Wood Carving Knives
#11
Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on the best whittling knife or wood carving knife sets? I see folks referencing Pfiel a bit on the forum but is there any consensus on what brand or particular knife is highly regarded? I'm interested in both pocket folders and fixed blades. 

Feel free to share pictures of your collection and carvings for reference!

~Cajun
Reply
#12
Best, I don't know, but I've seen that Narex has gotten into that area, might be worth checking out.
Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
Reply
#13
(12-12-2018, 06:35 PM)cajunwoodworks Wrote: Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on the best whittling knife or wood carving knife sets? I see folks referencing Pfiel a bit on the forum but is there any consensus on what brand or particular knife is highly regarded? I'm interested in both pocket folders and fixed blades. 

Feel free to share pictures of your collection and carvings for reference!

~Cajun

Ron Hock makes nice ones.

http://hocktools.com/products/knives.html
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
Reply
#14
(12-12-2018, 06:35 PM)cajunwoodworks Wrote: Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on the best whittling knife or wood carving knife sets? I see folks referencing Pfiel a bit on the forum but is there any consensus on what brand or particular knife is highly regarded? I'm interested in both pocket folders and fixed blades. 

Feel free to share pictures of your collection and carvings for reference!

~Cajun  Amd 

I have expensive sloyd knives from Pinewood Forge, Northbay Forge, and even one from Svante Djarv.  But, the Frost (Mora) knives are my favorites - at a fraction of the price.  Not fancy, but they're comfortable and sharp.  And Lee Valley has free shipping through tomorrow.

The Scandi-grind makes them a snap to sharpen.  I actually like the smaller one better.

Since I'm a bit obsessive, I can't stop constantly looking for something better.  Haven't found it yet.


Steve

[Image: 02D0101s4.jpg]
Reply
#15
Hello Steve,

Are there any advantages or disadvantages of having the long Mora knife, given that the long and short ones are the same price?

Thanx.

Simon
Reply
#16
(12-13-2018, 12:12 AM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: Hello Steve,

Are there any advantages or disadvantages of having the long Mora knife, given that the long and short ones are the same price?

Thanx.

Simon

Depends on what you're making.  I do spoons and use the smaller one much more than the larger because it's better in tight curves.  I also like that my hand (the one holding the knife) is closer to the tip.  It's nice to have both, but if I could only have one, it would be the smaller one.  Really personal preference.

Steve
Reply
#17
(12-12-2018, 06:35 PM)cajunwoodworks Wrote: Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on the best whittling knife or wood carving knife sets? I see folks referencing Pfiel a bit on the forum but is there any consensus on what brand or particular knife is highly regarded? I'm interested in both pocket folders and fixed blades. 

Feel free to share pictures of your collection and carvings for reference!

~Cajun
.............
The "best" knife, like wine, is the one that YOU like...If it fits YOUR hand and holds an edge, you will probably like it...A lot of whittlers like a small knife with an 1 1/2" long straight edge, but some carvers like blades that are curved, and some like blades that are 2" long....My best advice is..do not buy a "set"...there are some knives in that "set" that you will never use...Instead, use the money you save to buy knives like those sold by Ron Hock, with quality steel, properly hardened and tempered..You have to pay for that but you will be glad of it. .....FIRST order of business tho, is learning how to put a "hair-popping" edge on your blades...If you can't do that you probably wont like carving...One "test" for sharpness I have found is, stab your blade through an ordinary kitchen paper towel and slice down..it should cut cleanly, without tearing..Sharpening takes practice...You must practice holding the blade on the hone at a very low angle..Edges honed to a low angle make carving a pleasure...it's a joy to use sharp tools.
       The most difficult tool to sharpen is IMO, the "V" tool...when you learn to sharpen that, you have learned to sharpen!
Winkgrin ...BUT, it is one of the "handiest" tools you can have in your tool kit.
       Lots of good Youtube videos on the subject and some "not so good", but one I can recommend is Jim Redhawk...he carves a lot in cottonwood bark, which is a good material to carve....Good luck!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymFKg2DKnMU
Often Tested.    Always Faithful.      Brothers Forever

Jack Edgar, Sgt. U.S. Marines, Korea, America's Forgotten War
Get off my lawn !
Upset





Reply
#18
One of the reasons I have stayed away from whittling, or carving, knives so long is that there are so many to choose from, and in so many types of steel. Over the years a lot of money has gone their way with little reward. I have Oar Carvers in powdered D2 steel that hold an edge forever but also take forever to sharpen. My advice, stay with O1 type steel. 

