For this posting, I have picked a dozen things I tell my woodcarving students.  But in reality, there are really a lot more than a dozen but lets stick to twelve today.  They are:

1. There is no substitute for the time you spend with a knife or chisel.  You can only learn to carve or whittle by carving and whittling (hereafter referred to as “carving”).  Nothing teaches like experience.  You can learn about carving by listening to others, reading books and magazines, and by watching teaching DVDs and You Tubes, but it is only actually doing the carving where you will learn to carve.  Actually doing it is the best instructor.  Carve …and then carve some more.

2. Give yourself permission to fail.  And, give yourself permission to succeed, to experiment, to enjoy the process of carving as much as what the end result might be.  What is important is to “do it.”  Watch your self talk.  Give yourself a ‘good’ talking to.  Don’t be one of those people who say they want to learn to carve and then continually tell themselves they can’t, or berate themselves because they’re not carving masterpieces immediately.  Affirm to yourself that you are a skilled, great, master, carver… or what have you.  I promise you that with practice, you will be a skilled carver.

3. Better quality materials will give you better quality results.  Buy accordingly.  It’s tough enough to get a good result when you are learning to carve without giving yourself a further handicap by using inferior tools or crappy wood.  Buying cheap is often a false economy and is likely to set you up for frustration and disappointment.

4. Keep sharp.  Keep your knives and tools as sharp as you are capable of making them.  Strop often.  Like using cheap tools, a dull tool makes carving well more difficult.  If you don’t know how to sharpen, get someone that does to show you how.   Personally, I don’t think a book can help with this one.  By the by, it is difficult to keep a good edge on a cheap tool.

5. You don’t know what you don’t know.  Do workshops with different instructors. There is no right or wrong way to carve, there are only results.  With the countless techniques and different ways of working there are, no one person can show you or teach you all that’s possible.  Every workshop is worthwhile practice and who knows what you might learn that will be useful?  And, you won’t only learn from an instructor; you will also learn from fellow participants.

6. You have an artistic license.  Yes… a woodcarver is an artist so use your artistic license.  An artistic license means you do not have to limit your options to what is before you or to what is “real.”  Use reference material, but remember your carving is your creation.  You can change the style, change the position, emphasize, minimize, simplify, or add or leave out elements to make it a better representation of what you want.

7. Variety is what creates and maintains interest in carving.  So aim for variety in all things: in subjects, in sizes and shapes, in woods and in style.  Vary your carving technique.  Carve what you want and what interests you.

8. Asymmetrical designs can be much more interesting than symmetrical ones.  So place the main point of interest off center.  Whether you are doing an abstract, a figurative work or a landscape, principles of design are still relevant if you want to create a pleasing image.  The ‘rule’ of thirds is one such principle.

9.  Learn to squint and turn things up side down.  Squinting at or looking at your piece upside down is a great way to check your work.  Doing so will present you with different perspectives.

10.  Depth in a relief carving is an illusion.  A good relief carving is a wonderful illusion that invites the viewer to ‘enter’ the picture.  Simple techniques you can use to create a sense of distance is the use of undercutting, more detail with closer objects and less with objects in back, and differing tones in staining.  Overlapping shapes and linear perspective using foreshortening and converging lines along with repeated shapes of diminishing size all add to the sense of depth in a carving.

11.  Employ safety.  Work safely in all areas of carving.  Avoid breathing wood dust; only put things in front of your blade that you intend to cut; being intoxicated or tired do not mix with carving.  Think first… are you working safely?

12.  Do what is comfortable and feels right to you.  No one else’s opinion is any match for your own instincts and intuition.  Consider what others may tell you but remember, you are your own artist.

Stay Sharp and Happy Carving!

Please visit my website at: www.WhiteEagleStudios.com.

Recently, I completed 2 of several walking sticks that I will be doing before the summer.  Both are carved from aged Alaska Yellow Cedar and are approximately 67 inches high.
Aged Yellow Cedar is quite a bit harder than newer wood and so these are particularly stout.

One thing we have all experienced in carving walking sticks is holding the things so we can get tough with wood removal. This was a particular issue with it being hard wood.  Of several holding methods, I think the best that I have experienced is the Rockwell Jawhorse.  It is stout as heck and has hard rubber jaws.  In the very earliest stages of wood removal, I secured the sticks between the bench dogs on my carving table which works well.  The negative with that is that, I am bent over and it gets old.

When carving walking sticks, I don’t like adding head pieces… I would rather have the stick be all one piece.  Not only does it look better but it also makes a stronger stick.

These sticks are treated only with Howard Feed’n Wax which produces a nice patina on the Yellow Cedar.

Well Confucius is credited with saying “a picture is worth 10,000 words” so this blog is a bit of a photo essay rather than text.

First, the Dragon…

Dragon 1

Dragon 2

Dragon 3

Dragon 4

And, the Rattler…

Rattler 1

Rattler 2

Rattler 3

One cautionary note about carving rattle snakes;  they are a feisty critter so carve the head last so as not go get bitten.

Thanks for the visit and please also visit my web site at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com.

Stay sharp and happy carving!

Back in 2009, I posted an article about carving walking sticks and it remains one of my most looked at postings today.  After all, carving walking sticks has almost become a freestanding art form.  Of course there are differing degrees of carving but almost everyone has done some degree of carving on a walking stick even if it was to simply carve their initials in it or peel off bark.  Who has not found a stick in the woods and carried it while walking?  Perhaps you even brought it home from a camping trip with you.  I firmly believe that one of the reasons walking sticks carry so much fascination has to do with the magic in them.  Okay, a lot of you reading this just said to yourself… “Hurrumpff, there is no such thing as magic.”   Well, I beg to differ… magic may be found wherever we look for it or place it.  And, what better place than a fine personally selected, personally carved walking stick.

