Woodcarving set for a beginner?

[JSpill]

I'm going to take a woodcarving class for beginners in a few weeks. There will be four sessions and I'm sure the instructor will recommend a set of tools I might purchase. I always rely on the wisdom of woodnetters when buying tools, so I would appreciate any comments on woodcarving and woodcarving tools. Thanks.

[Nordic]

The Chris Pye set is a good one...

https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/stor..._Tool_Sets

Leif

[Guest]

You are probably familiar with Mary May. If not, Google her. She is an amazing woodcarver. She teaches all over the country and has an online school for woodcarvers. She has published what she considers to be a basic set of woodcarving tools here and has other iterations of intermediate and advanced sets elsewhere on the Internet.

[Mr Eddie]

I have some of the pfeil Swiss made sold by Woodcraft. They work well and come with a ready to use edge. Don't let price be your only guide. If you buy a set that has a dull edge and you don't know how or haven't learned how to sharpen them, it may discourage you from carving.

Lonnie

[Timberwolf]

+1....The most important thing you can learn is how to sharpen to an extremely keen edge...If you can't do that, you will not like woodcarving.

There are lots of ways to sharpen, but in the interest of time, I prefer machines to do the heavy lifting. The time you save can be used carving wood...

[GeorgeV]

HF has a 5 piece set which would not be a big investment and if you find you like it and want to invest in a better set latter OK and if not then you only spent a few dollars.
http://www.harborfreight.com/woodcarving...69553.html

[Timberwolf]

It really depends on the type of woodcarving you want to do....Long or short handles..Carving with a mallet or in the hand...etc....

Here's a link to a supply house that offers a complete selection of tools and supplies in wide price ranges..They offer a nice little catalog by mail and it's free {or you can pay $4.00 for airmail}...They have been in business many years and it is a great company to do business with. I am not associated with them in any way...just a long-time, satisfied customer.

http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/Catalog/products/73/

[DCarr10760]

Personally, I wouldn't buy anything until you've talked to the instructor. I just recently took a weekend intro course and the instructor had a pretty well thought out list. I'm not really a beginner, but am getting back into it and I own a fair number of good tools, so I had most of what I needed or something close. The folks who bought cheap sets ended up borrowing or buying the right tools (the woodworking school is tied to a Woodcraft). So most of what they bought before they saw the list was wasted.

Since the class I've really gotten into carving. Here are some thoughts: I was advised by the teacher not to buy a set of tools, but to purchase them one at a time when you need them. This is mostly true. If I had bought the Chris Pye set that you've already been given a link to, you would have most of the tools that I ended up buying.

Good carving tools are $25 to $75 a piece, depending on size. It doesn't really matter who makes them, that's the price range. I did buy a cheap set and you get what you pay for. The cheap tools are poorly shaped, way too thick in cross section, and when you grind them to the low sharpening angle that cuts well, the edges crumble or fold over. I was also advised to only buy full sized tools, rather than the palm style or intermediate sized. I have some intermediate sized and a nice set of palm chisels and in relief carving I don't really use these much. If you are into whittling and bird carving I think you would use them more.

Most of the tools I have are Pfeil (Swiss Made) and they're great. The biggest advantage they have is that they come sharpened and essentially ready to use. I do not know about the other brands. I know the Henry Taylor tools are just factory ground and need additional shaping and honing.

I agree about the sharpening. My class was just two days and we spent nearly half of one learning how to sharpen properly. It's that important.

I think if I had only a couple hundred bucks to start with, I'd buy a small India slip stone, a translucent hard Arkansas Slip stone, a translucent Arkansas triangular stone, a good leather strop and compound, and two or three gouges and a V-gouge.

I've had good luck buying used tools, sometimes you can get the good brands for $10.00 or $20.00 apiece. But I wouldn't do that unless you have, or at least have access to, a decent grinder and all the other sharpening gear you need as well as experience using it. All of the old gouges I have purchased have been in need of serious rehab. Fun to do, but it takes time away from carving.

Good luck with the class!

[AHill]

DCarr10760 said:

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Personally, I wouldn't buy anything until you've talked to the instructor.

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+1. Your instructor is going to teach you a set of skills and then have you practice on carving some very specific things. Once you learn his method, you will then be free to specialize or branch off into different kinds of carving. Carving a ball and claw foot is very different than chip carving, figure carving spoon caring, or even duck decoy carving. Once you find something you enjoy, you can then begin to purchase tools that match your genre of carving and your skills.

[Bibliophile 13]

Yes, definitely get the instructor's recommended list first. For general low-relief carving, Mary May's list (linked above) is excellent.

The Swiss-made Pfeil are absolutely top-notch. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for: well shaped and superior edge-holding. I've also used Henry Taylor and Ashley Iles, which are both good values for money. A few bucks cheaper than the Pfeil, but still great for occasional work. The Best Things stocks the AI gouges.