Favourite Wood Carving Knives

I have taken on board some advice here about wood carving knives because I haven't carved for quite a few years and there are no brand names on the few that I have.

Professional carvers suggest that Frosts of Sweden make particularly good knives highlighting the birch handled 'sloyd', model number 106. The knife is particularly good for long slices and concave work because of its long slim blade of 82mm.

Frosts are often described as Mora, which is the actual town in which they are made and the second on the must have list is model number 120, which has a shorter stubbier blade of 49mm, good for reducing bulk amounts of wood. As it is meatier than the 106, its not as good at getting at the tighter concave areas.

A hook knife completes the set of most wanted, with the Frost 163 being a popular choice. It has a double edged carbon steel blade of 61mm and is ideal for spoon carving.

Mora also produce a diamond sharpener which is simple to use. The flat steel easily follows the angle of the edge.

You can view a large selection of knives made by Mora, Flexcut and other cheaper manufacturers by clicking Carving tools

Hand Made

Del Stubbs at Pinewood Forge, a toolmaker of international repute, was so impressed with the quality of Scandinavian tools, that he's produced a range of wood carving knives, similar in character to the Swedish products.

All hand made, using the finest high carbon/high alloy tool steel, which is the best money can buy and twice the cost of normal high carbon steel.

But you'll have to join the queue to buy any of them, they have rave reviews and are greatly in demand.

He also produces instructional DVD's of many different carving projects which are a joy to watch and also has a vast selection of carving timber which can be purchased.

I do not have a direct link so type 'Pinewood Studios' into your browser. His illustrations of the available tools are clearer than most and will probably help you in your choice.

Tech Info

Carving knives must be one side bevelled, whether it be left or right handed, unlike blades of hand planes and chisels which have secondary honed edges.

There are very few' bad' blades because most are made from quality steel. Any badness is probably because of poor sharpening or a double/secondary edge. It could also be poor technique perhaps using the knife the wrong way round.

The bevel of the tool is the section used to lay upon the wood to be carved and should glide through it and therefore should not have a secondary edge, which would cause the blade to dig into the wood.

If it doesn't cut, like through butter, sharpening is the answer.

Whittling Wood Carving Knives

Whittling is in the same category as wood carving because the same procedures of cutting are executed. The range of tools is far less but for profession or pleasure, Flexcut have a dual knife pack.

Their flexible knives made of edge retaining steel, provide longer lasting, smoother cuts.

Their range of wood carving knives is plentiful and they are also a popular choice of manufacturer.

Wood Selection Box

There are any number of suitable varieties of tree which can be carved. Dependant on your woodcarving design, unusual shapes can be found. I found some plum in the south of France which almost didn't need carving, they were sculpures waiting to be plucked.

Choices range from a good starter Beechwood, to Tupelo, Mahogany, Teak, whilst delicate carving wood Apple, Plum, Sycamore and Maple are favourites.

Plentiful pine is the only wood material I carved many moons ago and that was chosen because it was cheap. I didn't have much money. Some things never change !

If like me you are a little 'strapped for cash' here is a Wood Carving Knife Set knife set that you could buy with the loose change in your pocket/purse. They are suitable for softer woods and are a set of 12 knives of different varieties.

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All pages can be found at Woodworking