In my life, I must have carved something in the neighborhood of 100 walking sticks… some were pretty detailed and some were fairly plain.  There are really no rules about what one does to create a walking stick.  If it is to be a gift, I suggest carving something on it that is identified with the recipient… something that makes it meaningful to them.  Of course, if it is a commission, the subject matter is going to be whatever the buyer is asking for.  Walking sticks can be carved from just about any wood but I suggest that it be a hard wood.  If you select a softer wood, in order to provide strength, you may have to go to a larger diameter stick.  Another consideration is that softer woods dent too.

Personally, I like to find sticks in the woods that have character such as small burls, crooks, outgrowths and anything that makes them interesting.  Diamond Willow is a classic example of what I am talking about…. my absolute favorite.  I prefer to carve whatever subject that I have selected right into my stick.  I don’t really like adding things to sticks.  If you do choose to add a headpiece, I suggest that it be carved from a harder wood as well as you don’t want it dented or broken from dropping it on a rock or from fighting off a charging lion.  Headpieces can easily be added by using a short piece of screw rod.  Seams can be covered up with a leather collar.  You can also cut a recess into the headpiece so that the stick fits into the headpiece and the seam is hidden.

An added benefit to me in selecting a natural piece of wood is the adventure of looking for it.  I love being in the woods and it is so exciting to find a fine stick.  I have many times come across a straight, small tree.  I have dug down around the roots to explore what the root feels like.  If it is simply a straight root (like a carrot), I leave it and cover up my diggings best I can.  I don’t want to up root a tree just to throw it aside.  If, however, it feels like it has an interesting root clump that would lend itself to something cool, I will harvest it.  If it is mainly the root that will be carved, it will likely take saws and grinders as roots are made of tuff, hard, and twisting wood.  Some roots are gorgeous simply finished naturally.  You might recall Gandalf the Grey’s staff (vs. Gandalf the White).  It was natural root stock with a crystal in it.

Unless you take care in curing green wood, it will surely split.  I make sure that I place curing sticks out of direct sun and out of any extreme dryness.  And, every 30 days or so, I turn the sticks so that any warpage is minimalized and the stick stays straight.  If I am going to carve a stick with a knife and palm gouges, I try to do so prior to the stick getting completely dry and hard.  As you probably know, it is pretty hard to whittle on a piece of dry fruit wood or the like.  If you will be using power, I find that it is best to wait until it is “hard hard.”

In addition to the procedure described above, if I am concerned about the root ball splitting, I paint the thing with log sealer.  Latex paint will work as well, in a pinch.  I use a log sealer sold by www.baileysonline.com.  The only issue there is that you need to buy a 5 gallon bucket.  I bought 5 gallons about 6 years ago and I still have about half of it… and I use it a lot.

Once I have carved the stick, I slather it down with Howard Feed-n-Wax.  I use Feed-N-Wax on everything and if I want color, I just add tint.  I love it.

For final touches, you can add a leather lanyard or a medallion.  Treeline offers a huge selection of medallions for walking sticks.  Personally, if I can’t carve the item into the stick, I leave it off.  But, I can also see where military personnel may want a military medallion on his or her stick.  Treeline also has a selection of “feet” for sticks.

I believe walking sticks should be made to be used and therefore should not be so delicate that they can be easily broken if dropped.  A couple of years ago, I was commissioned by a woman from near Sydney, Australia to carve a walking stick depicting some North Coast Indian symbols from her native British Columbia.  In the process of ordering it, she told me that she loved to be in the woods and since guns are illegal in Australia, she wanted a comfortable, hard stick that could be used to fend of snakes or anything else that she might come across that proved to be unfriendly.

Good luck with your stick carving.

Stay sharp and be “carveful.”

Please visit my web site at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com.

If you were to Google Lake Chelan, I am sure you would see sites pop up representing Chelan’s Chamber of Commerce, its resorts, its vacation rentals and maybe you would catch a glimpse of its growing wine industry.  You might even learn that Lake Chelan is the third deepest lake in the United States.  You would have to dig pretty deep to learn that Chelan hosts the energetic Lake Chelan Artist Alliance, a consortium of local artists, or that Chelan has a successful teen center.  I am pleased to be a member of the Artist Alliance along with many other folks.  One such member artist is Therese Bublitz who does amazing things with bottles and who has spent virtually every Friday of the last 10 years being a managing “den mother” of the local teen center.  Therese and those other incredible volunteers and sponsors have created a safe place for teens to hang out on Friday and Saturday evenings, in from cold nights and other challenges found on the outside.  The teen center is a place for these kids to get a meal, have some fun, and be safe.  I think Therese and people like her are saints for what they provide for the area youth.

In early December, Therese sent an appeal to members of the Artist Alliance to come to the teen center and promote or otherwise teach their art.  I agreed to do it and here is my own experience with it:

I had showed an interest and eventually agreed to do a session.  In the meantime, I had a woman tell me that the kids in the teen center could be a rough crowd.  At first, I thought:  “oh boy, what have I gotten myself into.”  Therese assured me that the kids biggest issue was being shy.  Anyway, the big night came a couple of weeks before Christmas and I showed up to teach these kids to whittle a snowman.  I had some “takers” and I even had two adult staff members join in.  These were good kids, eager to learn, fun to talk to and pretty dang good first time whittlers.  I had a good time and I am convinced that all others did as well.  I felt pretty fine leaving the teen center that night.  I felt good about helping out and maybe even planting a seed with these kids that carving was a pretty cool pastime.  Only one young lady cut herself and she did not seem to care.  A cut was no issue to her.  I left being pretty impressed with these young people.

Teen Center Snowman

A few weeks passed and I thought about that teen center experience a few times wondering what I would do for a project if and when I went back and how many “takers” I might get next time.

Long about then, I received a note from Therese that literally brought tears to my eyes.  It seems that Therese had met the mother of one young man that had attended my carving evening.  This mother told Therese that her son had given his snowman carving to his grandparents for Christmas.  The snowman turned out to be deeply meaningful to this young man’s grandfather because he had once done some carving and was so very pleased that his grandson was taking up the craft. It all turned out to be an emotional experience for all concerned…. me included.  I cannot imagine a finer outcome.

