Tools by Cape Forge andor ?

jsawduste · #1 10-03-2005, 09:20 PM

Hello all,
First time poster here.
First off I am more of a furniture maker then a carver. 18th Reproduction being my `forte.
As many of you know there can be quite a bit of carving in making a faithful reproduction. Queene Anne type shells, Ball and claw feet etc.

Looking to replace my most used tools with some of a higher quailty.
Came accross the Cape Forge web site

http://www.capeforge.com/chisels.htm

These seemed to be pretty well made if you believe thier write up.

But what are some other higher end craftsman selling carving tools that you experianced folks could reccomend ? I prefer to buy from indivuals rather then big companies. Gotta support the craftsman, not the stock holders.
Thanks
John Edwards
aka jsawduste

kaiserb · #2 10-03-2005, 10:34 PM

I just bought a set of knives from Harold Woods. He sells on ebay and also at http://www.woodysknives.com

The 3 knife carving set is nice. The blades are sharp and stay sharp for a few hours of carving.

If you are looking for mainly chisels I use Ashley Iles chisels and they are great.

JIM QUILICI · #3 10-03-2005, 11:05 PM

jsawduste,

cape forge is not a big outfit , Its ran by a father, daughter and a son,I have bought 5 carving knives from them their knives are a 62 rockwell hardness. which is good because you generally don't have to sharpen them as much. and if you have something in your mind about what you want in a knife most of the time they can make you what you want. I would not trade the ones that i have for anything.
also in this knife business ,We also have a "Rick from seattle" you will see his name many times in this messsage board. he runs a business from his home he also makes some great knives ',I am a proud owner of a beautiful detail hand made did I say beautiful knife from " rick from seattle" and if you get on his web site he has more information about making knives and sharping them plus a catalog . he is a very good person to do business with . he acts like someone who cares. thats different in this world today. He also very helpful in helping you get what you need without selling sometihing you don't need. by the way he sells cape forge knives also. hope this helps

Just old Jim

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #4 10-03-2005, 11:06 PM

I also have a set of woody's knives, I also have a small set of ashley iles and quite a few stubai...both are outstanding

www.woodysknives.com

Old_Gord · #5 10-04-2005, 10:49 AM

Well Denny Knives might also fit your criteria I expect...not just knives but chisels and gouges etc.
http://dennyknife.com/

.

OG

FK · #6 10-05-2005, 12:17 PM

You will be carving hard woods compared to the basswood normally carved by hobby carvers.

The best high end gouges are forged and the two with excellent reputations are Cape Forge on the East coast and Diobsud Forge in Washington state.

You can talk directly to Karen at Cape Forge and order almost any custom shape or design you wish,,,they enjoy special designs and creative ideas.
I have ordered just the blade or gouge from Karen and made my own handles for comfortable use

http://www.capeforge.com/

Diobsud Forge is very difficult to contact and I buy via dealers one is CT Valley Woodcarving, they have the shapes illustrated in a PDF download.

http://www.ctvalleywc.com/

The second source is Little Shavers, they are a frequent contributor to this site and have a great reputation.

http://www.littleshavers.com/

Regards,
Fred Krow

jsawduste · #7 10-08-2005, 09:06 AM

Thanks for all the help folks. Sounds like we have several sources for some great quaility tools.
Now to decide which ones I need to update.......
Thanks again

Captain_Bandaid · #8 10-14-2005, 08:25 AM

I have 4 knives from Cape Forge as well as the mini-set of chisles and gouges. They are of excellent quality. However, the long, tapered edges are designed for SOFT woods like basswood. If you plan to carve into oak, maple, etc. a slightly different edge may be appropriate. If you call Karen and tell her what you plan to carve, I think they can make it exactly like you need it. They are very nice folks and I recommend their tools very highly. For reference, look up Robert Sorby tools. This is an English tool maker and their tools are aimed at hardwoods like oak. They may have some specifics on their website. I also own a set of Sorby tools and they are also excellent. But not good for basswood.