4 replies to this topic

[RayburnGuy]

Can anyone suggest a brand of knife that I can do some rough out carving with? Not trying to do any intricate carving. Just whittling a lure blank down to the general shape. Have been using the box cutter type knives and not really satisfied with them as they seem to dull easily. Looked at a bunch of different knives online and quickly found out I knew next to nothing about them. Also need to know what I need to sharpen them and keep them sharp.

thanks,
Ben

Edited by RayburnGuy, 15 May 2011 - 02:39 AM.

[Lincoya]

Ben,
Being a wood carver for over 15 years now I've seen and used a lot of carving knives so, I understand your problem. As you probably know by now, you can pay a lot of money for a carving knife, if you want. However, one of the best knives that you can buy, for the money, is a "Murphy" knife. It generally sells for around $15 and, if taken care of, will provide you years of excellent service. You can buy the "Murphy" at several locations but I would recommend Smokey Mountain Woodcarvers, ( http://www.woodcarve...urphyknives.htm ). I have bought a lot of stuff from them over the years and they have always been friendly and fast. No matter where you buy it, ask them to sharpen it for you. Most businesses will provide that service for free. As far as keeping it sharp: as long as you don't damage the edge, all you will need is a strop loaded with an extra fine compound. You can order the strop and the compound at the same place where you order the knife or you can make your own. All you need is a piece of clear-grained hardwood such as poplar, cherry, maple, etc. DO NOT USE pine, cedar, oak or any other wood that has a strong grain pattern. Cut your wood to a good usable size (1/4"T x 2"W x 10"L). Next, spray one side of your wood with a good spray glue and let it dry. Then, get a piece of leather (I would recommend pigskin because it's thinner and will give you a sharper edge), spray one side of it with your glue and let it dry. Once both pieces are dry, carefully stick the leather and wood together. You can find a good polishing compound at places such as Lowe's and Home Depot. When buying the compound at Lowe's buy the WHITE compound. It's the finest that they sell.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Gene

[RayburnGuy]

Thanks Gene. The knife at the link you gave me looks like what I need. I built one out of an industrial hacksaw blade a couple of weeks ago, but never could get the bevel exactly right. Between not having the right sharpening stones and these tired old eyes I finally gave up on it.

thanks again for the help,
Ben

[Lincoya]

Ben,
I didn't know if you where willing to try making your own or not. I have come up with a jig that will help you grind the bevels perfectly. The jig will cost you about 10 cents for the materials. Do you have a table saw and a belt sander? And would you be interested in a picture of the jig?

Gene

[RayburnGuy]

I don't have a table saw or a belt sander, but I have a good friend who has all that stuff and I would definitely be interested in giving it another go. I could possibly salvage the knife I made if I had a jig that would make it possible to grind the proper bevels. If it's not too much trouble I would definitely appreciate you sharing the process with me.

thanks Gene,
Ben