I have many, many times thought about how hard it is to interest kids in carving these days.  They all seem to get stuck in front of their electronic games where the only creativity appears to be when to punch a button or pound on a joy stick.  Pardon my criticism but I see no creativity in punching buttons.

We as carvers are pretty lucky in that we don’t need much to whittle with… a knife and a stick.  I would like to suggest to all whittlers and carvers that they look for venues with youth where they can offer some carving sessions and perhaps motivate a young person into the craft.  I will never forget my grandmother and a couple of school teachers for what they did for me.  If we were to be the motivation for just one kid to take up carving, I am convinced we will have had a successful life.

I suspect that most small towns and even big ones have teen centers of their own.  There are Cub and Scout groups, girl’s organizations, and lots of others kid’s groups where we can get involved and promote our craft.  I did find out that schools are not a good idea as most of them have a zero tolerance for knives.  While I understand their issue, I think it is sad as well.

Stay true and keep sharp!

Please visit my web site at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com .

Wood is, perhaps, Man’s oldest natural resource.  It has provided him with shelter, fuel, and tools since the beginning of recorded history.  Wood’s unique range of properties, qualities, and capabilities are esoteric secrets even today.  It is really quite easy to appreciate wood for its natural beauty and for its usefulness.  It is not so easy to learn its true lore.  I would argue that there is not a woodcarver alive today that does not appreciate the beauty of wood, its aroma, and its feel.  We all love to handle wood.

Then, at some mysterious time in history, art in wood was born.  No one can truly identify the very first carvings but suffice it to say, it was a very long, long, long time ago.  I suspect that art in wood followed naturally behind tools and implements as Man began to decorate them with simple designs.  From there, there was likely a magical moment when Man decided that art in wood was itself a noble task.  From there, art in wood took on a life of its own and the rest is, as they say, “history.”

Wood offered the perfect medium.  It was easy to come by, it was affordable, if not down right free, it was easy to work and it was relatively light weight in comparison to, say, stone.  It was the common material of folk art and primitive sculpture which Man greatly admired, and its use entailed carving rather than the work of academic sculptures who were trained to create a model in clay.

To carve wood is an ancient, often difficult, irreversible task requiring the artist to gradually release the form “seen” or “found” within a block of wood… instead of building up a form with some soft, malleable material.

However, somewhere along the line in wood carving’s long history, the art form seems to have become lost in what was considered the civilized world… perhaps during the Renaissance.  Please don’t laugh at my use of the word “civilized.”  Then, again as if by magic, wood carving sprang forth once again in through-out Europe, Russia, and Asia.  Great master woodcarvers were born.  Examples include the famous Tilman Riemenschneider… an amazing sculptor, and many others.  Initially, for some reason, the woodcarver held a relatively lowly place in the social scale as compared to other artisans  such as the stone mason.  Even the early wood carver consider his work to be second rate compared to the stone mason.  But, he also hoped that if his woodcarving was quilded, perhaps it would be undistinguishable from stone.  Actually even today, wood is considered second rate to stone and bronze.  I can make a bronze reproduction of one of my original woodcarvings and sell it for twice the price of the original… go figure.

One place where a woodcarver seemed to have proper respect was in early churches and houses of worship.  That is where Riemenschneider gained notoriety.  Many old churches in Europe are adorned with beautiful wood carvings.  One reason the woodcarver was encouraged within these churches was due to a growing popularity in natural foliage as a decorative motif as compared to stiff, un-natural, stiff, stylized designs that dominated the middle ages.  Truly, a stop at some of Europe’s most fomous old churches will make a woodcarver’s heart sing.

At the same time, an in much of the Middle East and Northern Africa, where there is little native woods, produced beautiful woodwork.  In part due to wood’s scarcity, panels and the like were made of many small pieces of finely carved wood pieced together.  Wood in this world was as cherished as ivory.

It is this writer’s belief that once agin, in our own times, we have seen a decline in wood artists.  Sure, we see them in our clubs and featured in our carving magazines but do we see them in public?  When was the last time you saw a new building constructed with the inclusion of wood art?  Today, it seems that most woodcarving is a hobby craft and even then, our cherished craft is not being picked up by today’s youth.  They would rather be playing with an electronic game.  Creativity seems to have been reduced to slaying an imaginary opponent with a laser sword.

As all things are cyclical, perhaps an interest in wood carving will return… I certainly hope so.  In the mean time, I believe we woodcarvers can all stand tall in knowing that we create beauty and a legacy for future times.  In the mean time, let us all make a commitment to interest the young and teach them woodcarving.

Keep Sharp!

Please visit my web site at: www.WhiteEagleStudios.com.

To the passionate whittler there is nothing more important than his or her whittling knife.  It is not only an extension of their hands, but it is an extension of their very personality and creativity.  You might even refer to the whittling knife as the whittler’s paint brush.

So, why are so many whittling/carving knives on the market so crappy?

Many whittling knives found from suppliers are like store bought tomatoes – designed more for mass market and sturdiness than quality.  Hopefully, you have experienced the difference in the taste of a tomato out of your garden and those from the food mart – same with whittling knives.  Once you have used a great one, there is no going back.  Often beginners get disappointed in whittling because they are using cheap knifes and blame poor work on a lack of ability.

A successful whittler needs a good quality, well-shaped, SHARP knife.

Some whittling knife manufacturers and makers make a series of compromises with their knives calculated to keep the largest amount of folks happy for the longest period of time. That means they make knives that don’t rust, that hold an acceptable edge, and are soft enough to take some serious abuse without breaking and that will make it easier for most people to sharpen.   I don’t believe these compromises are to we whittlers benefit. Because of these compromises, very few whittlers and carvers truly love their knives once the shiny factory edge has worn away.

