The wood carving handbook
The right wood, a sharp edge, and the cut gets easy
Which wood to pick, which knife to buy, how to get it sharp and keep it sharp, and what to change when the wood fights back or a finished carving cracks.
Can you carve this wood, and what for?
Open the full wood chart →Charts to pin above the bench
The process, step by step
Wood and tools come first, then the edge, then the cuts. Steps 3 to 5 are three styles, not a sequence: start with the one you came for.
- ·Choose the woodBasswood first. Hardness and grain decide how a wood cuts and which style it suits.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- ·Knives and toolsOne fixed-blade knife is enough to start. Hook knives, gouges and axes come with the style.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 1Sharpen and stropA carving edge is kept on the strop. Stones come out only when stropping stops working.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 2Basic cuts and safetyThin slicing cuts with the grain, a glove on the holding hand, the blade path kept clear.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 3Whittling projectsA knife, a block of basswood and a first project small enough to finish in one sitting.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 4Spoon carvingGreen wood, a straight knife for the outside and a hook knife for the bowl.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 5Chip carvingSmall triangular chips cut from a flat board with one knife held at a steady angle.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 6Finish and repairOil, wax or paint for the finished piece, and glue for the crack that shows up later.0 notes · 0 gear guides