advice on buying a V tool.

[titanius anglesmith]

Good morning everyone,
I have not been carving long, about 6 months. I want to start getting a few carving tools together.I got my first flexcut detail knife a few days ago and love it.My question is what sort of v tool do i need for carving beards on wood spirits.When i say what type i mean palm size, full length,bent, straight,what angle v etc. you get the idea.I am asking because i am on a budget, and need to get it right.
regards
chris

[Nomad]

I think this is an interesting webpage.

[titanius anglesmith]

Hi Terry,
that is just the info that i am looking for.Great web page.Pitty they only ship to US and Canada.
Will have to see if i can find similar in UK. once again thanks for taking the time to help.
regards
Chris.

[jiju1943]

Originally Posted by Nomad

I think this is an interesting webpage.

I have a Ramelson and a Pfeil palm also, I honestly like the Ramelson better although the Pfeil costs more, I don't like the angle of the Pfeil and I am chicken to change it.

[Bob K.]

Flexcut makes great palm tools...I have several and love them. Ramelson palm tools are also great...got a few of those too. For beards I would go with something around 1/8" t0 1/4" depending on the size of the carving.

[Magicman]

Hi Chris
The Sorby line of tools is made in Enland. Type Robert Sorby into Google and it shows their tool line.
Larry

[Claude]

Partly, it depends on what size wood spirits you are carving. If you are carving a wood spirit on a stick or cane, then a 1.5mm, and a 3mm v tool might be all you'd need. If you're carving the faces in a 150mm log, then you might need the 3mm and a 6mm and maybe even a 9-10mm v tool. Then, you have to consider the angle between the wings of the tool. This will range from 30 degrees to 90 degrees, usually. Common ones are 45, 60, 75, and 90. I prefer the 75 for most things, but the 60 comes in handy also. My Dockyard 1.5mm is a 90, and I really wish it was a 60 or 75 degree tool.

As to full-sized vs. palm, again it depends. The full-sized one can be used by hand or with a mallet, while the palm tool is "normally" not used with a mallet. I say "normally", because I have tapped my palm gouges lightly with a mallet when I want fine control over the depth of cut. It's much easier to tap lightly a few times, than re-carving the whole thing because I put too much muscle behind it and it made a big gouge where I didn't want one. For the smaller v tools, a slight bent is useful, as it lets you get in close without your fingers and the handle banging into another part of the carving...

Claude

[titanius anglesmith]

Hi everyone,
should have said that i will be carving wood spirits on walking sticks.I would like to thank all you expert carvers for taking the time and effort,to answer questions asked by us novice carvers.Thanks for the replies.
regards
chris.

[carvingbarn]

Drake tools have a good selection of V tools. Smocky mountain woodcarving offers them also.

[Mitchell]

OPTION - You can use a veiner (#11) instead and add a few deeper cuts with your knife instead of using the V-tool. For walking sticks, a 3mm or 1/8" would be a good size.