The first compromise is with the steel.  The fact is, steel is the heart and soul of the knife.  Most manufacturers use variations on a couple of basic stainless steels that are slanted more toward wear resistance rather than holding a razor-sharp, high performance edge.  These steels are generally further compromised by a heat treatment that leaves the steel much softer than it could be.  In general, the harder the steel, the keener the edge can become.  However, it is also true that hard steel makes it more difficult to get that keen edge in the first place.  So, many manufacturers leave the steel a little soft, which supposedly makes the knife easier to sharpen by the general population.  Of course, one will have to sharpen their knife a lot more often because soft steel won’t hold an edge very well or very long.

Many whittling knives and carving tools are treated to a hardness of between 52-56 on the Rockwell C scale.  That is pretty soft in my opinion.  Better whittling knives are treated to between 58 and 62.  Many Japanese tools are hardened to between 61 and 64.  That is dang hard… hard enough that I have experienced some chipping with Japanese gouges.  These very hard steels will not tolerate the slightest prying.  Also, these super hard steels are so hard that most are laminated between softer steels to prevent them from snapping in half.  Unfortunately, with knives being laminated, they become quite thick.

Another, compromise is often with factory edge angles.  Some new whittling knives come with a factory edge of between 22-25 degrees per side… and I have even seen some greater.  ACK!  Now, take those two sides and add them up and you get 44-50 degrees.

If those numbers don’t impress you negatively, take a look at a protractor and see what 45 degrees looks like.  Being a sucker for new tools, about a year ago, I purchased a nice looking folding whittling knife from a national woodworking/woodcarving chain (catalog sale, I did not get to see the real thing).  Beyond the glamorous write-up, the price was right, and the idea that it came with wood scales (handles), really caught my attention.  It turned out to be made in China and its edge probably totaled 45-50 degrees… what a joke.  I think it had been sharpened on a lawn mower blade sharpener.  I wrote a review pointing out that drawback but they failed to post it.  It was billed a “high-carbon” but it does not hold an edge very well at all.    I hate to say it but “you get what you pay for.”  This knife was just too cheap… Ooops, I mean inexpensive.

In my experience, a good sharpening angle is 17 degrees and 15 degrees for fine detail knives.  Of course, with keen edges like these, the steel has to be the highest quality because I don’t want edges constantly dulling down.  One caveat here… with a 15 degree edge, one must be careful to not pry or chip their wood.  That angle is purely for detail.

Of course, we can’t blame everything on knife manufacturers and makers.  The carving knives in many a shop are subjected to tremendous abuse and misuse.  I know one carver that routinely uses his knife for cutting cardboard.  Egads Man!  Other than rubbing the edge of your knife across a brick, cutting cardboard is about the worst thing you can do to a fine whittling knife.  Others sharpen their knives on course bench stones.  Eeeeks!

I find that generally speaking, that knives made the old fashioned way are usually good knives.  Quality forges know what they are doing and you are likely to get a quality knife.  If they don’t address the steels and methods they use on their web sites, then ask before ordering.  One possible negative with forged knives is that some can be a bit heavy.  Another negative is with the shapes of some forged knives.

In more recent years, new methods have been applied to stamped or machined knives that make them near-equal in quality or even better in a few cases.

While the steel in a whittling knife is of primary importance, the handle material, the handle shape, and the knife’s construction are also important.  In buying a knife, look for a knife that fits your hand.  Many knives that will fit a large hand will also fit a small hand.  The opposite is not true however.  If it’s a folding knife that you are buying, make sure it either locks or has a solid snap to it so it is not flimsy or loose in opening it or while it is open.  It is purely esthetics but I like folding knives with real wood or stag scales.  They are just plain classy and I feel good when holding them.

Assuming the blade shape works, good quality older pocket knives made from high carbon steel are usually pretty good.  The steel is good, the handles are usually made from quality material, and the workmanship of old time knife makers is generally with high standards.

I like some of the fixed blade whittling knives made by North Bay Forge, Savage Forge, Cape Forge, and Drake Knives.  I like some of the folding knives made by Queen City Cutlery (Oar Carver and others), Flexcut, and a few oldie but goodies like JA Henckels (“Twin Brand,” not their current versions) and Boker.  I don’t like that red, plastic handled, knife from Switzerland, that American made pocket knife with X’s on it that your grand-dad supposedly carried, and most European fixed blade knives.

If you are new to whittling and are in the market for a good knife, the best thing you can do is ask a seasoned whittler/carver what whittling knife they recommend.  Obviously, there are lots of knives that I have not tried and can’t judge… probably some very good ones.

A Note on sharpening angles:  Getting precise angles when sharpening is difficult.  The only way I can be precise with my angles is through the use of a sharpener offered by EdgePro of Hood River, OR.  This is a spendy little machine but well worth the money if you want precision.  I pay for mine by also sharpening salon shears for hair dressers in my area. 

Keep Sharp and shop for quality.

Please visit my website at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com .  The site’s gallery has been remodeled a bit and new photos have been added.

Anyone that knows me knows me as a carving tool freak.  It seems that I am always in search for something better.  For a long time, I have had my eyes on the Version II Oar Carver with the stag handle.  And, recently Flexcut introduced its Whittlin’ Jack.  I now own both and love them… but they are not quite perfect.

Flexcut Whittlin’ Jack

Out of the box, the Whittlin’ Jack is the sharpest knife I have ever experienced.  As a previous owner of the Carvin Jacks, I expected “sharp” but this new knife gives “sharp” a whole new meaning.  I have now used the knife on several small whittling projects and believe I can make some qualified comments.

My hands are a pretty average size large… at least, I wear size large gloves.  Flexcut has made this knife to fit a larger hand.  Of course, it will also fit a smaller hand.  I have found that most folding whittling knives are just too small for my hands and I have heard similar comments from other whittlers.  The well sized Carvin’ Jack has two blades; one large blade for “hogging” and a smaller detail blade.  Both are equally sharp.  I wonder if the large blade should be as sharp as it is.  After doing some serious cutting on hard wood, I experienced a slight (micro) chipping in the blade which had to be touched up with a ceramic file.  I doubt that the small blade will ever require anything more than stropping.

