Suggestions for a nice wood carving knife?

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Messages
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I'm going to be spending a 4-5 days on the river soon, and I'd really like to try to make a spoon! What is a good whittling/carving knife? I don't own a Mora yet, so if there is one that is best for wood work then let me know. I'm looking for something inexpensive, and that will only be used for whittling most likely.

Any sites on things to whittle while out and about? I'm new at this, but it sounds like fun!

L
 
well I would reccomend a small fixed spearpoint 2-3" with a really comfortable handle
 
Daniel Koster said:
If you want something just for whittling only, try the flexcut series. They have some nice fixed blades and the handles are super comfy. I'm hoping to get a Carvin Jack someday. :thumbup:

http://www.flexcut.com/products/cart.php?target=category&category_id=96

On the custom knives side, Tom Krein makes a great lil' carving knife. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

:D Thanks for the info, unfortunately my Krein budget is spent for a while. I finished picking out my scale material at his shop today. Tk1 and Bushcraft coming my way soon!

The Flexcut tools look very nice! That Carving Jack is very interesting. If I enjoy whittling, and I am any good at it, I might have to look into one of those.

L
 
Are there other folding carving knife options?

What blade characteristics made a good carver? Spearpoint has been suggested already. What else?
 
Rough out the spoon, and burn the bowl out with coals from the fire.

Take a coal and set it on the place where the spoon bowl should be. Use a strawlike plant stem (something like Phragmites communis). Blow at the base of the coal (where it touches the wood). This helps the coal to burn into the wood. With a bit of practise you can control the direction of the burn. After it burns a bit, remove the coal and scrape out the charred wood with a rock, your knife, whatever. Repeat until you have the shape you want. Polish the bowl portion with a small sandstone rock or equivalent, or something like Horsetail (Equisetum spp.).

Bowls can be made the same way.

Doc
 
Check out Ragnars Finnish knife catalog, he offers a wide range of high carbon knives. I have seen some carving knives also. Good quality products, with very fast service.
 
I've whittled a couple of rough spoons just using my Swiss Tool, but it's really not ideal for the task. . . The handle just isn't comfortable enough for prolonged use. Like everyone else has said, check out Ragweed Forge. Surely Ragnar will have something that will fit the bill.
 
If you want a knife strictly for carving wood, then a good puukko is hard to beat. Roselli's Carpenter puukko for example would be decent.
 
I find a Mora type knife is simply too large for whittling.
I use a Boker Grand Canyon Whittler for all my whittling needs.

The do make a specific knife for doing the bowl of spoons and such. It looks like this:
164.jpg

Image borrowed from Ragweed Forge.

You can find those under Mora Knives, and then most of the way down the page to "Specialty Carving Tools"
 
Luke,
Come by the shop and I will loan you a couple of knives to try out.

I got them all. I have carved a few spoons myself!

Tom
 
Tom Krein said:
Luke,
Come by the shop and I will loan you a couple of knives to try out.

I got them all. I have carved a few spoons myself!

Tom
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom! I'll try to swing by here in the next week. I'm a little afraid I'll walk away ordering another knife though!
 
Noshtero said:
I find a Mora type knife is simply too large for whittling.
I use a Boker Grand Canyon Whittler for all my whittling needs.

The do make a specific knife for doing the bowl of spoons and such. It looks like this:
164.jpg

Image borrowed from Ragweed Forge.

You can find those under Mora Knives, and then most of the way down the page to "Specialty Carving Tools"
Click to expand...

I have a special friend who is getting me one of those for christmas...I wanrted one after I saw this video on youtube...I wan to make my own bowls and spoons!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6WAtx9iBq4
 
I just got the 3 inch Mora Laminated steel carving knife in the mail today. I am looking forward to caring on my walking sticks with it. I will report on it later.
 
Do those curved bowl carving knives work better when cutting away from you or towards you, if you're right handed? I've not used one, but it seems like it would make more since to have the blade facing you/ cut towards you, no?

I'd like to get one because it stinks trying to carve bowls, etc., with just a plain blade.
 
I generally scrape them around with the handle starting in a 3 o'clock position, ending in a 6 o'clock position. That way I'm always rounding the bowl instead of just making a groove.

If you want to be able to cut in both directions, Frost does make one that's sharp on both sides. You have to settle for a sqaured end instead of a pointed one though.

Here's an article on the North American pull technique. Ragnar sells a Farrier's knife that has the upswept handle on it
http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/ck.html
 
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