I don't think any usable folder made will survive repeated prying. 

Then you deal with cutting angles. Anything that cuts easily is also thin, and fragile. My experience with Mora knives verged on abuse. They just kept going, so lived with fish guts, dry salmon eggs, in a tackle box until God saved them in a moment of my forgetfulness. Mora were butt ugly, so we had useless but flashy bowies and bear killers on our hips.

Looking at the Wille Sundvqist books, you start with a known quality and it evolves to fit your style. My baby knife--pre-school to college--did just that. It started life as a two-blade folding Barlow, was sharpened on convenient stones (natural); lost its red plastic scales, the large blade. Eventually, the toothpick-shape small blade snapped. The desirable aspect of my Barlow was its size, smallish to fit unobtrusively in a pocket.

Of course, what you whittle will define your tool. My spoons and spatulas started and ended lives at the camp fire, so bling was secondary to function. I needed only one knife.
Reply
#19
(12-13-2018, 11:36 AM)hbmcc Wrote: One of the reasons I have stayed away from whittling, or carving, knives so long is that there are so many to choose from, and in so many types of steel. Over the years a lot of money has gone their way with little reward. I have Oar Carvers in powdered D2 steel that hold an edge forever but also take forever to sharpen. My advice, stay with O1 type steel. 

I don't think any usable folder made will survive repeated prying. 

Then you deal with cutting angles. Anything that cuts easily is also thin, and fragile. My experience with Mora knives verged on abuse. They just kept going, so lived with fish guts, dry salmon eggs, in a tackle box until God saved them in a moment of my forgetfulness. Mora were butt ugly, so we had useless but flashy bowies and bear killers on our hips.

Looking at the Wille Sundvqist books, you start with a known quality and it evolves to fit your style. My baby knife--pre-school to college--did just that. It started life as a two-blade folding Barlow, was sharpened on convenient stones (natural); lost its red plastic scales, the large blade. Eventually, the toothpick-shape small blade snapped. The desirable aspect of my Barlow was its size, smallish to fit unobtrusively in a pocket.

Of course, what you whittle will define your tool. My spoons and spatulas started and ended lives at the camp fire, so bling was secondary to function. I needed only one knife.
................
My preference is for D-2 steel and I have two pocketknives by Ross Oar that I bought from Joel...As you say, D-2 holds it's edge..better than any other knife steel I have used when sharpened to a low angle,, with the possible exception of M-2 HSS which I am now using in the carving knives I make. I have no problem sharpening it on a six inch 3,000grit diamond lap mounted on my Worksharp 3000, then "power stropped".... I have other laps in different grit sizes that are 8" diameter for my Veritas MKII. Diamond cuts it like butter.
For everyday carry, I have two favs... an Artisan Zumwalt in D-2 and a TwoSun Flipper also in D-2.....I think the secret's out...D-2 is starting to "catch on" in the knife community...I hope so anyway.....
Big Grin
Often Tested.    Always Faithful.      Brothers Forever

Jack Edgar, Sgt. U.S. Marines, Korea, America's Forgotten War
Get off my lawn !
Upset





Reply
#20
I carve mostly caricature, bark houses and such and those I carve with use mainly Helvie, Drake, Cape  Forge and a few others. If you are carving caricature or other figures similar look at the knives made by actual carvers of the sort of carvings you intend to carve. Look on the Wood Carving Illustrated forum for TMI on the subject. And similar to many crafts you’ll never be able to have just one.

Ed
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.