[OP]
Member
Good evening! I would like to start wood carving in the relief style and would like to know, if you would buy a new set of chisels, what would be your choice? I would like something fairly basic(read here, less than 10 chisels), so what would you sugest for relief of small to medium piece? Do you have a favorit brand? would you stick with one brand? What can't you go with out?
Thank you!
Member
David,
Sets are hard to recommend as pretty much every set has something in it you are likely to not ever need. Instead, pick a first carving and just get the tools necessary to do that particular carving. Mike Handerson has done some fantastic carving tutorials right here in the carving forum that would be great ways to get started. There are several shells, a flower, and a fan. Just click the Carving Tutorials sticky post at the top of the carving forum and there are links within it to the individual tutorials. Mike discusses the tools used in each.
[OP]
Member
Thank you Bob, I think it's a great idea!
Do you have a brand that you prefer?
Member
I like Henry Taylor and Ashles Iles but a lot of other folks like Pfeil (Swiss Made) as well. I think the Pfeil are more readily available to most people as they are carried here in the US by every Woodcraft. Ashles Iles and Henry Taylor are typically catalog order for most people unless you happen to live close to one of the few retailers that carry those brands. I don't know if you live close to Lee Valley but I know they carry Henry Taylor.
Edit: Just realized you are in Yukon. Don't believe there's a LV store there.
Contributor
Call Little Shavers (http://www.littleshavers.com/). They have a couple of sets listed, but if you call them and describe your interests, they will put together a custom set for you. Their listed sets tend to be targeted toward carving in the round, but like you, I was more interested in relief carving, and have been very happy with the selection they made for me. Though my carving has taken me beyond that initial kit, the ones they selected are still among my most frequently used chisels.
[OP]
Member
Thank you Wayne... I can't find carving chisels on there web site?!?!
Bob, Indeed I'm in the yukon but deal with LV prety often!!
Member
http://www.chippingaway.com/WoodCarving/ has two cherries nice tools need honing/sharpening before use
I love my Swiss made tools to
I would avoid Marples (mine were free) they work but dont seem to hold the edge as long
lamp are decent to I am told...
scroll down
http://www.littleshavers.com/Preowned.html
good luck
Contributor
Little Shavers carries Denny, Ramulson, Flexcut, and a number of other carving chisels and knives.
http://www.littleshavers.com/Directory06PalmTools.html
http://www.littleshavers.com/Directory06knives.html
Member
I tend to agree with Robert. I have Henry Taylor and Ramulsen (sp?) and I also have Flexcut. The Flexcut is offered in a wide variety of places, though I have some and absolutely hate them. I do not understand why so many are sold, but that may be just my personal opinion.
My Ramulsen are palm sized which I like, though they do not seem to hold and edge like I would like them to. I am getting a Henry Taylor palm set of 12 in 2 weeks, in part because I love the 20+ full size HT's that I already own. The Henry Taylors seem to have the largest variety of selection. I understand that the sizing is a bit different than the other brands.
The biggest challenge is which type of tool to fit your style, wood species, and hands. I hate the Flexcut because the ergonomic handles do not fit my hand. I could not get chip cutting at all until I switched knives.
I will go out on a limb a bit here and recommend that you put just as much money into sharpening and you do the other tools. My work and job satisfaction increased when I got my tools REALLY sharp. Mountain Woodcarvers, Little Shavers, LV all sell sharpening equipment, though you may want to start with hand water stones, slip stones and such. Learning to sharpen will be an equal challenge to carving AT FIRST, then you will get it down pretty good and move on with the carving.
WoodCarving Illustrated (magazine) has some really good samples, patterns and tips. You might even find past issues through your library system. I also suggest you get some easy wood, like Basswood, Poplar, or cottonwood bark to learn on. Save the pretty or hard woods after you learn to watch the cuts, and orientation to the grain, etc.
I have to admit that of all the woodworking I do, the carving seems to be the most addictive. Just like planing off beautiful curls of wood with a razor sharp hand plan, woodcarving has the same sort of feel. That indescribable pleasure of the chisel cutting the wood, and the thrill of watching the shape form, is more than habit forming. You might want to buy stocks in Johnson & Johnson band aide company, so you can get some of your money back.
Welcome to the group (yes it should be a 12 step), and my name is Phil.
[OP]
Member
Thank you every one, it is great info!
Contributor
I agree with "Dr. Phil" -- it really depends so much on you, your style, your hands, etc., what type of tool works best for you.
I particularly like the feel (in cutting, and in the hand), and edge retention, of the Denny tools for my style of carving -- small, shallow, relief carvings to decorate furniture and home projects. I also like the feel of the significantly more expensive, long-handled, Pfeil "Swiss Made" tools, especially for veiners and large shallow gouges for clearing the background.
I appreciated the willingness of Little Shavers to consult on-the-phone to provide advice that didn't always align with their own financial interests. They also sharpen/hone all tools themselves before shipping them to you -- and they arrived very sharp.
Between Sawmill Creek and Little Shavers, I received excellent advice that still stands.
Member
For relief carving you would be hard pressed to find a better tool than Stubai. Stubai Direct is the US distributor, and it is owned by Ivan Whillock and his family. Better tools you will not find. I have tried Ashley Iles and Henry Taylor tools, and they were not to my satisfaction. Once upon a time Sheffield Steel(English tools) was top quality, but not anymore.
Dan
Member
I prefer Flexcut tools. They offer a full line of mallet and palm tools that are American made in Erie, Pennsylvania, and are very cost effective for beginners. All of the European brands mentoned herin are wonderful as well, but because of the weak dollar, their prices have skyrocketed.
When I was a beginner, I beat up on some of my tools pretty bad, and/or I did not yet know how to properly sharpen them. I sent my mallet set back to Flexcut, and they put band new factory edges on all of them for $4 each postpaid, and they retuned them to me in less than a week. Some of the European brands advertise that they will sharpen them for you for life for free, but you have to bear the cost of sending them to Europe, and the process could take a month or more.
Just another view.
Vic
Contributor
The idea of sending your carving tools back to the manufacturer for sharpening is useless. For most carving, you'll hone the tools several times during the course of any carving project.Originally Posted by Vic Castello
And if you drop a tool on the concrete floor (not an uncommon occurrence, and it always lands edge down), you have to be able to put a new edge on it. You simply cannot put that tool aside until you can send them out for sharpening.
If you can't sharpen, you can't carve.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
You are absolutely correct, Mike! I make these comments from the viewpoint of a beginner. I can properly care for my tools myself now, but I couldn't then. Ever since those tools came back from re-sharpening, I do exactly as you described, and I keep that nice sharp edge on them.
The only tools I still have problems with sometimes are certain parting tools. I have an Ashley Isles #40 that I just can't get right.
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