The 1-7/16” blade is tapered to create the ultimate tool for those important finishing cuts. The tip is finely ground creating a slight flex, which allows it to fit in areas that are difficult to reach with the standard blade such as detailing overlapping feathers or a figure’s facial details. Purchase online.
Exclusively designed and developed by Rick Bütz for the Woodcraft Co., this strop has features that allow quick and easy honing of all carving tools. The large 9½” x 3” flat surface provides ample area for putting a razor sharp edge on knives and other straight blade tools. A specially designed, ¼” radius edge fits the inner surface of curved bladed tools, such as gouges and fishtails. The angled, 45-degree edge quickly produces a razor edge of any V-shaped tool. Split leather hide completely wraps the hardwood form, allowing charging of both sides with honing compounds of different grits. Lacquered 4¾” contoured handle fits comfortably in the hand to ensure maximum control. Purchase online.
I guess it’s no secret — I love woodcarving. For one thing, I love working with my hands, feeling a well-honed tool carve cleanly through the wood, and smelling the fragrant wood chips. I can just feel the tensions of daily life melt away.
Sometimes, when I’m really involved with a project, I almost feel like I’m in another time and place, a simpler world where the pace is set by the rhythm of tools carving through the wood, rather than by clocks or calendars. I always come back refreshed, with a new perspective on life.
Woodcarving has also given me the chance to meet a lot of new friends — especially through teaching. There’s something exciting about introducing people to carving and watching them discover the rewards and satisfactions for themselves. That’s why, when I was asked to help create a weekly public television series on woodcarving, I welcomed the opportunity to share my enjoyment with others.
Woodcarving is a simple art. You only need a few tools and basic techniques to get started; the rest comes with practice. But, once you have these basics, you’re only limited by your imagination. You always have new horizons to explore. You can carve for a lifetime and never be bored.