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I am making a very complex walking stick which I will post when finished. I have never had much success with commercial carving knives and so make my own. The ones shown were all specially made for this project, mostly by me and some by a mate. They are based on Japanese styles. The faces on the walking stick range in size from about 15mm to the largest at about 75mm. They all contain intricate detail with some parts being about 1mm deep and 1mm wide. All of the knives have small, narrow blades and handles about the size of a pencil. I hold and use the knives like a pencil.

All of my knives are made from recycled steel. The best I have found are old thick, guillotine blade which seem to be made of a very fine steel. Of course they have to be cut up and it is important to not heat them. I understand this type of steel cannot be easily re-tempered by the simple technology available to me. So I cut them carefully, cooling all the time, grind them to shape, equally carefully and mount in a handle. They are usually bound, more for good looks that practical purpose.

This set of knives has been very successful and I will apply them to more regular types of Netsuke carving in the future.

Gallery

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Wow!

Like you, I've never really liked store bought carving knives. I would LOVE a step by step of how you make these!!!
 

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Thank you Guys for the comments. I particularly appreciate the reference to the Carving Path. To make the knives in the pictures I get a blade, already tempered. Guillotine or Hi Speed Steel. I cut it with a 1mm wide cut of wheel on my angle grinder. Be careful, I got 60 stitches in my fingers at Christmas doing something similar. Keep the blade cool as you don't want it to overheat. Shape the new blade on a bench grinder, glue in a handle with Gorilla Glue. Do the final grind on the blade with the bench grinder and then sharpen on an oil stone.
 

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Beautiful tools.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 

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I like to make tools as much as I like carving. Trouble is you only need so many tools to work with and so there is an upper limit on the numbers any one person can make. There are only a few Netsuke carvers in New Zealand so not a great demand for the tools.
 

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Beautiful tools make working with them a joy. Tools that are beautiful and made by their user are twice a joy.

If you'd like a suggestion for a future pattern, why not a totem cane using the art of the natives of the north west as an inspiration? Being part native myself (Kahnawake Mohawk) I've always loved the totems of the Haida, Kwakiutl and Tsimshin. The thunderbird, bear, raven, salmon, killer whale and otter all figure in the totem poles and other art works of these people and a well planned out cane using these designs would be interesting indeed.

Migwetch!

Paul
 

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Wow, you're a lucky man.
 

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Thanks for the comments. I have now joined the websites mentioned. Its a good idea to do a native American walking stick although I am not overly familiar with the cultural aspects. More used to our New Zealand Maori style.
 

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A web search for "Haida art" or "totem poles" would give you a good start on getting a feel for the style. Just remember, if you use a thunder bird, it traditionally must be at the top.

Paul
 

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Thank you Paul. I have been looking at a couple of books on the subject to see what sort of ideas I can come up with. I was in Canada a couple of years ago and was very interested in the indigenous art.
 

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Hi again John.

I've been seriously thinking of doing one as my first carved cane. Almost my first carving, as it's been half a century since my last carving in high school. I'm part Mohawk, not Haida, but the Mohawk don't have a totem carving tradition so I;m adopting their style. I'm sure they won't scalp me for it. (grin)

Have fun with the totems. They are traditionally a story of the family or band they are carved for with each totem representing something significant to them. Something like a family tree. By adapting this idea and mixing in some of your own "totems" you can have the same idea for whoever you're carving the cane for.

Paul
 

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Hi Paul, I have been looking at my books. There certainly are some great designs there that will go well on a walking stick. I have incorporated two very old, primitive designs onto my current stick. Let me know if you need any advice. Only too happy to help. Cheers RusticJohn.
 
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