No knifes yet - beginner knife recommendation

[jato]

hey guys im very new to the hobby and looking to buy a knife and start CARVING but i dont know anything about quailty of the knife that i would be buying so im turning to you guys. i would like to have two tools with one being a knife any suggestions on brand of knife and for the other tool should i have a V or a U or what ? any help would be awesome thx

[AlArchie]

I know you will get dozens of "that's my knife" replies and they are all good. But for the money and a good servicable knife, I'd suggest a basic Flexcut. They can be found around, and sometimes under 20 bucks.
Carving Tools - Carving Knives Flexcut Tool Company

or......

http://www.littleshavers.com/CatalogPage31.html

I have both the roughing knife and detail knife. They are NOT my favorites, but sure are good starters.....sharp and comfortable to use.

Al

[SlowMover]

Asking which knife is better is sort of like asking wrand knives from Woodcraft that are about $18.00 eachhose mother was the best cook...nearly everybody has a different answer for you. A lot of carvers use a fixed blade utility knife (see the Outwest Galleries Blog) and do excellent work. This is an inexpensive way to start carving. I prefer the Butz brand knives from Woodcraft that are about $18.00 each...that said, any knife that you feel comfortable with is a good knife for carving. The main thing is your use of the knife, not the tool itself (assuming the tool is sharp). As far a a V or U gouge..it all depends what you want to carve primarily as to what gouge you might use the most. Hope this helps a little..get ready for a z/illion different brand names to come your way

http://www.outwestwoodcarving.blogspot.com

[SlowMover]

Sorry about that garbled first sentence in my first post...I have problems with my cursor jumping around when I type on this laptop..I must hit the touch pad without knowing it...I try and clean up the posts, but missed this one.

[DMH1112]

My first carving knife was a 1 5/8" knife by Ralph Long that I got for $25, which I am very satisfied with. Denny knives, Lee Ferguson, and Drake knives are all good too. For a V-tool or U-gouge, it really depends on what style of carving you want to do. Denny and Flexcut make many different V-tools and gouges.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

www.drakeknives.com (also has palm tools) these are my absolute favorite! Ralph Long also makes a nice tool ! WoodBeeCarver » Blog Archive RALPH E. LONG KNIVES

Dave

[Mitchell]

You will find many different answers as to which knife is best. It's subjective. AND your own answer would change over time. You may love a knife today but in two months have another favorite.

First tip - use the search function and look for answers to questions that you may have - most have already been asked and answered here already.

Second tip - get a glove too.

I like knives by Ralph Long and Allen Goodman. Both are handmade and are well made. Drake makes great gouges, so I would expect his knives to be good also. Helvie is good.

You may want to try the beginners package suppiled by Little Shavers or by Smoky Mountain - either is good and well worth the money.

It would really help if we knew WHAT you want to carve (subject matter) as well as size. Lastly, what type of wood will you be carving?

[Mitchell]

Here's a previous discussion on knife suggestions: Buying a new knife

One more thing - Please let us know what you decide on and your thoughts. Rarely does this happen. It would provide great feedback and be a help for others in your situation later!

[Alfwok]

I'm going to double up on the get a glove comment I'm new too and made the no glove mistake my thumb is finally about healed up 3 weeks later. As for knives i have no idea.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Yep, forgot to mention a good glove, here's what I use.
Buy Safety Glove, Large, 9" - 11" at Woodcraft.com

Dave