These are the tools I recommend to a woodcarving beginner.

Thanks Dick. This is a real helpful post. Thanks for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

You are very welcome trifern!

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

thanks.
I remember you sharing this story before, about not knowing what sharp was until you tried that one….
I wonder what “sharp” really feels like!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Hi Debbie!

When you have a sharp chisel, you don’t have to wiggle your tool to get it to cut.

You can actually hear it cutting when its sharp.

I always strop my chisels every so often, when you think they’re getting dull.

I have some really fine silicon carbide powder that I rub my leather strop.

First I rub in a little Vaseline, so the powder will adhere to it.

You can buy various grits of stropping compound.

You don’t have to sharpen them with stone very often.

And now a word of wisdom:

When you cut yourself with a sharp tool, you can hardly feel it. (o;)

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Hello Dick,

I have looked for you on the website from Fine Woodworking and on there great website stands a video and there the told what the beginning carver needs. See website.
Also stand by this video the following lines:
Pennsylvania woodcarver David Sabol details the basic set of carving tools any beginner should consider when getting into three-dimensional carving. They include four gouges, three V-tools, and a knife. Sabol, who specializes in carving figurines and wildlife, also demonstrates how to use each of these tools to do everything from quickly removing waste to carving detail into his work. Watch in this video how he holds the tools and controls them to make accurate and effective cuts.

I hope it helps you a little bit, I’am not a carver, but maybe one day.
I thinks that this set good is for you as beginner.

Good luck, sorry for my English.

Schummie.

-- Greetings from the Netherlands.

I have been lucky enough on a couple of occasions to gift co-workers (whom I thought worthy) handplanes that I had fettled. Most people are truly amazed to see a properly tuned hand tool, adroitly applied, mostly because they have never seen one SHARP. But these cats truly “got it”. They grocked that it was quicker to tune a miter with a sharp block plane than run back to the miter saw and diddle the adjustment. You can’t really teach this nor screen for it on an application. All one can do, if one is lucky to find it, is nurture it and I’ve been lucky enough to encounter it more than once. In addition to the actual planes that I might have given them was (I hope) the ability to sharpen appropriately. I call it the starter kit.

Thank you for providing the starter kit for carving.

Cheers.

I forgot to mention the reason for stropping is to eliminate the wire edge caused by the stone,

& also it gives the tool a mirror like finish.

Schummie! Thanks for your input, & video. But the variety of chisels in the set I recommended is more versatile.

You’re Welcome grumpycarp!

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

You hit it on the head, SHARP is the key to enjoyable carving.

I love this line:
When you cut yourself with a sharp tool, you can hardly feel it.

Too true :)

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Ok . . . what is stropping? Is that the thing barbers do with the long leather strap, attached to the chair, and a straight razor?

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

You’re correct Zuki!

I’m not sure if they used a sharpening compound though.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Hi Dick,

Helpful post.

I know what you mean by a “real set” of carving tools. My first set was a joke. Although I didn’t know it at the time.

I don’t think the difference is something that can’t be understood until experienced.

I probably wouldn’t know what to recommend as a starter set.

“When you cut yourself with a sharp tool, you can hardly feel it”.

The giveaway is the end of the tool sticking out the other side of the body part. Keeps catching on stuff! lol

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hi Lee!

“The giveaway is the end of the tool sticking out the other side of the body part. Keeps catching on stuff!”

You had me rolling on the floor with that statement. Your the Man!

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Many thanks Dick. If I get into carving I will look you up.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Dick,

I don’t suppose you would care to create blog detailing how you sharpen carving tools? I know I would be grateful…. :)

-- Chris

Thanks for the input, Dick and Schummie. I’ve been looking for the “right” set of chisels to buy to get started. And as with most tools I buy, I like to buy good enough quality that I won’t be looking for something else a little farther down the line. Thanks for the post.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

You’re Welcome Grumpy, & Tim!

Hey Chris!

I think it would be redundant for me to do a blog on sharpening.

There already are so many good sources available.

I wish that when I started carving, I could’ve had all this available to me.

Looking at some of these, I’ve even learned some better sharpening skills myself.

Check out this one out.

I think I’ll start a forum topic about sharpening tutorials available.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1