Carving chisels - starter advice

[Picalilli]

Hi all

I’m looking to get some carving chisels to have a go at hand carving and wondering what people advise to begin with. I’ve been looking at some used sets on ebay, there’s something like these marples ones for about £160 that seems a fairly extensive set, but don’t know if it’s a good price for these as I know nothing about carving chisels.

I’d also like some advice on sharpening - what kind of set ups do people use? I only have a double sided (450/1000) diamond stone and a strop at the minute which I use for standard chisels and plane irons, but assume I need something more specialist for gouges like slip stones or one of those shaped wet stones?

There’s also something called the DMT wave that looks like it would cover most shapes.

Basically any advice on the chisels themselves and sharpening would be great.

 

[Cobbs]

Maybe find a local carving course first and find out where your interest lies - carving is a huge domain, what with shallow relief, deep relief, in the round, lettering and all the applications for use on other projects. Once you know what you want to achieve it'll make tool selection easier.
As for sharpening, be prepared for a blizzard of advice. I know how I do it, but it's bound to offend someone or other on here, so I'll bite my tongue!

 

[Picalilli]

Thanks - I had a quick look and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of courses around here. They’re probably pricey too. I just fancied having a go and using online tutorials, so thought maybe a set like the above would be a good all rounder to start with …maybe there’s more to it than that though. I thought just trying out carving letters into things and adding some textures and ‘wave’ patterns would be interesting.

Please share your sharpening advice! People will always disagree, especially when it comes to sharpening it seems, but I think if it works then it works!

 

[Jacob]

Just pick up a chisel and have a go. Buy a gouge. Don't over think it, or buy a "set"of anything.
Good video here: Carving Letters in Wood - Letter Carving Basics - FineWoodworking

 

[fezman]

Have a look at Woodcarving Workshops | Learn to carve online
I started with this, but lost interest in favour of a CNC machine. I kept the chisels i bought and do intend to come back to hand carving.

 

[Chisteve]

Carving is great being a budding wood carver myself - I buy and sell carving and other chisels and make/turn handles + carving lignum vitae mallets also

With regards to sharpening I use as follows

Wet stone grinder (but not so much now)
Bench sander for rough shaping
Bench grinder with flap wheels excellent for fine shaping
Diamond plates 300, 600 and 1000 grit
Fine Oil stones whashita and India etc
Bench grinder with polishing mop to get a mirror finish and leather strop (but again no so much now)

I have some gouges for sale - but I’m in Italy for extended holiday til late oct though I’m afraid

I did attend a local evening class many years ago but did not get that much out of it (probably just me) I’ve found learning how to sharpen is key really the carving follows

 

[OrangeFive]

Good on you. Have a go. What’s the worst that can happen … plenty fire wood. I’m no expert carver, I served my time as a joker straight from school and after 30 years decided to have a go at carving. I’ve not found the time to have a proper go yet but in the next few weeks I’m hoping to have a stab. If you ever find yourself in Cheshire let me know and we can ruin wood together. I can go brew for brew with any man

 

[stuckinthemud]

Find a club rather than a course.

I started carving with blunt carpenter gouges which I learned to reprofile and sharpen, then a 5 gouge palm gouge set, then a 20 gouge Sorby palm gouge set that was on offer. 40 years later I have used precisely half the gouges in each set, and I carve a fair bit. Do not buy sets. You will deinitely need a v-tool or two, a deep gouge and a shallow gouge, after that buy specific tools for specific jobs. I’ve even bought antique joinery chisels and re-ground them into carving gouges. Focus on buying old gouges. Pre world war 2. Spot them by a hammered (forged) ferrule not a round ferrule. The steel in older tools is the correct hardness, chosen for carving. Steel from 1950 to fairly recently tends not to be as suitable unless you really know what to look for.

 

[Adam W.]

Pfeil gouges are good and used by all of the professional carvers that I know.

 

[Keith Cocker]

I have a mixture of Pfeil and kirschen chisels built up over the years and am very happy with them.

 

[Picalilli]

Find a club rather than a course.

