Woodcraft, carving, and carving knives.

[Liam Ryan]

I like that roselli, I have to check out ragnars stuff again.
Does he sell any crooked knives other then the frosts ones?

 

[tarmix101]

How is the Roselli UHC when you need to put an edge back on it?

I love the shape, and the grind running right into the handle is great for carving. Handle looks comfortable as well.

 

[fewpop]

How is the Roselli UHC when you need to put an edge back on it?

I love the shape, and the grind running right into the handle is great for carving. Handle looks comfortable as well.

This knife is really user friendly. The in-hand ergonomics are superior.
I resharpen it soon after using it on my Sharpmaker. It is easy to maintain on ceramics despite the 64+ Rockwell rating. The trick, imho, is to not let it get really dull. Roselli also makes a shorter bladed "detail knife" which might be my next addition.
Here's a good place to get `em, in case Ragweed Forge is out.
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=57.231&dept_id=13222

 

[tarmix101]

The trick, imho, is to not let it get really dull.

That is always a good rule of thumb, no matter what steel. :thumbup:


Here are some (poorly taken) progression pics of a spoon I did yesterday. Also, two spoons using the Brusletto Kniven. Both need final sanding, and flax seed oil finish.

 

[fewpop]

Good looking spoons. :thumbup:

 

[omniviking]

Good thread I have been waitng for the old tax rebate thing to order some stuff from ragnar. Pat

 

[RescueRiley]

I've been curious about the brusletto kniven for a while.... Hmmm

 

[jpr9954]

Nice knives, Tarmix. I keep planning on getting a hook knife and doing some spoon making. Maybe someday. Here are some Swedish hook knives (that are a bit more than pinewood forge), also.

http://www.countryworkshops.org/knives.html

Well, I'll be darned. This guy is only about 45 minutes away from me. I have his book on building log cabins that I got back in the early 80s. I'll have to check this out some more. Thanks for posting the link.

John

 

[HighDesertWalker]

I was laid up in a hopital bed from 1985 to 1990. In order to keep from going stir crazy I took up wood carving; just had to have something to do with my hands.

I primarily used folders that I already had available because I wanted to replace the outdoor activities that was their usual application as much as possible.

From left to right, the knives are Schrade Barlow with simulated owl scrimshaw, medium Schrade Uncle Henry Stockman and large Buck Stockman.

Here are the same knives with the blades used for carving open:

Almost forgot, I also used a Buck Caper for the heavier work:

I began with rectangular blocks of wood and did the initial profiling with wooden mallets and wood-handled carving chisels. I couldn't find my carving chisels, but here are the mallets. They are shown with the folders in order to provide scale:

Finally, here are a few of the pieces I carved. First, an eaglet carved in mahogony:

Next, a moai (Easter Island mononlith) carved in Jelutong and stained a light brown:

Finally, my favorite, a mink carved in black walnut:

Unfortunately, the mink was later stolen by a disgruntled girl friend.

Carving is a great hobby; it helped me keep body and soul together during a difficult period in my life.

 

[tarmix101]

I

Carving is a great hobby; it helped me keep body and soul together during a difficult period in my life.

Great stuff HDW. :thumbup:

I'm not very talented when it comes to the decorative carvings. I stick to utensils, bowl, and cups for the most part. I'm starting a fishing spear, and a beach wood basket in a week or so. Need to gather the materials but the weather is not cooperating.

Some very nice work as well as knives.

Just a quick side note. Watch the tip of your knife when whittling with a longer blade. Gave myself a nice gash while using the bottom part of the blade. I wasn't watching the tip, or my left index finger.

Four band-aids later.

 

[HighDesertWalker]

Just a quick side note. Watch the tip of your knife when whittling with a longer blade. Gave myself a nice gash while using the bottom part of the blade. I wasn't watching the tip, or my left index finger.

Four band-aids later.

Boy does that look familiar. I got so many cuts I had to lay in a stash of Steri-Strips so I could close most of the wounds myself. When you're putting a lot of pressure on razor sharp blades it's gonna happen.

Great thread here, thanks for starting it up. :thumbup:

 

[Stainz]

When finishing a utensil or bowl for food, remember to try to get as fine as possible with knives, gouges, and scrapers - all sandpaper will leave some grit behind - you don't want to eat that. A great 'edible' finish - that is easily renewed - is made by floating a tuna tin in a pan of water over an electric eye (no flame). Shave some parrafin (That's wax - not what we call mineral spirits!) into the tin - add some beeswax and a few drops of walnut oil. All three are available at a health food store. As the water heats up, the wax will melt and blend - more walnut oil can be added to make a more runny mix. It will solidify when cool. While it's still warm, use a clean cloth to rub it in the utensil. When cool, buff it with a clean cotton cloth - use walnut oil periodically, after washing, to rejuvenate - and reheat the finish and re-apply if/as it wears. Parrafin is also in the canning section of your grocers, while beeswax is still used on water closet floor seals - use a new one, of course.

