Hey everyone! I'm relatively new to carving and have mostly made walking sticks, little gnomes, and crochet hooks so far. I'm eager to try my hand at making a tobacco pipe, and I'd love to carve the bowl by hand if I can. I plan to use some Redbud wood for this. I'm thinking about using a drill for the stem, but I'm unsure about the best approach for shaping the bowl. I've got a hook knife, but it doesn't seem to be cutting through the wood very well. Any tips?
1 Answer
Using a hook knife is possible, but it can be slow and not the best for deep cuts. Consider getting a gouge or a spoon carving knife with a tighter curve and sharper edge; these will help you remove wood much more efficiently. If you want to keep things hand-powered, a manual hand auger or carving chisel can work great for roughing out the bowl, then you can refine it with gouges and sandpaper. Just make sure your tools are sharp since Redbud can be tough! Carve in layers and remember to pay attention to the grain direction to avoid issues. You can find a lot of tools on sites like Fadir Tools.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll check out those tools, and I might grab a spoon carving knife. Since I’m using a big chunk of branch, is it okay to carve from the end regarding grain orientation?