I started carving with blunt carpenter gouges which I learned to reprofile and sharpen, then a 5 gouge palm gouge set, then a 20 gouge Sorby palm gouge set that was on offer. 40 years later I have used precisely half the gouges in each set, and I carve a fair bit. Do not buy sets. You will deinitely need a v-tool or two, a deep gouge and a shallow gouge, after that buy specific tools for specific jobs. I’ve even bought antique joinery chisels and re-ground them into carving gouges. Focus on buying old gouges. Pre world war 2. Spot them by a hammered (forged) ferrule not a round ferrule. The steel in older tools is the correct hardness, chosen for carving. Steel from 1950 to fairly recently tends not to be as suitable unless you really know what to look for.

Thanks - I assume the new chisels made by pfeil etc are suitable though, if I decide not to go down the used route? Out of curiosity, would you say the marples ones (like the ones are posted initially) are no good? I’ve been looking at gouges on ebay but it’s hard when you don’t really know what you’re looking for or where to begin.

 

[Jacob]

Thanks - I assume the new chisels made by pfeil etc are suitable though, if I decide not to go down the used route? Out of curiosity, would you say the marples ones (like the ones are posted initially) are no good? I’ve been looking at gouges on ebay but it’s hard when you don’t really know what you’re looking for or where to begin.

It depends on what you actually want to carve. Fine stuff like @Adam W, sculptural things, letter carving....etc
At one extreme people do it with chainsaws and axes, at another with some very fine detail tools.
Looking at woodwork mags it seems that the fashion for robins on mushrooms has moved on and most popular now are ugly gnomes with beards. No accounting for taste, I guess beards are easy - anything goes!

 

[Adam W.]

Thanks - I assume the new chisels made by pfeil etc are suitable though, if I decide not to go down the used route? Out of curiosity, would you say the marples ones (like the ones are posted initially) are no good? I’ve been looking at gouges on ebay but it’s hard when you don’t really know what you’re looking for or where to begin.

Yes, Pfeil are suitable and they also carry a lifetime no quibble guarantee. If you break one of their gouges, they replace it straight away as do Ashley Iles, which I also use for heavier work....see my thread on mouldings, they can take quite a severe bashing with the right mallet.

The handles on the Pfeil gouges need some attention as they can sometimes be quite uncomfortable in the palm and Ashley Iles need the varnish scraped off, but maybe that's just me being a pussy, but not a pussy cat as the daft auto correct wants.

 

[Picalilli]

Been looking at this:

https://www.classichandtools.com/pfeil-medium-sized-tools-set-of-4/p40
I know people are advising against a set but this seems a fairly good start without buying a massive range. one gouge, one straight, one v-tool. In terms of what I want to do, no idea really but maybe initially have a go at some lettering.

Chip carving knife comes with this set - which seems a whole other thing in itself…

 

[Cobbs]

Been looking at this:

https://www.classichandtools.com/pfeil-medium-sized-tools-set-of-4/p40
I know people are advising against a set but this seems a fairly good start without buying a massive range. one gouge, one straight, one v-tool. In terms of what I want to do, no idea really but maybe initially have a go at some lettering.

Chip carving knife comes with this set - which seems a whole other thing in itself…

If you want to learn lettering, have a look at a book called "Lettering in wood" by Chris Pye - it will save you a lot of time and advise really well on which chisels you need to get started.

 

[Picalilli]

Thanks, I might get that.

I need to think about sharpening too - I imagine it’s going to be a contentious topic as ever, but would a couple of grits of these be appropriate?

https://www.workshopheaven.com/sueh...PVjxwdm8UR3opssXBX7mf_tvvfwYU_bIaAuJIEALw_wcB

 

[stuckinthemud]

sharpening is what you make it to be. I like a belt sander for grinding and an oil stone for honing gouges and chisels. I remove the in-canal burr with a soft wood scrap as it is less likely to put a negative bevel on the cutting edge than a stone,

 

[johnnyb]

Those aren't made by marples and are almost unusable(there made by noitgedacht and are dreadful) I reckon start with 4 or 5 no more. And get them sharp . What your making will determine which 4 or 5. Ashley illes are also poor IMHO. But many other brands are good some are great but I love stubai.

 

[johnnyb]

Sharpening I would say Chris pyes tuition is second to none.

 

[Adam W.]

Probably best to make your own mind up about sharpening, than rely on somebody else to inform you.