carving plaques

[therenow]

I have been carving plaques with some success.But I have seen seen some plaques which were so artistic. My question is: what is the best knife for such delicate and artful plaques.? It seems that the Barton type knife is too wide for such delicate work.

[papasar]

I use the Denny or Notto small chip carving knives for smaller more delicate work.
The Notto is a bit thinner and I don't know if it is still made.
Bill K.

[CarverRog]

I use a John Dunkle knife. It has helped me with very fine lettering. I have several of his all for different uses. Good Luck!

[Claude]

I use a Bütz detail knife. It's a bit difficult to sharpen, as it isn't when you buy it...the extreme flexibility of it makes it hard to get a decent edge on the tip half inch of it. I use a piece of basswood with the Flexcut Gold rubbed on it as a strop...

2001336

Claude

[pallin]

You might consider shaping your own knives for the fine work you plan to do. There is probably no single knife that is ideal for all carving situations. The knowledge you gain from trying your own blade shapes will add greatly to your skills as a woodcarver.

[therenow]

Pallin..I would not know where to begin shaping my own knife. I know that there are others who have that ability but until I learn about and understand about the shaping and creating the right knife ...I am in the dark. I wish I knew more but how to obtain that skill is as they say "above my pay grade" (ability)

[therenow]

well. I decided to give the knife shaping a try. I have a Flexcut small detail knife that Is flat ground the blade on a 800 grit waterstone, then a 1200 grit waterstone, Then I polished it on a ceramic stone. It really is sharp now. But, the knife comes such a sharp point that it makes it want to follow the grain. I once read that a sharp point is not the best for chip carving fonts, etc. Should I reshape the point to resemble a standard chip carving knife?? Which is more rounded at the tip?

BTW; Anyone want to join me in a Obama cocktail? 2 shots and water

[Steve Reed]

Therenow, you really didn't specify what kind of plaques or size of lettering. If the lettering is large, many sign/plaque makers use a V-tool for lettering, or use a skew knife. For small lettering, I use a Notto, or a small flexcut chip carving knife. I really prefer the Notto knife as the Flexcut has a real acute angle between the blade and the handle. I also sometime use a Romainian chip carving knife which has no angle at all between the handle and the blade. Just my $.02, others may differ.

[therenow]

Steve my hope is to carve the intricate fonts that I see so often from carvers like yourself. I have looked for a Notto but can't find one. I am not a novice carver but one who really wants to practice and improve to a point that my plaques and carvings can be keep sakes for my Grandkids.

Any suggestions are welcome

[therenow]

Looks like I will go for the Dunkle knife. As I found hat the Notto is no longer availble. Thanks for all the input