How can I increase my knife skills, I recently got my first knife (Clipper 840MG) and it's still hair popping sharp, so what are some activities I can do? I've learned a few way to cut with a knife, with different purposes.
Make a spoon, this lets you use lots of techniques.
Feathersticks, learn to control the depth of a cut.
I'm getting the hang of feathersticks, also I will also try to make a handle for my knife, what wood is best, in my back garden I have a large hazel tree, will it suffice? for a handle and spoons?
What knife are you going to handle? The mora?
Yes, hazel is fine for spoons, though it is a bit harder to carve than sycamore or birch for example.
No, not the Mora a old kitchen knife without a handle.
I will have a good at spoon carving, are there any good guides?
Hazel will make a decent handle, but there are better and nicer woods easily available if your going to cut your own. Hawthorn is nice, as is ash, oak, yew, to name a few.
Ahh well I also have 3 hawthorn trees in my back garden, and they are very over grown, so I will cut some down.
Make sure that you season it well as it can split badly if your not careful. Try drying a large chunk slowly in the microwave( on defrost) then you should be able to cut out the piece you need.
Do it slowly, a minute at a time and weigh the wood after each time, when it weighs the same twice in a row, its done
OK thanks mate, I'll put a chunk of hazel in the microwave, it won't catch fire because microwaves work by vibrating water molecules then the water molecules give of heat and vaporize, but it won't be enough to light a chunk of wood.