BTW, I like a sheepsfoot -style, a la the Rick Butz chip carving knife. I enjoyed using a Buck 301 for years, but that Butz knife is better for small whittling and chip-carving, with his detail knife looking even better (I don't have that one.). Woodcraft did sell the pair for ~$30 - and his (Butz) excellent books, too. I have a larger scale knife 'in the Butz tradition' - thus far I haven't made a lot of use of it, however - a Bark River '07 T.U.S.K.. My years of woodturning have taken their toll - my repetitive motion (carpal tunnel) problems make woodcarving a short-time avocation these days.

Hey - a reason for more knives... as Martha would say, "That's a good thing!".

Stainz

 

[tarmix101]

When finishing a utensil or bowl for food, remember to try to get as fine as possible with knives, gouges, and scrapers - all sandpaper will leave some grit behind - you don't want to eat that. A great 'edible' finish - that is easily renewed - is made by floating a tuna tin in a pan of water over an electric eye (no flame). Shave some parrafin (That's wax - not what we call mineral spirits!) into the tin - add some beeswax and a few drops of walnut oil. All three are available at a health food store. As the water heats up, the wax will melt and blend - more walnut oil can be added to make a more runny mix. It will solidify when cool. While it's still warm, use a clean cloth to rub it in the utensil. When cool, buff it with a clean cotton cloth - use walnut oil periodically, after washing, to rejuvenate - and reheat the finish and re-apply if/as it wears. Parrafin is also in the canning section of your grocers, while beeswax is still used on water closet floor seals - use a new one, of course.

BTW, I like a sheepsfoot -style, a la the Rick Butz chip carving knife. I enjoyed using a Buck 301 for years, but that Butz knife is better for small whittling and chip-carving, with his detail knife looking even better (I don't have that one.). Woodcraft did sell the pair for ~$30 - and his (Butz) excellent books, too. I have a larger scale knife 'in the Butz tradition' - thus far I haven't made a lot of use of it, however - a Bark River '07 T.U.S.K.. My years of woodturning have taken their toll - my repetitive motion (carpal tunnel) problems make woodcarving a short-time avocation these days.

Hey - a reason for more knives... as Martha would say, "That's a good thing!".

Stainz

There is a local Woodcraft store here in Spokane that sells Walnut oil, and beeswax. I'm going to give that finish a try. Good stuff and thanks for sharing.:thumbup:

 

[mtnfolk mike]

wow... great carvings there HDW... nice work man..:thumbup:

 

[tarmix101]

Tried to get all fancy on this one by making a ridge along the top for it to rest on the pot when not in use.

Dosen't really work do to my poor engineering skills.

Roughed out with my axe: (as you can see from the checking, tupelo does not like to be split. Dream to carve, but splitting is a task)

After some knife work:

I cheat and use 150 grit to smooth out some of the edges and tool marks:

 

[Dave Costin]

Nice job! Funny because I got it in my blood yesterday too. I went out and grabbed a hunk of wood from a mulberry that we took down last week. I went in the barn an got the maul and quartered it then halved one of the quarters and was going to rough it out with my GB swedish carving axe burt it was clear up at the house so I looked around the barn and found a Roselli that I forgot about. At first I didn't like it but it grew on me fast. I roughed out a spoon before dark then dropped it in a bucket of water until today. I went out and worked on it some but had to work. I will start back soon. I didn't have the camera then but will snap a couple pics before going any farther. I don't know how to post but maybe someone will point me in the right direction to learn.

Again, very nice. :thumbup: I like the looks of that tulip wood. I do not like the mulberry but it is all I had and for a first project it is fine.

 

[tarmix101]

Nice job! Funny because I got it in my blood yesterday too. I went out and grabbed a hunk of wood from a mulberry that we took down last week. I went in the barn an got the maul and quartered it then halved one of the quarters and was going to rough it out with my GB swedish carving axe burt it was clear up at the house so I looked around the barn and found a Roselli that I forgot about. At first I didn't like it but it grew on me fast. I roughed out a spoon before dark then dropped it in a bucket of water until today. I went out and worked on it some but had to work. I will start back soon. I didn't have the camera then but will snap a couple pics before going any farther. I don't know how to post but maybe someone will point me in the right direction to learn.
Again, very nice. :thumbup: I like the looks of that tulip wood. I do not like the mulberry but it is all I had and for a first project it is fine.

If you email me your pics I'll post them for you, or and give you a quick tutorial on how to post pictures . Sharing the work with everyone is half the fun. Also, brings a new interesting (IMO) topic to W&S that I'm sure we all do, but don't see a lot of.

todrandall @ gmail dot com is my address.

 

[Dave Costin]

Wow, thank you! I sure will. Actually will rpobably do both. I'll send some then learn how to do myself too. I will be in touch.

 

[HighDesertWalker]

wow... great carvings there HDW... nice work man..:thumbup:

Thanks mike. It fit the situation. Felt like I had time to burn and patience to match. Now I need a little more stimulation.