[Plain_Ol_Ed]

They're not really palm tools. They are meant strictly for fine detail work. If you want something a little more substantial, go to the littleshavers web site and look at the Ramelson palm tools. Rick sells them seperately and they are very inexpensive and excellent tools. A small v tool is probably what you are looking for. If it fits your budget, add a small deep gouge. Really, everything you want to do, can be done with a knife. Tools just make it faster.

[chuckbolton]

the carvers i know who are really fast-- use a knife for 90% ( well a large portion) of all carving. they dont spend time setting down and picking up tools. they have learned to make the tool an extension of their hand. i however have not learned that skill, tho im trying.

[reinhart_menken]

Hmm. I thought that everything could be carved with just a knife, and it's good to read some reassuring comments on that; and I would LOVE to be able to do that some day. Are there ways to practice doing that? Or just basically practice the details you want to make.

I tried practicing making a smooth round surface, and that came out pretty well for a first try. And then I tried to carve the horse's mane that I'm going to "put" on my chess knight, that...was a disaster. It was hilariously horrible. My indentation of the mane were all V type (or you call that profile), while the picture of the knight I based my carving on seemed to have a U profile. I was wondering if you guys have tips for that with just a knife, instead of a u-gouge (so basically how do you achieve a u-gouge profile with a knife) =/

In case you're wondering what I based my knight on; it was this link - The Chess Piece - for the best chess sets and chess prices

Other details on the knight seem okay with a knife, I just need a lot more practice =/

Thanks for all the comments and advices so far!

[squbrigg]

A set of Dockyard micro tools would give you the flexability to achieve the shapes you want on the horse and any other shape on a chess set, at a reasonable price. They are limited in their use, but should serve in this case. I use mine like a pencil and like a palm set, but they irritate your palm if used that way much, and their shafts are not made to take much pressure.

Why you would choose to limit yourself to a single knife to carve with, confuses me, but that is a choice you make. Single knife carvers usually work in carving "flat plane" styles of subjects, as in some caracature styles, where your chess piece appears to be in a more classic style.

Another tool (or set of tools) that you may want to consider, is small files for carving. They are shaped for carving, and sanding odd shapes and really are a wonderful addition to your tool box, I use both steel files and diamond files, and they achieve wonderful results in small carved shapes, like your hores. They aren't expensive and should be found in a local hardware store or automotive store (Princess Auto, Canadian Tire, etc)

Bob

[Just Carving]

I was wondering if you guys have tips for that with just a knife

Here's my tip:

Everyone carves their own way. Unless you're sitting next to someone, and watching him carve, the only way you will learn is by doing it. You will end up doing it your own way any way--whether someone tells you, or shows you. There are no tried and true, "this way or the highway" methods in carving. Everyone has their own way of doing things. That is the beauty of carving.

So, not to be sarcastic, or disrespectful, this is the way to carve. Pick up a knife--THEE knife--THEE only knife--that fits most comfortably in your hand--THEE knife that you like the most--your best buddy. If you only have one knife, then use it. It doesn't matter what knife you use, just USE it. Make sure it is as sharp as you can get it. Now CARVE. Doesn't matter what you carve, just CARVE. If you want to carve chess pieces, then start with what you think is the easiest piece for YOU. Carve that piece, and only that piece until you are happy with it. Now, carve it again. DO it again. When you've mastered that piece--or you've grown tired of it, then move on to the next hardest piece. Do the same. When you've mastered carving all the chess pieces--or what ever you choose to carve, then you won't need another tool, you don't need another knife, and you've probably mastered your carving skills. BTW--the less time you spend typing here, and asking questions, the more time you spend carving, and the sooner you answer your own questions. Carving is just like playing the piano. Anybody can play the piano--if they want to. It's just a matter of sitting down, and doing it until you can. BUT every once in a while, we take breaks, and we hang out here to see if we can find the holy grail in carving--whether it be THAT knife, or THAT tool, or THAT technique, or THAT Wood, or THAT book, or THAT......

The pieces you showed in the picture--were turned down on a lathe. I doubt you will be able to duplicate the bases on those pieces with a knife--or any carving tool--hand or power. In fact, every piece you carve, will have some slight difference. That's true with any carving. Squbrigg is correct in saying that your pieces will have a "flat plane" appearance when carving with just a knife, or a "tool mark" with a carving tool. You will see the flats or profiles of the cuts--unless you sand or file the piece after you've carved it. Also, keep in mind, you are carving by hand. So, carving a true circle or sphere is like trying to draw a true circle without using a compass or circle template. It's just about impossible. There inevitably will always be a slight flaw or imperfection.