You might think that with two blades, the Whittlin’ Jack might be bulky but I find the knife to be comfortable in the pocket.  I like the idea of being able to fold the knife shut and throw it in my whittling kit without having to worry about protecting the edge.  I did notice that on the heel of each blade, the edge has been left squared off.  It may be the way I hold my knives but on two occasions, my hand crept too close to this squared of area and made a small cut in my index finger.  After that happening twice, I carefully ground the heel end of the blade to an angle and the issue went away.  You can see in the photo what I did.

Whittlin Jack with point taken off heel

Like all Flexcut products, they are breaking the mold as far as appearance goes with their machined, modern look.  Some folks don’t like that but it doesn’t bother others.  Initially, it bothered me until I used a friend’s Carving Jack and I was instantly converted.

Flexcut’s steel is dang hard and it is easily maintained (typically) with simple stropping.

I like this knife a lot and highly recommend it.  Its retail price is apparently $49.95 but right now several retailers are offering it at $39.95.  I think that is an excellent price for the knife.  I shopped around a bit and found the best price and shipping to come from Greg Dorrance Company.  I was not familiar with the firm but I have learned through experience that they ship same day for a flat price of $6.50.  They are in Massachusetts and I am in a small town in Central Washington State and I had the knife in two days.  So, great service from these guys at a reasonable price.

Oar Carver, Version II with Stag Handle

Many years ago, I bought the original Oar Carver, Version I and have enjoyed it very much.  It is one those many knives that are a bit too short but I can deal with it.  These knives came with a chipped plastic handle with an attempt to look like something else but plastic is plastic.  Version I has two large, well-shaped, blades.  A few years later, Oar introduced the Version II which was one large blade and one small blade.  Then, following that, the knives were offered with either wood or stage handles.

So, after drooling over this thing, I have finally stepped up to the plate and purchased the Version II with stag.  From an appearance standpoint, this knife is a real beauty (a real bragging piece).  It’s not cheap at $75.00 – $80.00.  But, it will be the knife that I carry in my pocket.

Oar Carver Version II w/ Stag handle

Regrettably, it is a bit short, like its predecessor but it works okay.  I would not consider its size to be a deal breaker.  The knife is made by Queen City Cutlery and it is a high quality carbon steel blade.  Like the Flexcut, it can easily be maintained with nothing more that stropping.

These knifes are offered with either the factory edge or a sharpened edge for a few dollars more.  I chose the sharp edge but I wished I had not.  I am pretty sure it was sharpened on a narrow belt… and not very carefully.   Of all people, I should have known better as no one can sharpen a knife better than me (yes, I am bragging but it is the truth).   So, I ended up squaring up and sharpening the  blades properly.  I am not sure it was the result of the initial sharpening or if it was an error in design, but the tip of the small blade has a slight up-swing to it. As a result, when the blade is closed, the tip of the blade protrudes up above brass liner/slot just enough to barely snag my hand when I am using the large blade.

I bought my knife from Statlander Carvings and again, I had the thing in two days from New York.  Shipping was $5.00, which is actual cost.  Fast, affordable service.

We have all experienced suppliers that use shipping as a profit center and that really bugs me.   Both Dorrance and Stadtlander provide top notch service and have reasonable shipping rates.

Neither of the above knives have locking blades but they both have a solid catch when open.  So, there you have it two great, albeit not quite perfect whittling knives.

Thanks for reading and a very Happy New Year to all.

Please visit my web site at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com

Warning… this posting contains “filthy” words.  Words like “grime,” “smear,” “carbon,” “dirt,” “dust,” crud and many other disgusting words.  As such, this material may not be appropriate to all readers.

There are not many things more pristine and beautiful than an attractive piece of wood following a smooth cut by an artist’s carving tool.  It is crisp and clean.  Often, as our piece is being worked on, it becomes soiled and loses that clean look of freshness.  The beauty of the wood can rapidly disappear.

I don’t paint my carvings.  I apply only oil.  When I do so, if my carving is dirty, I lock that grimy dirt in place.  The only way I can get it off is to cut it off.  Of course if you paint your carving, maybe dirt doesn’t matter… but, you know in your heart that imperfection lies just below the paint.

I have seen many a carving, particularly in basswood that are ruined because of the dirt and grime left there by the carver.  He or she either couldn’t keep it clean of didn’t care about cleanliness in their carving.

To have your carving looking its best and to end up with an attractive appearance, before you apply your final finish, your carving must be clean and fresh.  Once your carving becomes soiled, there is nothing you can do except re-carve it.

My buddy, Don Mertz (the Woodbee Carver) told me a story about Harold Enlow… Don said someone had once asked Harold how to avoid dirty carvings and Harold said: “carve faster.”  Cute!  I wished only that would work.  By the way, there are probably not many cleaner carvers in the land than is Don Mertz.

So, let’s analyze where most of this dirt comes from and what we can do about it.  For me personally, it comes from several primary places.

Sharpening:  Sharpening is a dirty process and the grit material, micro metal shavings, oils, and compound all stick to fingers and tools like glue.  We leave the sharpening equipment with grimy fingers, immediately pick up tools and carvings and all this crud is transferred to the carving.  This is probably the dirtiest crud of any that we face.  To ensure that this grime transference does not occur, we need to carefully wipe down our newly sharpened tools and take a trip to the wash basin and scrub our hands.  Pretend you are a surgeon prepping for an operation.  This would be one reason to do all of your sharpening, honing, and stropping at once so you don’t spend more time at the wash basin than you do carving.  I also will wear nitrile gloves when I sharpen if I possibly can.

