Question for Lora and Roy

Carol Reed

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Location
Coolidge, AZ
The event I was waiting for has come about - free shipping from Lee Valley through the 13th.

So I am looking at these:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=49714&cat=1,130,43332,43393

Specifically the large and small chip knives. I have a large (for me) collection of carving tools in a roll. I generally only use them to make fine fixes on flat work. But I have hopes. :) I really want to learn to carve those whimsical stick toppers. (NO snakes!)

So, you two carvers par excellance, what do you think? Those knives a good investment? If you have other suggestions, let's hear them.
 
Carol, the link you posted gets routed back to LV home page regardless of whether I click your link or copy and paste it into the browser.
 
The event I was waiting for has come about - free shipping from Lee Valley through the 13th.

So I am looking at these:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=49714&cat=1,130,43332,43393

Specifically the large and small chip knives. I have a large (for me) collection of carving tools in a roll. I generally only use them to make fine fixes on flat work. But I have hopes. :) I really want to learn to carve those whimsical stick toppers. (NO snakes!)

So, you two carvers par excellance, what do you think? Those knives a good investment? If you have other suggestions, let's hear them.

Theses knifes are an excellent investment Carol, you can't go wrong with them for your future carvings but you will need to hone them when you get them. You can ask Lee Vally to hone them before shipment an they do an excellent job in doing it
 
@Bill: I tested it and it works for me. :dunno:
@Paul: Yeah, I know, but it is the steel that is the most important. Seems I read somewhere that these particular knives are highly recommended for their steel.
@Roy: Thanks, I was hoping so. Haven't ordered them though yet. Thanks for the tip to have LV does the initial honing. At least I will know how they are supposed to feel and work before I try to hone them just right.
 
How can wood carving knives have composite handles?? That just seems wrong to me!!:(

Some of the new carving tools are coming that way here in the USA , I don't know why except for more comfort but if they do break you have to replace the whole thing, I had the tip of one of my knifes tip broke when I hit a nail that I didn't see but I can regrind it an its still good
 
Carol, the knives that I use are Moor chip knives. But the ones that I use all have the older styled rose wood handles, not the ergonomic handles that Dennis changed to about six or seven years ago.

I know from years of using Moor tools that the steel is top quality, they hold an extremely fine edge forever, and the cutting points are extremely durable. Dennis Moor's quality of blade is without question the best. But, there is a but ....

I do own a few of the composite handled ones but just (dare I say out loud) ... hate them. The handle is terribly uncomfortable for my smaller hand size. Plus that plastic handle is slick. To use the few that I do own I have started wrapping the handles with the elastic, self-adhering bandage tape like you get after a blood test at the lab. I find I have to have the tape wrapping to get enough grip without needing a strangle hold on the tool. The thumb and index finger notch moves my grip backwards on the handle, so I can't grip quite as high towards the blade as I like. So, those end up at the bottom of my carving kit, seldom used except for cutting cardboard, slicing foam-core board, or cutting cork sheets.

I have attached a couple of photos, because you may find the newer composite handles work fine for you. As I have noted over the years, my hands are small compared to my husband's. At the knuckle area of the fingers, across the palm my hand only measures 2 7/8", from the base of the first joint of my second (long) finger to the base of my thumb pad just measures 4".

Before you buy, you might want to go over to Mountain Heritage and look at http://[URL="http://mountainheritagecrafters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=148_147"]Wayne Barton's set[/URL]. They are a little more pricey than Dennis' but, if you have a smaller hand as I do, that difference of a few dollars is so worth owning a comfortable knife that gives you hours of fun.

Just my opinion ... ! Oh, sorry about the Lowe's ad. That is the only yardstick I could find that wasn't all dinged up, dirty, or gnarly. And I did a quick measurement. The width of the rose handle chip knife at the top is 3/4", the width of the composite handled knife at the top is 1 3/16" - a major difference.

- Lora

Don't know why the link isn't working, so I will try it here ... http://mountainheritagecrafters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=148_147 ... and you can copy and past.
 

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Oh ... one more quick PS. Would you like to try a wood spirit carving with a guarantee of no snakes what so ever !?! If so, let me know. I have the photo shoot for the planes of the face that I was planning on posting on my blog. They would make a fun tutorial for here.

- Lora
 
Some of the new carving tools are coming that way here in the USA , I don't know why except for more comfort but if they do break you have to replace the whole thing, I had the tip of one of my knifes tip broke when I hit a nail that I didn't see but I can regrind it an its still good

That happened once to me with a FlexCut detailer. I was cutting the v-troughs in a wood spirit's beard in basswood when I suddenly lost the entire front 1/8" of the blade. FlexCut did reshape and re-hone the tip, but it totally lost that wonderful thin leading point. I swear on my great Grannie's stack of Pineapple Crocheted Doilies that I wasn't PRYING ... but dang did it just suddenly break and flip out of my hand.

