Starting a tool box

[rmessick]

I am really enjoying the carving. I have decided to start to pick up some tools as I go along and have some extra money. I already have knives but gouges and v tools are next. I have looked at several starter kits but I do want to that direction because of duplicates. Anyway for you seasoned carvers what tools in order would you start acquiring if you could do it all over again. Oh yeah hand carving small figures? Also I am looking at drake tools and they are not metric.

[steve brown]

all depends on what area of carving you are going to tackle. I am a caricature carver and carve pieces in the round up to around 16-20 inches tall with palm tools. Some use mallet tools. Some use tools made for relief carving. Drake tools are one of the best going. I use about 4 different v tools and 4-5 different gouges and veiners. Then you have, the one of, tools that you use just every now and then.
Steve Brown Woodcarving

[Robson Valley]

Ha! I thought the title was literal.
Start with a BIG toolbox. It is amazing how the bits and pieces add up over the years.
While I almost never travel with it, I don't believe there's space anymore for a couple of fat tool rolls. Metric or Imperial sizes? "big" and "little" might be a useful system of sizes, too.

[Hoochie Papa]

I have Swiss made tools and Drake tools. I will probably only buy Drake tools from now on. Drake is excellent tools. Period.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

I love my Drake tools, I would start there!

Dave

[Pappajohn]

When I started carving seriously, I would buy quality old carving gouges on eBay, one at a time. You know, Addis, C. Maier, Hemming Bros. I have about 20 now, a full range of sizes and styles. They are beautiful and I am proud to have them. I also bought a new set of Pfeil palm gouges and a set of four mini-sized Flexcut gouges. I use most of them, but there are 4 or 5 favorites that I seem to use on everything I carve.

[Neil A. Ward]

Originally Posted by steve brown

all depends on what area of carving you are going to tackle. I am a caricature carver and carve pieces in the round up to around 16-20 inches tall with palm tools. Some use mallet tools. Some use tools made for relief carving. Drake tools are one of the best going. I use about 4 different v tools and 4-5 different gouges and veiners. Then you have, the one of, tools that you use just every now and then.
Steve Brown Woodcarving

Steve,

What size for "V" tools width and degree of angles? Also what size gouges would you recommend: sweep and width?

Thanks - Neil

[Bartster]

i am also a caricature carver and these are the tools i use for that i carve from about 3-6" occasionally around 7-8" and these tools do just fine for me,i only carry about 6 tools i am trying to learn how to do more with less like some masters do,ok here it goes
i carry 2 knives both have a wharncliff blade somewheres around 2", ok for the gouges i have a 1/8-3/16" #11,1/4"#11,3/8"#7,and a 3/8"#9,i dont use a v-tool very often and i have found out i can do alot with just these few tools, so i would start with these and go from there, it is all in how you learn to use them, hope this helps

bart

[davidinsarasota]

I guess the knife could replace a #1 but no #3 or #5? I don't do caricatures, but #5 and #6 are my mainstays.

[Carver Kid]

I have some Pfeil and Flexcut palm tools and I generally do in-the-round pieces. They are good and with regular honing the edges stay keen and sharp. Recently I bought 3 Drake gouges and I'm very happy with them so far. It doesn't hurt that the handles are like art pieces! I would recommend them. When I was first starting out, not very long ago, someone told me not to buy sets. The best advice I ever got. Good luck building up your tools.