technique for all sorts of tools with Water stones.

I'd also suggest a wooden mallet and a larger heavier one, or I just use a rubber mallet. Also while you're at it, grab a coping saw to remove large areas of unwanted wood. Make sure you have a vice to hold your wood or some sort of block device.

I'm still waiting on my carving knives from Here. They have a back order of 6-8 weeks! I got a straight (sloyd) knife and a hook knife for spoon carving and such.

So far that's where I'm at. Hope that helps.

I'm not sure if it's the same knife set your talking about, but this set came up once and whoever bought it said it was junk. I'd always be leary if the exact same knife set was pictures under different brand names like this one is.

If you're on Facebook, join some carving groups and lurk. The ones that come up most frequently in the group I'm in are Mora or Morakniv, Opinel, and several smaller knife makers. There are others, but Moras always come up.

What are you interested in carving specifically?

E: Check out spoon carving, Greenwood working and sloyd on Facebook. Lots of equipment talk, projects, and inspiration. A lot of the members are in Europe/Eurasia and they are extremely gifted people.

I'm fond of the Flexcut palm tools such as the link below. Make sure you also get a carving glove and thumb guards too! and good luck

http://amzn.com/B001UXXTTK

Grab a nice starter knife. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GATX62/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That knife and a few blocks of basswood was enough to make me fall in love in carving. If you decide you like it and want to start carving more details into your works you can grab some chisels.

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Carving-Tools-Seven-Piece/dp/B0037MI3K2/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i4?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pd_rd_i=B0037MI3K2&pd_rd_r=BGGJB52PAYA1T0HS96E0&pd_rd_w=rod12&pd_rd_wg=6RHP4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=1P6DCGHZDPEYM542SBQ7&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=781f4767-b4d4-466b-8c26-2639359664eb&pf_rd_i=desktop

That's some awesome work.

In-the-round carving is definitely what I am looking to do then.

How are beavercraft knifes I saw this kit and figured 3 knifes, strop, and tool roll it's not a bad deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P578XFV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ig0mDbF36FHK4

Well, if you are looking for a wide variety of tools: i started with these

Though to start you would probably do fine with just a knife

or if you want to spend a little more you can't go wrong with drake

It's tough to recommend a knife as a starting point though. Obviously I don't want to say "You need to go out and spend a bunch of money, or you'll regret it" Because the truth is you would probably be fine with the knife sets you were looking at before.

I would say 1 good quality knife is better than 5 poor quality knives though. I have no personal experience with the sets you were looking at, but I have seen a few random posts where people have expressed that the sets they found at hobby lobby didn't hold their edges very well, which can be a frustrating experience.

At the same time, spending 10 dollars on a set of knives, might be all you need to decide if you are into the hobby or not and want to spend more money on it. It's tough. I would however go into that situation knowing that if you spend 10 dollars on a set of 5 knives, odds are good in a short amount of time if you decide you are into the hobby, you will feel their lack and want better knives.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YLET3E/ref=wms_ohs_product_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

thats what i use, work great. I have this [stone] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/order-history/ref=ohs_order_orderid?ie=UTF8&hasWorkingJavascript=1&opt=ab&qid=&search=107-7833825-7393023&sr=) and it works fine. For any serious reshaping and sharpening you'll need a lower grit stone but i feel like most craving sets and chisels will come preshaped.

Just remember to wet the stone with oil, I use water and its fine.

I currently own these two sets: Flexcut and Dockyard.

Mostly I used the KN12, although the KN13 got a fair amount of use. The V-tool from the Flexcut set was pretty useful, and I used the smallest gouge from the Dockyard set a lot, with the remaining assortment from both used for bits here and there. I was wishing I had a smaller V-tool, and not for the first time...that will probably be my next purchase. In my experience, if I had to buy only one micro tool, it would definitely be the smallest from the Dockyard set.

Also, it seems like no one does this, but doing stop cuts with a cheapo Xacto saw is amazing. You get a consistent line that doesn't need much cleanup, and you can easily lop off chunks that would normally take awhile to cut through properly with a knife multiple times. The kerf is quite minimal so it yields a very fine cut.

I started with flexcut interchangeable sets. I personally have the 11 pc. and deluxe set . Note that the image on amazon for the deluxe set is wrong, it looks like this. I still use them everyday alongside my more expensive tools and a benefit of the interchangeable blades is you can get an adapter in the future and use it with a powered reciprocating carver. Note also that these sets dont overlap, so if you got both the 11 piece and the deluxe you wont have duplicate chisels. It's a good way to initially round out a wide range of gouges and v tools and then later on you can start buying the more expensive chisels a little at a time. Good brands are Pfeil, Ashley Iles, Two Cherries, Henry Taylor, Auriou, Dastra, Addis (Antique, can find them on Ebay) and there are others that I cant think of atm.

