Palm tools vs. other handled tools

[MrDantastic]

I've been trying to figure this out, but I can't. What is the difference or benefit of using palm tools vs other handled tools?

[arbarnhart]

I have the FlexCut set that is sort of a hybrid; they are palm tools but not the knob shaped mushooms. You can get the heel of your hand on the back end to push and still have your fingers close enough to the blade to give you good control.

[Ashbys]

The first reason, that palm tools are great starter tools , is control. You have more more control over a smaller cut.
On a small carving they can be twisted and turned into areas which the larger tools can not access as readily.

The drawback, slower wood removal as you can not use a mallet to assist.

Ash

[Kenny_S]

Palm gouges can be used on snal, medium and large Carvings. The Mallet tools are not good to use on small carvings.

I hear the words "starter tools" for Palm tools But I see professionals using the palm tools for their carvings and they have been carving for decades.
Guess it depends which circle you travel.
And,
It depends on what one likes.

[MrDantastic]

Sounds good.

I am looking to get 1 or 2 more tools, but I wasn't sure what type of handle to look for. Now I know. Thanks.

-Dan

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

What Kenny said .... I've got a large assortment of both palm and mallet tools plus the in between "Euro tools." Being as how most of my carvings are of the smaller hand held variety the palm tools are the ones I use most.

[Just Carving]

My take on carving tool handles:

Palm tools carve easier because they are smaller and push less wood than long handle tools. The overall design of the palm tool keeps your fingers close to the cutting edge, and the comfortable half-round palm style handles feature a flat spot that keeps them from rolling off your bench. Palm tools are very comfortable to use because they are nestled in the palm of your hand while carving. A good set of palm tools can give you a variety of different gouges that can be use extensively for touch up work on larger carving projects. Of course, you can use them for smaller work too.

Straight handle tools with ferrules are made to be hit with a mallet. They also allow you to use two hands on the handle when pushing rather than using a mallet. Two-handed tools provide excellent leverage and control. But for realy precise work, the palm tools may be the better way to go.

Bottom line, I think Rick of "little Shavers says it all on his web page on carving tool handles:

"Carving tool handles deserve much more attention than they get. In the best situation, the handle should be an extension of your hand. The handle should allow a full range of motion without discomfort or fatigue. While no one handle will fit all hands or carving styles, we can each choose the handle the works best for us."
http://www.littleshavers.com/Handles.html

The choice of handle depends on what you're going to be carving, the tools being useful in that type of carving, and you're being comfortable in using the tool.

[Thomp]

While i have both palm and straight handle tools,
i find the palm to have a shorter reach in some cases, my dockyard long handle gouges have a very short reach, but i have no other tool that will preform the same, 1-5mm gouges, my 5mm round gouge wont pull the same chip at the same angle of attack,
i dont know if this is inherent with all bent palm versus straight handle gouges and v tools, there is no compairisent between a palm gouge and a knive..

[Kenny_S]

Really Thomp, Ther is no comparison between palm gouges. There are those that are so so and then there are those that are of higfest quality. The only comparison is that the are palm gouges.
But I find your analysis to be true. Sometimes the palm gouges or V tools don't have the reach I need. I have used Dental picks, small rifflers and such and still did not achive the results I was looking for.

[Donna_T]

While I tend to agree that palm tools make good beginner carving tools, they can and are used by experienced carvers. They are limited when you are carving bigger carvings and you can't reach in to all the crannies that you need to carve.

I have lots of palm tools, but probably have more of the Euro style and full sized--simply because they offer more options....you can always choke up and get the same effect of a palm tool.

One good thing about starting with palm tools is that you may be able to pop off the handles when you outgrow them and put longer ones on to extend your reach with the same shaft and cutting tool. I did this with a bunch of my old Harmen (Ramelson)...just pried off the handle and put new ones on with 5-minute epoxy.

It is very important to get a "feel" of the handles before you buy lots of them. If they don't fit your hand comfortably, you'll end up not using them very much.

Donna T