Pencil lead:  Most of us do some amount of drawing on our carvings with a lead pencil.  I do and I find that I am probably too aggressive with the pencil during the rough-out stages.  Not only is there a strong likelihood that some amount of pencil marks will remain when I am finished with a particular stage of work but handling a carving with lead lines on it tends to smear the lead over the entire face of the carving.  The more it is handled… the more smear.  I suppose this is one additional case for using a holding device… no matter how small the carving.  I find that using a carver’s glove can present an additional problem because not only is the lead smeared on your current carving… it is also picked up by your glove and transferred to the next carving.   I have tried washing a carver’s glove and had some success but not totally.  Kevlar must be porous.

I believe the things one can do to lessen lead smear is to minimize the amount of drawing you do and to draw as lightly as possible.  Depending upon the wood, one can even wash the carving with liquid dish soap but this too does only a half-baked job.  The best measure to prevent lead smear is to use lead sparingly and to carefully clean up your final carving… using fine, thin shavings… just enough to get the lead off (and, of course, you need dang sharp tools for this).  Also, try to avoid drawing in detail areas like eyes.  With detail like this it is much more difficult to get the lead out.  I recently learned that acetone will remove pencil marks.  I tried it on a sample piece of wood but have not tried it on a carving where there are cut marks.  If you try it, proceed with cauthion.

Carbon Paper:  This stuff is worse than lead.  Whenever I use carbon paper, it is only in the VERY early stages of a carving.   Not only does the carbon “hit” the wood where you trace, it smears EVERYWHERE that your hand drags on the paper.  UGLY, UGLY!

Rather than use carbon paper, you can draw your design on a thin (tracing) paper and then flip it over and trace over the lines on the other side of the paper… ending up with the exact mirror image on the back of the paper.  Then you can apply the paper to the wood and trace over your existing lines.  It may take a bit longer but it will greatly eliminate smearing.  Here you still face the same issues as you do with lead (above) but it is much easier to control and clean up than is carbon paper.

A Dirty Shop:  Dirt and dust seem to magically appear in our shops and studios.  When you think about it, we are always making dust.  We have a stash off wood brought in from the outdoors often with bark on that is laced with dirt and dust.  Our sharpening equipment creates grime and dust.  I notice that even my handy as heck Auto Mach reciprocal carver develops black grease around the collet and every time I change a blade, that crud gets on my hands.  ACK!  I even notice that hand sawing produces dust that flies everywhere.

I keep a shop-vac sitting close to me at all times to keep dust to a minimum.  I also keep a container of old (clean) rags close by to wipe up sharpening grit, grease and other grime that seems to develop around the shop.  I do a pretty good job at keeping things clean but I have to “stay on it” full time.  I was once complimented by a student that told me I have the cleanest shop he had ever seen… he was in on a good day…ha!

I also keep a draftsman’s brush handy as well and will brush my carvings to remove chips and dust… keeping my hands off the carving.  A clean shoe or floor brush could also be used.

One thing I did when we build our home which includes my studio in the basement… I built a separate room off my shop where I do my cutting and dust making.  It is separated by double glass doors.  In the winter when there is 3 feet of snow on the ground and its 10 degrees outside, I even use my handy electric chainsaw in that room.  It greatly reduces dust in my studio.

Dirty Clothes:  Many of us wear shop aprons when working in our shops.  Mine is leather and because of all the crud developed in the shop, that stuff gets on my apron.  Because it’s leather, I can’t wash it and that crud can easily be transferred to my carvings.  A cloth apron or a shop coat could easily be washed.  Carving and other gloves attract and hold the same dirt as my leather shop apron.  My Wranglers get dirty if I have been roughing out pieces with a chainsaw or router.  One must be aware of where this dirt is and to keep it away from carvings.

So… What do we do?

Keep our hands clean especially after sharpening or eating;

Keep our tools free of sharpening grime;

Keep our clothing clean;

Clean up you carving area every day or two;

“Spring clean” at least once a month and get into the corners;

Avoid handling your carving with your hands;

Use CLEAN carving gloves;

Use lead pencils sparingly and lightly (avoid carbon paper); and

If you can, keep your sharpening equipment far from you carving area.

Let us “toast” to clean carving!

Stay sharp and always be carveful!

Please visit my web site at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com

As a woodcarver, I believe one of the worst things that can happen to me is to drop my “V” tool on a concrete floor.  I have done it more than once and as is falls to the ground, I pray that it hits handle first.  Of course, it seldom does.

When I have a perfectly sharpened “V” tool, I am careful to treat it with love and am regularly honing its edge.  Heaven forbid that it should get dull as sharpening the thing can be a major undertaking.

If you are buying a new tool and are somewhat of a novice at sharpening, I highly recommend that you purchase your tool from someone that will offer free sharpening on their tools such as Drake Knives or Cape Forge.  If you are a proficient sharpener, that is not such an important factor.

More than any other tool, I believe it is important to buy the absolute best tool available in “V” tools simply because you want the edge to last and be easily maintained.  In my opinion, forged tools are the best choice.  I have had a 1/4″ “V” tool hand made by Savage Forge for about 40 years and have sharpened it only once… and “yes”… it was because I dropped it.  Other than that, stropping is all that it has taken to maintain a razor edge.  Dick Anderson at Savage Forge makes the finest tools I have ever used.

Let us assume that we do need to sharpen our “V” tool.  It used to terrify me to attempt such a feat and I failed several times.  Once one gets a bit of practice, it is actually fairly straight forward.  Notice, I do not use the word “easy.”

When you think about a V-tool, it really is just a couple of straight chisels (I’ll call “wings”) joined by a small gouge forming the shape of a “V.”.  Let’s go through the sharpening process one step at a time.

1) Begin by flattening the end of your “V” tool.  Give it a square edge with a slow moving grinder or a course bench stone.  I use a grinder with a 60 grit belt turning at 1750 rpm.  Fattening out your “V” tool will give it a uniform thickness, removing either a “nick,” a protruding point or a recessed point.  Flattening will put the entire edge on a level playing field, so to speak.  Only grind until you have removed any damaged spots and the metal thickness is uniform.