You'll also need a sharpening stone and oil, and a strop. I personally use a soft arkansas stone and the norton oil, I also have a set of soft arkansas slip stones for honing the inside edge of gouges and v tools. And this is the main strop I use. And stropping compound, you can use flexcut gold or some green compound.

​

Iv'e also heard good things of ramelson tools, but personally have not used them, so maybe someone else can vouch for them.

​

Things like this are your best bet. I purchased a grab box for around $30 and I'm still carving with it all a year later.

It's just an inexpensive set. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PSMR1NQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) I didn't want to spend too much till I was confident it was something I was going to enjoy. I'm looking at some Deepwoods Ventures tools as a more longterm knives.

Short Video overview of Diogenes:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQZZFtzXPMg
  
  
  Longer video overview of Diogenes (recommend this channel as well):
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ctYfy7-Ec
  
  Article giving overview of Diogenes:
  
  
• https://www.ancient.eu/Diogenes_of_Sinope/
  
  Academic article overview:
  
  
• https://www.iep.utm.edu/diogsino/
  
  A book about him I've been meaning to read that would be a good springboard for deeper study:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Diogenes-Sinope-Legend-Handbook-Material/dp/1533528845/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VR0VX207JQ1GF05C1BXW

I ordered the basswood grab box and this is what came in it pretty satisfied with it. Maybe some of you without a local wood supplier find this useful

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YLET3E/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A16SR3KAP60UP0 checked this on the website, it's good

Thank you

Loving it. I bought this set. To be honest, I don't know exactly what the difference between the three knives are, but they all cut through the wood like butter.

For some reason I am always squeamish when it come to carving with Xacto knives.. I think it may be because of how thin the blades are which would make them easier to break. I would say save up the extra $20-$30 and by one of these sets.

http://www.amazon.com/Flexcut-Tool-Knife-Carving-Set/dp/B003Z7XNUO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410631466&sr=8-2&keywords=flex+cut

http://www.amazon.com/Beginner-Palm-and-Knife-Set/dp/B005EG033Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1410631466&sr=8-3&keywords=flex+cut

These sets will last you forever and can be resharpened with out any problem.

I just ordered these so I can't attest to their quality but their ratings are fine on Amazon.

thumb guard

gloves

There are lots of different tool makers, here's a couple of detail knives that are decent price.

R. Murphy Detail Knife

Flexcut Detail Knife

I'd recommend staying away from the Mora knives. They tend to be longer and a little unwieldy. I think the blade is close to 2 1/4 inches whereas the Flexcut and Murphy knives I listed above are 1 1/2 inches.

For gouges, v-tools, and chisels, Flexcut Craft Carver Set (5pc) is a decent price as well. It's an interchangeable blade set, I started carving with it and still use it to this day.

Another thing you'll want to invest in is a strop and compound. Stropping your blade blade regularly will keep it sharp. Amazon has them if you search for "strop block" or "strop paddle". The sharpening compound I use is a chromium oxide bar or Flexcut Gold.

Does this look like a good start?

He already has a knife but this looks to cover some of his other needs.

Mind you I have only used this stuff to carve this one tiny thing but I figure I can always upgrade to different tools if I stick with it for a while and decide these things need an upgrade. Next time I buy supplies, I’m definitely finding another retailer for larger pieces of Basswood though. The selection on Amazon sucks a bit.

Glove:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IVM1TKO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_BN5WCbEJ88Z77

Blades:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P578XFV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_zN5WCbWR8JJJA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0037MI3K2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_mN5WCb9TNQ5A5

Sharpening Tools:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FX9MHIG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_iN5WCbFRFMWSY
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0023W6RS2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_lN5WCbSTS92ZX
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2WY7WG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_qN5WCbZ70WC0J

Basswood:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L91JK9J/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_UQ5WCbSS09KD7

Would these tools at amazon be comparable to the ones you listed?

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008349HCC

They look really similar - just not sure if quality be same. I was looking at some netsuke carving - these looks amazing and they do require harder wood. Recently i tried carving crow from monument valley out of hard ebony wood and i damaged my felxcut knife.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000ZRZQ1G/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018N9Z72/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

"for rubber, small pumpkin, Soap, Vegetables and more "