Carving

[beenn]

I would like to start carving and was just wondering if there's any good advice/tips/videos and if there are any tools you would recommend.

I have full tang knives, Mora 120 carving knife, little 3 blade carving knife and spoon blade from WK.
I have whittled in the past when camping but noting 'good' and i would like to become better.

I know it wouln't happen overnight but i would like to become better

Cheers.

[lannyman8]

the best thing to do ben is just get some wood and get carving, as you get used to the blades and differant holds on the blades you will get better... remember to keep your tools nice and sharp though...

[beenn]

the best thing to do ben is just get some wood and get carving, as you get used to the blades and differant holds on the blades you will get better... remember to keep your tools nice and sharp though...

Thanks Chris, I will try when i next camp but the weather keeps getting in the way.. not complaining about rain but i dont have any transport for now and my local spots are flooded..
I have had some wood in the garage for a while and hope to try carving some green wood.

[Jimmy Bojangles]

I'd start by picking what you want to carve, then you can start working out how to go about carving it.

Cheers

Mat

[woodspirits]

hiya beenn,

great to hear you want to carve, lannyman's advise is spot on just get a bit of greenwood and whittle away. this may help to get you started

[youngbushcrafter]

You may already have it but a good sharp axe or hatchet like one from gransfors bruks, really cuts down work - if you'll pardon the pun

[Biker]

Working on green wood would be a good start, seasoned wood tends to be a lot tougher. My only addition would be a gouge of some description somehting that will form a hollow like a bowl. The spoon knives are OK but I prefer the way a gouge sits in my hand to a spoon knife. Just a personal thing though.

Like has been said keep your tools sharp (flexcut stropping block and yellow paste is highly reccomended.) and keep your free hand NOT in front of where you're cutting i.e. behind the blade. If you find yourself forcing the chisel, stop and use a block of wood as a light mallet. Or better yet take smaller bites out of the wood.

Best of luck Ben and be sure to show your results.

2nd on Woodspirit's tutorials, his work is just superb... the overly talented git.

[cbrdave]

Hi mate, can i ask where you got the 3 blade carving knife from and how much?, i am interested in trying some carving and only have a mora,
Cheers, Dave.

I would like to start carving and was just wondering if there's any good advice/tips/videos and if there are any tools you would recommend.

I have full tang knives, Mora 120 carving knife, little 3 blade carving knife and spoon blade from WK.
I have whittled in the past when camping but noting 'good' and i would like to become better.

I know it wouln't happen overnight but i would like to become better

Cheers.

[woodspirits]

the overly talented git.

aww,he likes me really (kettle pot, pot kettle)

youngbushcrafter mentioned an axe, good idea. it can save a lot of time by roughing out first, thats if the project warrants it. frustration and slow progress can often deter new carvers, stick at it beenn.

[beenn]

Thanks guys!

Will pick up some wood when im out, will have to learn some tree ID too! im rubbish!

[lannyman8]

hey ben, try some willow birch or sycamore, all soft woods to make it easy to start with, and also quite easy to id...

[Biker]

Thanks guys!

Will pick up some wood when im out, will have to learn some tree ID too! im rubbish!

Top tip: If it has random spaced branches with smallish leafy shaped brown/red/green things it's a tree.

If it's straight with a light at the top it's not a tree but a lamppost and carving things from the trunk of that will require a lot of tool sharpening.

Don't feel bad about tree identification, I'm a carpenter and I have trouble knowing which tree is which. my only excuse is that I just make things from their "flesh" I don't fell and mill them from the raw source.