sharp knife.

[dickyhb]

I've a Mora carving knife, but simply cannot keep and edge on it for more than 15 minutes carving, Is that normal? To date I don't have a strop, would that make the difference?

I seem to get the knife sharpe on the stone, doing the paper cut test. Seems I'd do just as well with a Stanley knife and keep changing blades?

Open to suggestions?

Thanks Dicky.

 

[paulm]

If you're carving green wood then the edge should last longer I would expect, but if carving dry, seasoned hardwoods then I wouldn't be surprised that it is losing a bit of bite after a while.

Stropping will certainly make a noticeable difference and will extend the periods between resharpening on a stone.

 

[Lons]

Hey Dickie.

I'm very lucky if I get 15 minutes carving seasoned lime, box etc and oak and often sycamore is less. It can vary quite a lot with different wood of the same species as well.
Just needs a touch up on a strop between though not a sharpen.

Not really applicable to your knife but the angle ground on gouges affects it as well.

Bob

 

[beganasatree]

Hi Dickie,what type of wood are you using??????

Peter.

 

[ED65]

You won't regret getting a strop to maintain your edges Dicky. It'll save you loads of time, and your edges may well be sharper and last longer also.

Very simple to make your own strop, you could have one ready to use by the end of the day at longest. No leather required if you use a honing compound, although my preference is cloth-faced many now strop directly on the surface of MDF so if you go that way you could be trying out stropping in five minutes.

Any of the waxy commercial stropping compounds that look like a fat crayon will probably do you (usually green, some are white or yellowish), but a metal polish like Flitz or Peek or a car polish like T-Cut can work just as well and you may have something along those lines in house already.

 

[DTR]

I don't know about Mora knives, but SWMBO uses Kirschen (Two Cherries) knives and I find them a bit soft compared to my chisels etc.

 

[dickyhb]

Peter, Bob, guys.

I'm using Lime mostly. The lime came from a craft shop and is a hard as granite, and brittle. I wasn't until I looked on the American woodcarving site that I understood you can buy wood that's just too hard, even Lime.

Looking on You-tube Gene Messer, Sharon my art and others have soft carving wood, nothing like the stuff i have. Mine is brittle too.

I'm going to try a craft knife (Stanley) as some very good carvers use them and blades are really cheap on E-Bay. Maybe save the Mora for green wood. Also I think the Mora 160 blade is too big. Something under 2'' would be better, and thinner if possible.

Guy's I'm learning, but the woods an expensive mistake.

Thanks all again.

Dicky.

 

[pollys13]

I was reading Woodcarving magazine the other night, in the tips section I think it was. A well known professional woman carver, if Walnut to hard going, leave it out in the rain, wrap in a damp cloth or even soak it in a bucket of water, would make really hard walnut a lot easier. She said didn't harm the Walnut in anyway. If anyone's interested I'll dig out the copy and give her name and word for word what she said.

 

[Lons]

Peter, Bob, guys.

I'm using Lime mostly. The lime came from a craft shop and is a hard as granite, and brittle. I wasn't until I looked on the American woodcarving site that I understood you can buy wood that's just too hard, even Lime.

Looking on You-tube Gene Messer, Sharon my art and others have soft carving wood, nothing like the stuff i have. Mine is brittle too.

I'm going to try a craft knife (Stanley) as some very good carvers use them and blades are really cheap on E-Bay. Maybe save the Mora for green wood. Also I think the Mora 160 blade is too big. Something under 2'' would be better, and thinner if possible.

Guy's I'm learning, but the woods an expensive mistake.

Thanks all again.

Dicky.

Hi Dicky

I haven't looked at the youtube vids but if they are Americans take it with a pinch of saly 'cos they use basswood ( they call it lime) and it's soft - just like them :wink: :lol: I've carved American basswood and you can groove it with your fingernail.

I've carved loads of lime and never had a piece too hard to carve, I really suspect it's your tools or technique tbh. Saying that I only normally use chisels and gouges including the little palm type, Lime is a favourite material for most carvers for a reason. It is hard but easier than say oak but it takes a crisp edge and cuts like hard soap if the tools are sharp.
Walnut is normally similar in characteristic and again no probs.

I don't have any of my finished carvings to hand but here are my current part finished.
the african tribesman head is a great big lump of walnut around 300mm high and most ofl the others are lime

Edit: Just taken some poor quality pics of a few of my others. Polar bear is basswood on sycamore base, toadstools are e block of elm firewood others are lime.
You can carve almost any wood with care though O wouldn't like to try ebony, lignum or blackwood

 

[xy mosian]

Very impressive carving there Lons.
I agree entirely about the Basswood, though I have never handled any. A good friend of mine is just beginning to carve 'Little People', he sticks at trying to cut Lime with the same push/chop cut that the Americans use on Basswood, he thinks his knives are not sharp, well they are but not for long. I am having a tough time trying to get him to remember to cut with a slicing action, just like bread and sponge cake.
I have some modern, not expensive carving knives and although reasonable they do not hold a great edge for very long. My favourite knife is a Marples, the name has been butchered, on purpose, and I suspect it was either from excess or slightly scrap stock. I would dearly like to get another, it really holds a good edge.
xy

 

[dickyhb]

Lons.

Super work, very encouraging. However I do think its a world away from knife carving, you can really wack a chisel and put a lot of pressure on an item in a vice!

With hand carving you really do need a soft wood, not silly soft but enough a knife will slice through it. My Mora is just not up to it, and I really can get an edge, having sharpened knives all my life. The Stanley is capable, but not so aesthetic.

You can buy a tool that the blades fit in the end, and comes with several blades. The blades look to be carbon so should sharpen well for a long time. Called Razor edge, does anyone own one? Feedback?

 

[Lons]

Hi Dicky

I have done a bit of hand work with a knife, made myself a leather glove to stop any loss of fingers and red stuff staining the wood, :lol: I used lime and a couple of home made knives and I didn't find it difficult just not for me as I enjoy other methods much more.

Certainly must agree that fixed work is easier to control as you can present the tool at any angle where I found using a knife was simply just a slicing, pulling action. Never could control pushing the blade hence the glove and I probably was doing it wrong as I'm self taught.

Try a bit of basswood as it has some of the characteristics of lime but is pretty soft, used a lot in the US.

cheers
Bob

 

[Lons]

My favourite knife is a Marples, the name has been butchered, on purpose, and I suspect it was either from excess or slightly scrap stock. I would dearly like to get another, it really holds a good edge.
xy

They come up regularly on ebay or if you can wait to go to Harrogate show in November there are hundreds available from the old tool sellers, always at least a couple there and their chisels are reasonable prices. You can also often get unhandled blades and make your own. Marples, Ashley Isles, Henry Taylor and others all good and I have some of all of those but my favourite brand is Pfeil.

I sold about 30 collectables to one of the guys show before last, mostly Addis, still have quite a lot and never get used.

Bob

 

[xy mosian]

Thanks for that Bob, sadly I've not come across any Marples knives pre-used. Must look harder.
Like you I prefer the Pfeil, in gouges, they have a lightness in the hand. The Zoe Gertner range from Iles come close but not quite there.
xy