[VA Blake]

Sorry in advance for the beginner post. Thus far i own a couple blocks of basswood and a pocket knife. I am looking for the best general beginner book. I have seen many books all of which seem to be dedicated to a specific method or style of carving. Seeing how i just started, i would like a general overview of the styles before i buy a book about just one specific style (if that makes sense). My goal thus far is to carve tiki gods and chess sets. I have no local clubs and no wood carving shops to speak of - the only place i found that has basswood iand one knife kit is Michaels Arts and Crafts. Any direction would be appreciated.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

"Whittling" by Bill Higginbotham is such a book. Even has a Tiki in it.

I would steer clear of the hobby shop basswood. Basswood is not basswood. It all depends on where it was grown. You are going to spend a lot of time on a carving so the cost of the wood will be minimal in relation to the effort expended. Buy it from the Northern Tier of States or Canada. Two of my favorite places are

Heinecke Wood Products
Itasca Wood Products

Both have excellent wood and good prices. I kind of rotate between the two just to spread the business around. Don't want anybody closing up shop due to lack of business.

Your pocket knife should be all the knife you need, assuming it is really sharp and one of the blades is close to the proper shape and size. If you keep carving, you will eventually end up with more than a few knives.

[Clifford_Parker]

Whittling and Woodcarving by E.J. Tangerman is an EXCELLENT reference book for beginners and experienced carvers alike.

[Claude]

Another good source is right here on the web. Gene Messer, Mark Gargac, and many others have posted tutorials right here on the WCI forums. Go here Wood Carving Tutorials - Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board and start reading. In addition to these, Gene has several video tutorials on YouTube. Links to these are in the Tutorials section above. There's everything from carving a santa to how to sharpen your knife to how to paint your carving.

Claude

[Old_Gord]

Originally Posted by VA Blake

Sorry in advance for the beginner post. Thus far i own a couple blocks of basswood and a pocket knife. I am looking for the best general beginner book. I have seen many books all of which seem to be dedicated to a specific method or style of carving. Seeing how i just started, i would like a general overview of the styles before i buy a book about just one specific style (if that makes sense). My goal thus far is to carve tiki gods and chess sets. I have no local clubs and no wood carving shops to speak of - the only place i found that has basswood iand one knife kit is Michaels Arts and Crafts. Any direction would be appreciated.

If you are looking for a book for beginners that shows a number of different woodcarving styles, tools to be used and projects to try out, then Richard Butz's book "How to carve wood" will meet your requirements .
The other books mentioned are good also and the on line tutorials posted here and on Youtube by Gene Messer are another excellent way to get into woodcarving.
Should have added that Gene's excellent tutorials use the minimum of tools , a knife and a small "v" tool, as he takes you through the steps of creating a carving in what is known as flat plane carving style.

OG

[VA Blake]

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

Originally Posted by Plain_Ol_Ed

I would steer clear of the hobby shop basswood. Basswood is not basswood. It all depends on where it was grown.

Care to elaborate?

[Clifford_Parker]

Originally Posted by VA Blake

Thanks for all the helpful replies.



Care to elaborate?

Northern grown basswood has a tighter grain and is more uniform in texture and density. Southern grown basswood is less uniform and has more tendency to split or chip along the grain.

Big hobby stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. buy their wood in bulk to save on overhead and don't really care about getting "great carving wood". Small sawmill operators who cater to carvers will be sure to take care that their wood is consistent in quality and properly cut and dried for carving use. If you can't get quality Northern Basswood locally you might want to check out these links.

Copperhead Road Logging and Lumber, Joe Jewett basswood

Heinecke Wood Products

[Mitchell]

Michaels is directed to the beginner (no offense) and is NOT of the best - or even moderate quality on tools or wood.... The wood you can carve, but it's generally harder than some of the other sources mentioned. The tools are CHEAPLY made and do not come sharp, and are hard to get sharp.

[Dagwood]

I find the best wood i've ever carved was in Mitchells' basement

[Just Carving]

OKAY Everybody! Let's head to Mitchell's basement!