Whittlin' knives

#1 03-02-2003, 11:56 AM

Can any one offer any suggestions for a good set of carving knives? I'm looking to purchase a set, but I really don't know where to go to find the best quality blades, etc. I would say I'm looking at a beginner to intermediate level, but I want to know if there is something to start with that will be a good set even for an advanced whittler.

#2 03-02-2003, 12:32 PM

Hi WoodChuckChuck,

I own and like both Murphy bench knives and Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers detail knives. Both of these are good steel, hold an edge quite well, and are inexpensive at around $10 for the Murphy and $15 for the Smoky Mountain. Flexcut also makes knives in the $20 range that are also good quality for the buck.

You will also need to have a way of sharpening your knives. I prefer a hard arkansas stone for honing and a leather covered strop board for stropping/finishing.

Most suppliers will sharpen your knives if requested on ordering. Some charge a nominal fee and others do it free.

Good whittlin, Cliff
Charles City, Iowa
http://cliffordparker.tripod.com

AlArchie · #3 03-02-2003, 01:20 PM

Ya, to what cliff said; especially about sharpening. Rick Ferry from this site is a good source of fine cuttlery, and he will not steer you wrong. Not meaning to short Rick, here, at all, but I just got a 12 piece set of 'Whittlin Jack' carving knives and tools from Mountain Home Crafters. (maybe Rick could get those for you, too) Got them because I like the size (large) of the handles and blades, but have found that they came sharpened to a pretty good edge, required a little honing prior to use and sold for 70 bucks for the set. The set comes with a balistic nylon carrying case, too. It was on sale and normally goes for around a hundred. One WJ benck knife goes for around 8bucks or so, like Murphys. Rick gave me a good tip when I ordered a buch of the Murphys from him for our local Scout camp. The small Murphy bench knife is a great size for young carvers, but they also make a larger one.

Re: the Whittlin Jacks; about 8 (maybe 9) of the set proved to be useful, and the other 3 or 4 were marginal as gouges and a saw??? I'l probably regrind that into a detailer.

Anyway I thought it was a pretty good set for the money, and gave quite a few differnt blades for different purposes.

Al

WhittlinWit · #4 03-02-2003, 02:30 PM

Chuck,
Are you looking for a set of knives, or a set of carving tools?

A set of knives would be a Roughing knife, a carving knife, and a detail knife.
Although some carvers can get by with two and some can carve with a single knife.
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A standard carving set might include: a chisel, skew, gouge, veiner, V-parting tool and some could include a second 'long-bent chisel or second gouge.

I normally wouldn't recommend a carver purchase a set, but if you have absolutely no tools, it can be the least expensive way to get started.

Example: the average 'common' palm tool is about $14.95 at most suppliers, whereas a set of 6 tools would cost around $31.00.
Even if you did not use a couple of them much, it would still be a good value.

millhoused · #5 03-02-2003, 08:24 PM

Everyone has an opinion and here is mine

I have a murphy knife from Smokey Mountain Woodcarvers www.woodcarvers.com. It was my first carving knife. Mac Proffitt the owner will sharpen it for free if you ask. There is a lot of sharpening info on the web but you can't go wrong listening to Cliff. He has helped me get that RAZOR edge for my tools.
The only other knives I have information about is the Ron Wells carving knife at www.ronwellswoodcarving.com. they are tough and maintain a great edge. Ron is another very helpful and friendly carver.

Carving,
Don

#6 03-03-2003, 07:49 AM

Chucik - Check your e-mail

Ed

#7 03-03-2003, 10:35 AM

Don,

Thanks for yet another vote of confidence on my sharpening tips.

I actually have recieved far more e-mails on my sharpening page than on my sticks and am working on updating the page to include a brief definition of sharpening terms (inspired by Teri's request on the sharpening post), some diagrams, and links to sharpening pages I have found helpful.

Good whittlin, Cliff
Charles City, Iowa
http://cliffordparker.tripod.com

#8 03-03-2003, 10:38 AM

Al,

I had considered the WJ knives also because of the bigger handles but had heard so many 'they are cheap japanese steel' remarks on other boards that I shied away. Thanks for the comments on them.

Good whittlin, Cliff
Charles City, Iowa
http://cliffordparker.tripod.com

AlArchie · #9 03-03-2003, 02:24 PM

Cliff, these WJ blades are NOT cheap steel; they are stainless steel and take a bit of work to get honed, but once they are, they are great. Only trouble is, they quit making the wood handles and have gone to a black rubber. I haven't decided if I like these as much as the wood ones yet. They are comfortable to hold, but like all synthetic handls, flex a bit when you pull hard on them, so there may be a bit of control loss there. Have to use them for a while to make a good judgement, but so far I like them just fine.

If you don't mind the stainless blades, and I kinda think that's a matter of prefernce, I'd recomend these as a strter bench set.

Al

AlArchie · #10 03-03-2003, 02:26 PM

[quote author=AlArchie link=board=General&num=1046627791&start=0# 8 date=03/03/03 at 14:24:30]
Cliff, these WJ blades are NOT cheap steel; Â*they are stainless steel and take a bit of work to get honed, but once they are, they are great. Only trouble is, they quit making the wood handles and have gone to a black rubber. Â*I haven't decided if I like these as much as the wood ones yet. Â*They are comfortable to hold, but like all synthetic handls, flex a bit when you pull hard on them, so there may be a bit of control loss there. Â*Have to use them for a while to make a good judgement, but so far I like them just fine.

If you don't mind the stainless blades, and I kinda think that's a matter of prefernce, I'd recomend these as a strter bench set.

I've used the WJ's since I retired in 93 and it is still my primary knife.

Al