By Bob Duncan Chestnut Tools has partnered with Lee Valley to offer what they call losable knives. The inexpensive stainless steel knives come in boxes of five and are meant for people who frequently lose their pocketknife. They’re also perfect for carvers who like to reshape their knives. These knives […]
Carving tools for the adventurer in all of us By Bob Duncan BushSmarts’ new carving tools for the outdoorsman include a hooked knife and custom sheath, a thumb guard, and a roll-up pouch. Each piece is sold separately. The knife is beveled on both sides and at the point of […]
By Bob Duncan Woodcarvers Supply has redesigned their Pro Champion micro motor to give it a higher top speed and greater power (torque). The tool now features a top speed of 46,000rpm. The Micro Pro kit eliminates the foot control. I never use the foot control with a micro motor, […]
By Bob Duncan When you sharpen gouges and V-tools using oil stones or waterstones, the tools can wear a groove into the stone, which makes it difficult to sharpen flat tools. That’s why it is important to flatten, or lap, your stones regularly. To lap a stone, you need to […]
Simple tool allows even beginners to remove wood fast By Bob Duncan To hollow out a bowl or remove a lot of excess wood quickly, carvers often resort to power tools or large gouges—tools that take practice to use safely. Instead, I reach for the Denker Shave. It was invented […]
By Bob Duncan Foredom has developed a new micro grinder that bridges the gap between large flexible-shaft tools and high-speed micromotors. The K.1020 micro grinder combines the torque and power you need to rough out a carving with the light-weight cord of a micromotor. The micro grinder hooks into the […]
“When pigs fly.” “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.” We all use colorful cliches on a daily basis. Now we’re asking you to carve them! Inspired by Vernon DePauw’s opera singer, we’re doing an overview of Carved Cliches. Choose and carve your favorite cliche […]
Normally, folks find out they’ve been named Woodcarving Illustrated’s Woodcarver of the year when I call them up, congratulate them, and then set up a time to call them back for an extensive interview. This year was a little different. Since our 2016 Woodcarver of the Year was teaching at […]
Meet the winners of the final 2016 People’s Choice Contest Congratulations to the winners of the fourth 2016 People’s Choice Contest! The fourth category, announced last spring, was Ornaments: Painted and Unpainted. The entries we received all showed joy for the holiday season. We’ll be talking to some of these […]
This winter bird dresses up your holiday tree By Jim Willis Although geese and partridges are probably the birds most associated with Christmas, you can really add any bird you want to this simple wreath ornament. I like chickadees, so I added one to this wreath. But, it doesn’t take […]
