opinion and/or advice on tools

[macaro1]

these are the tools i have and i was looking for advice on them. sry if the pics are not good. some of the gouges with the ends turned at angle i was wondering what they are good for. if you need a closer look at the tools just ask and ill upload closer views

[breezly]

What kind of advice are you looking for?

[macaro1]

like what kind of tool is each one, how each one should be sharpen, which styles they go with and which tools are not worth using?

[breezly]

Do you have a leather strop need to strop on a regular basis . The exacto knife kit is ok but getting yourself a murphy knife or a flexcut knife would be better . Do you have a carving glove and thumb protector safety first.

[macaro1]

i dont have a leather strop. i dont have a thumb protector but i do have gloves that are good againist slashing.

[AlArchie]

Tray, I'm afraid neither of those sets is the best for woodcarving. The X-Acto style set may prove useful, but be careful...those "knife" blades are very flexible and can slip if forced too much. The gouges are quite servicable. All will work better if stropped often.

I've seen some excellent work done with those tools, though, so don't get discouraged.

That second set of six will be a disappointment unless you can get the edges reshaped. The bevel on each is way to steep and the grind marks have not been polished out. Those bevels appear to be around 35 degrees and you want bevels of 15 to 20 degrees for efective carving. On the plus side, I have a set like that that I reground the bevels, polished the same and they work really well for small carvings, but I don't use them often. The steel on these sets may or may not be good quality...it's a turkey shoot.

I know that beginner carvers are usually strapped for cash and are reluctant to spend a whole lot. That said, if you can rustle up just under 60 bucks, here's a link to Rick Ferry's Little Shavers outfit and their beginners set. Beginner's Carving Set at Little Shavers There are other suppliers on the web, but I've had several beginners get his set and they worked out very well. Rick pre-sharpens all the tools he sells and will resharpen them for free (just cover shipping). Most tools do not come fully sharpened from the factory. Exceptions are the likes of Denny, Diobsud,Helvie, Lyons and some other knife makers.

You indicate you don't have a strop. One can be made from an old leather belt glued to a piece of wood and charged with "polishing compound" from most any hardware store. You can order special compounds from numerous sources, but these will work as well as most and are easy to find.

A thumb guard can be made by cutting the thumb off an old leather glove....pretty simple fix,there.

It's kind of hard to see the thicknes of the "knife" blade in the set, but properly sharpened it may well be good for roughing out "in the round" carvings. The two flat chisle style blades look to be designed for chip carving, and again, properly sharpened and stropped may work well. The "U" gouges are generally used for both stock removal and detailing. If there is a "V" tool there it can be used for undercutting on relief carvings, lettering and detailing. On the set I have, I have been unable to get a decent edge on the "V" tool. Not at all well designed.

I don't mean to sound discouraging, but you asked and I think you deserve a straight answer.



Al

[Bob K.]

I agree with Breezly and Al...I'm afraid you will soon become discouraged using those tools. A good Flexcut knife is where you should start and Flexcut also has an excellent line of palm gouges that you should invest in...You can buy them is sets or individually. You don't need a lot of tools to get started. A good knife and a v-tool will get you on your way. You will enjoy carving a lot more with the right tools.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Great advice given above, the glove is the most important!

Dave

[One Thumb Carver]

Tray a lot of good advice I feel you need to purchase you safety equipment first Glove, Thumb protection I went with Flexcut However. Beginner's Carving Set at Little Shaver Is a good place to start Good luck Carving and be Safe

[Whittled Thumb]

I have that same set of gouges and they work fine fore me. Ofcourse ive sharpened them to a fine edge but they do work. I use Xactos but mine are made fore carving. They have thick steel blades that will not bend or flex.