Since then I never recommend anyone use exacto blades, box cutter blades, or utility knives for relief carvings, or any other form of carving for that matter. Flipping a tip is so very dangerous that the trip to the ER is never worth the little bit of money that a good steel carving knife will cost.
 
Don't know how Lowe's got into this thread, but que sera. Since the steel is excellent on the Moors knives and the handle maybe too big, any chance of replacing the handle?

My hand measures the same as yours!

Don't mind paying a few extra dollars for the tools as long as the steel is the same. Like everyone else I hate paying shipping. Yes, I know, a necessary evil, but when Lee Valley has a free shipping event, I look at my wish list. None of their other chip knives have the same steel. So what kind of hassle would re-handling them be?
 
Oh ... one more quick PS. Would you like to try a wood spirit carving with a guarantee of no snakes what so ever !?! If so, let me know. I have the photo shoot for the planes of the face that I was planning on posting on my blog. They would make a fun tutorial for here.

- Lora

Yes! That would be cool, though I can't work on it soon. Coming into the Holiday season is a very busy time for me.
 
Don't know how Lowe's got into this thread, but que sera. Since the steel is excellent on the Moors knives and the handle maybe too big, any chance of replacing the handle?

My hand measures the same as yours!

Don't mind paying a few extra dollars for the tools as long as the steel is the same. Like everyone else I hate paying shipping. Yes, I know, a necessary evil, but when Lee Valley has a free shipping event, I look at my wish list. None of their other chip knives have the same steel. So what kind of hassle would re-handling them be?

Over the years it has been my understanding that Moor and Barton knives are almost identical in steel quality. I have never heard any complaints against Barton, and I am sure that I would have if they were not top quality.

You can not change out the Moor handles, they are molded over the shaft of the blades. You might be able to grind off the plastic, but somehow I think it won't be worth the effort.

As for free shipping, that is always a plus ... except when it is for something that isn't quite what you want or need. Now, you may find that working with the ergonomic handle is not a problems since you will be starting with it. I started with the narrower rose wood handle and just can't seem to make the adjustment to the wider, new grip.

Carol, that's just me and my opinion ... nothing more!

- Lora


Edit - After I posted the scan of my hand on the yardstick I realized that printed right in the middle of the ruler is Lowe's!
 
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Lee Valley has a fair return policy. I think I will try them I have arthritis in my hands ( and a few other joints). I don't grip small radius items well any more.

BTW, on the whimsical side. Years ago in eastern Kentucky I saw a walking stick with a whimsical horse's face on one side and the south end of the horse on the other. Cracked me up. Couldn't afford it at the time. I'd love a horsy face, complete with straw hat, and daisy or two in the hat band and ears popping through holes in the hat - and - a horse's fanny and tail on the reverse. Got a pattern like that? I have a diamond willow stick that needs a topper.
 
Lee Valley has a fair return policy. I think I will try them I have arthritis in my hands ( and a few other joints). I don't grip small radius items well any more.

BTW, on the whimsical side. Years ago in eastern Kentucky I saw a walking stick with a whimsical horse's face on one side and the south end of the horse on the other. Cracked me up. Couldn't afford it at the time. I'd love a horsy face, complete with straw hat, and daisy or two in the hat band and ears popping through holes in the hat - and - a horse's fanny and tail on the reverse. Got a pattern like that? I have a diamond willow stick that needs a topper.

Carol, I don't but that idea sounds like it will be well worth the time to see what I can come up with. Since you do have arthritis you may well enjoy the wider handle. And, get yourself some self-adhesive bandage strips for give you a better hold.

- Lora
 
Carol, I don't but that idea sounds like it will be well worth the time to see what I can come up with. Since you do have arthritis you may well enjoy the wider handle.
And, get yourself some self-adhesive bandage strips for give you a better hold.

- Lora
LV has High Friction Guard Tape 90' for $4.90, wouldn't that be better than a band-aid? or am I missing something?
 
Carol, I don't but that idea sounds like it will be well worth the time to see what I can come up with. Since you do have arthritis you may well enjoy the wider handle.
LV has High Friction Guard Tape 90' for $4.90, wouldn't that be better than a band-aid? or am I missing something?

Nope it works great to Mack, what Lora is talking about comes in a roll when you give blood they wrap it around the am with a cotton ball where they took blood, comes in different colors an all
 
what about these knives they wooden handle and are the ones i have been looking at. Any of you got any views or experience with them?

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=31083&cat=1,130,43332,43339

Oh and i am up for spirit carving something other than snakes too.

I was going to do Roys class with the Buffalo until he had to change to fish. I guess we all have different ideas of what we would want to carve so its hard to please everyone.

I am just glad carving is getting a better showing on our forum.
 
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