2) Step two is to give it a fine surface.  Move to a fine belt or a fine bench stone.  The idea here is to give the flat surface a near polish by removing all grinding marks.  It does not need a mirror finish but is should shine a bit. This make things much easier to see.

3) Despite the urge to begin sharpening on the wings, I don’t want to start there.  Using a medium grit belt or stone (220 grit or so), I carefully grind the bottom of the “V” flat (removing the point), leaving just the slightest thickness of metal bridging the two wings.  How much you take off or how wide the grind on the tip is really depends upon the size of the tool.  Be carveful to leave a thin thickness of metal.  I also grind my “V” tools with a low angle.  This provides for a sharper tool and it allows you to keep your handle low as you cut.  I don’t like having to raise up my tool handle to get the thing to cut.

4) Now we can grind and set the bevels of the two wings.  Being carveful to not grind to an excess, grind each wing to the same thickness of metal that you have left on the  bottom of the “V.”

5) At this point, we want to sharpen the entire tip of the tool.  I use a 400 grit belt on my belt grinder.  You can also use a fine bench stone.  If you are using a belt, be careful not to over grind or to create heat or you will be starting over.  I have done that… especially in the beginning of my sharpening career.  As you sharpen, you want to carefully turn the tool around the tip.  Keep the entire “V” a uniform thickness around the entire edge.

I am also known to set the correct angle on my belt grinder and leaving the motor “off,” I turn the belt with my hand.  This ensures precision without the risk of over grinding or making heat.

6) I like a good, crisp point so working with a series of ceramic files, I remove the micro-roundness and bring the tip to a distinct point.  My final strokes on the inside and the outside are done with fine and extra fine ceramic files.  For fine touch ups, I use Spyderco ceramic stones and files on all of my tools when needed.

7) The last step in the process is to strop the tool to a razor edge.  I use a leather clad hand crank wheel with Japanese green rouge.   You may find that other compounds work well for you but I suggest a fine rouge such as the green rouge or “Yellowstone.”  A good flat leather strop will work as well… it just takes longer.  Lots of carvers buff their “V” tools and I do also but I caution you to be most carveful with heat.  I keep ice water right next to my buffer and I never apply pressure when buffing.

Here are some resources for items mentioned in this article.  There are other resources but I have used the folks listed below and have had a good experience with them.

Drake Knives = www.drakeknives.com

Cape Forge Tools = www.capeforge.com

Savage Forge = no web site… e-mail contact: anderslynn@peoplepc.com  

Japanese Green Rouge = www.japanwoodworker.com

Yellowstone Compound = www.cascadecarvers.com

Spyderco Ceramic Stones = www.CutleryShoppe.com

Leather clad honing wheels and leather belts = www.surgisharp.com

Years ago, I spent about 10 evenings with a Swiss master carver named Walter Schafer.  Walter didn’t like “V” tools… he used skew chisels only.  He was pretty remarkable as his cuts with skews were so precise that you could not tell the cut was not done with a “V” tool.  He liked the skew approach as he felt that he had more control over his cuts.  For years, I never picked up a “V” tool because of what Walter taught me but when I bought my little 1/4″ “V” tool from Savage Forge I pretty much dropped using skews for “V” cuts.  Using knives or skews for “V” cuts is something you might want to try though.  It works particularly well for hair.

In closing out this post, I recently learned of a pretty good tip for removing pencil marks on wood without cutting them off or sanding.  Try using a bit of acetone on an old rag and rub the pencil marks away.  They seem to disappear.  The acetone dries quickly and will not discolor your wood or raise the grain like most liquids.  When using pencils, keep your touch light

Happy carving and stay sharp!

Please visit my web site at www.WhiteEagleStudios.com

In this post, I want to mention a few things about the exciting topic (NOT!) of health and safety issues to be aware of with woodcarving.

General Health

1.    Many exotic (tropical) hardwoods are toxic.  I have known a few folks who found themselves allergic to oils in these woods.  One knife maker I knew used exotic woods for handles and always had a severe rash.  He was surprised to find that it was from the woods he used for knife handles.

When using power tools on exotic woods always wear a good quality dust mask as, dust from exotic woods can be a threat to one’s throat and lungs.

2.    Slivers from oak and western red cedar, both very common, can rapidly cause an infection at the point of penetration.  Slivers should always be removed immediately and thoroughly.

3.    Woods that have begun to develop spalting may also be toxic to some degree.  Spalting is caused by a mildew or fungus in the wood and can cause harm to ones throat, lungs and possibly, eyes.  Here, again, always wear a good quality dust mask when using power tools on spalted woods.  Spalting is evident by those little black lines lacing through wood.  Spalted woods are often beautiful when turned into bowls and other objects.  It is the dust that is harmful.  I have never heard of harm arising from handling spalted wood.

4.    It is highly advisable to use a dust mask with any power carving and to use a vacuum dust system.  Dust from even domestic common woods may be harmful over a long period of exposure.

6.    Always wear eye protection when using any power tool that creates dust, chips, splinters or the like.  Obviously a foreign object in the eye will hurt and cause damage but the oils in the dust of even the most common woods can be damaging to the eye.

Insects in Carving Wood

When we find a piece of carving wood in the wild, it will not be unusual to find that bugs of some sort have set up residence.  We never want to introduce bug infested wood to our wood storage, our shops, or our homes.  I know of two effective ways of eliminating the bugs.  (1) Place the wood in a large plastic garbage bag.  Place an uncapped can of Raid or similar product inside the bag.  Tightly close the end so fumes will not escape.  Once the bag is closed tightly, locate the Raid inside the bag and discharge an appropriate amount of its contents.  Leave the bag closed for at least 3 full days before removing the contents. When opening, avert your face so that you do not breathe the fumes and allow the air to vent out of the bag before removing the wood.  (2) Although not as effective and a bit more complicated than the Raid approach; place the wood in a large plastic bag and place the opening of the bag over the exhaust pipe of your car.  Start the car and let it run long enough to fill the bag from the exhaust and tie it off tightly trapping the fumes inside.  Keep the bag tightly closed for at least 3 full days.  You may need to repeat the process.

