Hey everyone! I'm relatively new to carving, having only made three little animal figures so far, but I'm loving the craft and plan to stick with it long-term. I'm currently in Japan and finding carving tools can be a bit challenging. I noticed that my favorite store has a sale on Flexcut tools, so I'm looking for some suggestions on what to buy.
Right now, I have a KN14 roughing knife, a larger C4S sloyd knife from Beavercraft, and a Morakniv 164 hook knife that I picked up based on a friend's recommendation. The KN14 is my go-to knife, but I'm struggling a bit with the Morakniv as it feels somewhat cumbersome for my needs.
My projects are usually small figures, around palm-sized or slightly bigger. I'm not particularly keen on making spoons, although I've thought about practicing with it. I'm considering getting a K13 detail knife and maybe an additional knife as a treat, but I'm unsure what else would be useful. Should I explore scoop knives or chip carving knives? Also, I'm curious about pelican knives and whether they would be a good fit for me. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Great to hear you're getting into carving! The Morakniv is designed for more specific tasks like spoon carving and roughing, so if detail is your thing, definitely check out gouges, veiners, and V-tools instead. I’ve found them to be much more useful for small projects. As for skew knives, they can definitely come in handy if you decide to experiment with relief carving in the future! It seems like a fun technique to try out.
I think the Morakniv hook knife can be a bit niche, so you're not alone in your struggle with it. If you're doing detail work, I'd suggest looking into some chisels and gouges instead. They'll give you a lot more versatility with your carving. Pelican knives look cool and could be worth trying, but you won’t really know how well they work for you without giving them a go. Personally, after collecting a bunch of tools, I found that a good 1.5-inch straight-edge knife does most of what I need!
Thanks for the tips! I’m definitely intrigued by the relief carving technique—might have to look into that and the skew knife!