I don't want to burst your bubble, or discourage you from doing what you want to do. I just want to point out the reality of carving--and also, most importantly, that you don't have to duplicate what you see, exactly. Take liberty with what you see--carve your version or your impression or your preference of what you see. If there is something you can't do or haven't quite mastered--change it, eliminate it, or do something that you can--and that most importantly, satisfies you. If you are happy with it, that says a lot. Carvers are their own worst critics. Most likely, if you show a piece to someone who doesn't know anything about carving, she will be most impressed with what you've done.

In the last couple of months or so, I've learned the hard way what I've been trying to learn for the last several years. There are no short cuts--just carving until you get it right--or right for you. I am carving teddy bear pins. Each one that I do, is slightly different from the last. Each one that I do, is a little--just a little bit--better than the last. Each one that I do is done with a different tool--sometimes a knife, sometimes a carving tool, sometimes a combination of both. Each one I do, is a different wood. I switch back and forth between 4 or 5 different types of wood--mainly for variety. The same with tools.

You know what? Changing the wood, the tool, or the way I carve hasn't made me a better carver.

You want to know what did: just carving.

I find it ironic that all this time I've been looking for the "Holy Grail" in woodcarving--like a lot of others here--and that the answer to my quest was lying in my screen name all this time.

Bob L

[reinhart_menken]

Well, I don't really want to duplicate that piece exactly as it looks, not a facsimile, more like a "replica" I guess; just something that looks sort of like it. I know it's most likely made from a machine.

I don't have any bubbles to burst either =/ The reason with all the questions is because I'm deciding on if I should really get other tools, since some of you say that it's possible to do everything with just a knife, while some disagree. As for the reason why I may want to limit myself to just one tool is because I travel a lot and I move a lot, and cutting down everything to a bare minimum or what's necessary is what I want. If I get 5 new palm tools, I'm going to want to get something else in the future, and then next thing I know I'll have 16 knives and tools that I hardly use. It's just something that people all do - get a bunch of stuff that they don't really need, so all the questions I have are just to determine if I need those. So I guess I'll need the micro-tools after all (and even though the set has five, I'll probably end up needing just the largest one and the smallest one).

Still, anyways, thanks for helping me come to a conclusion that I need more tools.

[chuckbolton]

there is no tried and true that fits us all, no cook book recipe to follow. if i had it to do over again-- id take a class using only my knife as a beginning class-- i have mallet tools, intermidate tools, palm tools some micro size and i have a mixed set of dockyard tools.

i have purchased 5-6 knives and use two regularly. i have probably invested $1000 easily. and feel know i can carry and use a set of intermedaite swiss made-- mostly u gauges and an 8 sweep. this comment and experience is based on watching janet cordel carve-- she uses normally only 3-4 gauges and her knife. she has a set of less than 15 tools that she carries and may use any of them-- but when working a class-- she carries her knife and 3-4 gauges. the point i see is, make the tool become and extension of your hand--learn to make the tools u have do what u want them to do. im weeding mine down so that i wont be carrying quite so many in the future-- all the carving instructors use a base set of toolsand it varies with the person. and then some specailty tools they have learned to use. i have taken classes and the instructor used a tool i didnt have-- and did wonderful things with it. i bought the tool-- and it doesnt work so well for me. its not the tool--its the operator-- sorry folks-- we have to take more responsiblity for our carvings. i dont think you necessarily need more tools-- get a good asst and learn to use them, doing what you need to do. add to it as u find a specific use for another tool that isnt in your box.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

Back to the mane on the knight. No you can't make a small u shaped cut with a knife. If you really want it to be that shape you will need a small u gouge of some sort. That said, a very nice mane can be made using v cuts and your knife. Try it on some practice sticks. Make the cuts wavy and don't make them all the same depth.

[William]

After seeing the set your working on the surgical blades would not be that helpful to you, I use mine mostly for cleaning up the fuzzies around the stop cuts.

you said
" If I get 5 new palm tools, I'm going to want to get something else in the future, and then next thing I know I'll have 16 knives and tools that I hardly use."
you are exactly right that's just what happened to me. I think your on the right track, do as much as you can with your bench knife until you know for sure what other tool you will need. The tools needed for carving depends greatly on the type of carving you decide is right for you, right now its the chess set but tomorrow it may be something else but you will find the micro tools useful for just about any type of carving.

This is just my opinion but when you select the set pick one that has two gouges and a v tool because you will probably use them the most. I read a post some time back about the micro v tool breaking easily and I think it was by BobD, and he was right I have broken two of them by trying to pry out the piece that had just been cut so needless to say I don't do that with the replacements.

[TommyPhillips]

Just a plug for the Cape Forge set of travel tools. I got a set for Christmas, and they are a dream to work with. I keep them in a pocket, along with an Old Timer knife, and work on my pocket projects when I'm out and about.

When I'm at home, or able to carry the full kit, I use my Flexcut palm tools a lot. But, I love my Cape Forge tools so much, I wish I could send a message back in time to myself to hold off and buy everything from Cape Forge.

-Tommy