Obviously, a great deal of caution needs to be exercised with both of these methods.  Never do either of these inside your home or garage or around children or pets.  One could easily argue that it is simply a better idea to stay away from any wood where there is evidence of bugs in it.  The flip side of that coin is that many intriguing and unusual woods are found in the wild and probably have a bug or two in them.

I once bought a nice cypress knee* from a commercial dealer and had it shipped to me.  I sat it on my shelf of wood stock and soon noticed a little pile of what appeared to be sawdust.  In looking closely at the knee, I found a small, dark, pin-sized hole that was home to some little critter determined to build a home inside.  I had him quickly evicted and saved the knee.

The above information should be considered information only is not intended to alarm the beginner carver.  I have been around for a long time and never had a problem with any of this.

*Cypress trees grow in the bayous of the southeast US and growths from the roots rise above the water and ground forming what are called “knees.”  These knees are soft and lend themselves to good carving.  Their shapes are always interesting looking and evoke creativity.  Removing the knees does not hurt the tree and new knees quickly re-form.  There are several carving suppliers that offer cypress knees for sale.  A picture of a typical cypress knee appears below.

Safety Issues with Carving

This discussion will have three parts; general safety, hand tools, and power tools.

I. Safety in General

1.    Carve only when you are alert.  Carving when tired or after consuming alcohol can greatly increase the probability of an accident;

2.    Where practical, use a hold-down device.  A hold-down device is a vice, clamp, carver’s screw, belt or a myriad of other things used to hold your carving firmly down to a bench or table.  By using a hold-down device, you can easily keep your hands out of harms way and safe from the blade or a power carving head;

3.    Don’t put anything in front of your blade that you do not want to cut.  This includes hands, legs and fine dining room tables;

4.    Be mindful of your surroundings.  Consider whether or not someone else could be injured by your activities;

5.    One cannot foresee every possible situation, so please use common sense with everything you do.

II. Safety When Using Hand Tools

1.    A sharp knife is much safer to use than a dull knife.  Mothers of young carvers are probably cringing as they read this.  Actually, a sharp knife is easier to control and takes less pressure to cut wood.  A sharp knife will also “catch” the wood upon “touch down” and will not be prone to skipping or sliding on the surface of the wood, which could more easily result in injury;

2.    I cannot stress enough: Wear a carver’s glove.  Carving gloves are interchangeable and may be worn on either hand.  So, whether one is left handed or right handed, a carver’s glove should be worn on the hand holding the carving.  Better gloves come with a micro strand of stainless steel wire in the center of the thread which adds to the protection provided.  This is my glove of choice but the fabric is a poly material and, as such, can be a bit slippery requiring a more firm grasp which can become tiring.  Since these gloves are woven, a knife point and very small gouges can find their way through the weaving.  However, wider gouges and the lengths of blades generally do not penetrate the material.

Other gloves, typically without wire, have gripping material similar to rug-pad material affixed to the glove to prevent slipping.  Any glove is better than no glove.  Some carvers that I know simply wear a good-quality leather glove.  I think it is safe to say that virtually every seasoned carver has been saved from serious injury at least once because they were wearing a glove;

3.    Wear a leather, Kevlar, or other heavy-material apron or pad if carving in your lap;

4.    Hold your tools properly.  When holding a knife, hold it firmly in your primary hand by the handle.  Your primary hand and a firm grip will assist in providing good control.  Unless sharpening a spear or making a hot dog roasting stick, guide the blade with your opposite thumb.  Your opposite thumb is the power.  The operative word in this paragraph is “control;”

5.    If you use a folding knife (pocket knife) to whittle, it is wise to have a lock or a firm catch to prevent the blade from closing on your finger(s);

6.    If you accidentally drop a tool, let it go.  You may want to jump back to avoid it hitting your foot, but do not attempt to catch it!  Then pray that it lands handle down to avoid a gash on the blade.

III. Safety When Using Power Tools

1.    When using any power tool that creates dust, flying chips, etc., wear eye protection and a good quality dust mask;

2.    If your power tool is loud, wear ear protection.  I have a bit of hearing loss simply because I have hundreds of hours with chainsaws, lawn mowers and other noisy tools with no ear protection.  I was a slow learner;

3.    Never use a die grinder with any kind of cutting head without also using a rheostat.  Die grinders are generally “instant on” at high rpms and if the cutting head were to either break apart or come loose from the grinder, one could find a hole in themselves about the size of a 50mm howitzer shell;

4.    When using any power tool make sure the speed control, if any, is at its lowest point when the tool is turned on;

5.    A dust collection system should be used anytime you are using a tool that creates dust in any enclosed area;

6.    When power carving, always use a hold down device.  It is not wise to hold your project in one hand and the power tool in the other.  The sole exception may be drilling a hole and even then only if it is a small hole;

7.    If chainsaw carving, use a good quality safety chap such as a double Kevlar fabric.  They may be funny looking but they might just save a nasty gash in your leg.  Also, wear a shoe with heavy leather uppers.

None of this is intended to frighten you.  Safety is important to your success as a carver.  In the many years that I have been carving, my injuries have been minimal and only occurred simply because I was not paying proper attention to what I was doing.  As item 5 in Section I, above, states: “One cannot foresee every possible situation so please use common sense with everything you do.”

It is important to mention that woodcarving is inherently dangerous simply because of the tools used.  Be sure to always employ safety and follow all manufacturer’s instructions and safety notations.

Keep sharp, and happy carving!

Please visit my web site at www.whiteeaglestudios.com