chip carving class

[Dennis Taylor]

I attended a chip carving class held at local Rockler store, and it was a good class, and seems pretty enjoyable, something you can do in front of the t.v. on a cold winters night....I don't have a chip knife now, but am looking for one, I used one the instructor had, it was from Germany, but very small for my hand, there was a guy that had the Barton knife, and another with a Flexcut...there was someone also with the Moor knife, which several people on here have talked about in previous posts....are the sharpening techniques between the 3 the same, my understanding is the Moor is set at a better angle already, meaning you have to sharpen differently?....any knife inputs are appreciated, I am asking Santa for the knives and Santa said mail order is running out of time...Dennis

I just finished up a Dennis Moor chip carving class. Pertaining to sharpening his knives, he recommends a 10 degree angle. Hope this helps and good luck with your chip carving.

[papasar]

Dennis,
The new Moor knife with the gray handle is designed so that you can't help but hold the knife correctly. Also the size of the handle is as big as they come.
Happy carving!
Bill K.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have only had good luck with sharpening the chipcarving knives when I lay the blade flat on the surface and sharpen with the blade flat from back to edge....

[Dennis Taylor]

In the class and also in the Wayne Barton book, they all seemed to recommend a 10 degree angle on the blade, the size of a dime seems to be the correct angle...HI HO Silver, are you sharpening the blade FLAT, i.e. no angle?...Dennis

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

yep, flat, no angle. Smile" same way I sharpen all my knives, seems to work best for basswood...hardwoods, different story!

[Dennis Taylor]

When you receive a chip knife, say a Moor or Barton, are they already sharpened/honed with a 10 degree angle on them?....and then if so, do you flatten the blade?....I am assuming that it comes honed with a 10 degree angle, at the class I attended there was a guy with a Dunkle knife, and it was dead flat, no angle...I would think no angle would be easier to duplicate over & over, and no concern of getting that angle on each pass...Dennis

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have a Moor, a Barton, A flexcut and have had to flatten the blades on all of them...the only one I have that came ready to go was a Harold Woods knife! Came "flat"! Talking and actually most don't come honed anyway, you have to do that...except again Woodys, it was sharp and flat.

[Dennis Taylor]

how do you flatten them?...in the class, the instructor recommended a small diamond plate, for shaping,and then a cermaic stone, very fine and finally a stropping with leather and a polising compound...is that the same process to flatten the blade initally....is there a benefit to having the bevel angle of 10 degree's or flat?...Dennis