Hi there! Hope you’re having a nice day, full of sunshine, warmth and the smell of wood while you carve. I’m certainly enjoying this nice change of the weather and feel inspired enough to share another article with you. We ask ourselves “What are good wood carving tools?” everyday as we search for old and new things to improve our whittling routines and feel that rush again that you get from using a new tool or a cool piece of wood or maybe even starting the pattern that you’ve wanted to for a very long time. Regardless of the reason, that pleasure and adrenaline are irreplaceable and that’s why we keep looking for more.
As usual, you already know what to expect from me. I’ll share some reviews on the tools tried out recently and tell you what I think about them. It’s not a strict opinion, just some recommendations based on my experience and nothing more, so remember about that when you read and check out the tools. Hopefully you’ll find something useful for yourself as I did.
Today I’ve decided that I have answered the question “What are good wood carving knives?” often enough to change the topic for a while so we’re going to talk about chisels. They are a quite important tool to have and skill to master, in some European countries they are used more than knives even. That’s quite easy to understand: thanks to their versatility and diversity, there is literally nothing you can’t do with chisels. So you might consider getting some if you don’t have any or learning a trick or two with them since that would simplify the process for you significantly.
Image Name Current Price BeaverCraft Bent Gouge K8a/14 Cuitaste Bent Gouge Knife BeaverCraft Cutting Knife BCC3 BeaverCraft Chisel 7L/22 Schaaf Set of 7 Chisels Intsun 12 Set
So, here we are, talking and reviewing various chisels. What is there to remember about these handy tools before we start looking at them and probably choosing the best for you? Well, as with any other tool – if you are here because you want to find something new to use, think through the purpose of the instruments you wish to get. That seems a little obvious, but don’t rush into purchasing just because these things are new to you. Think of what you do with wood or what you wish to do and go from there, otherwise you’ll want to buy all the instruments you see and there are a lot of things that won’t go right from that point of view.
To buy gouges you have to understand how to properly choose them. There is such a thing as nomenclature for chisels: basically, an explanation on how to understand all those weird numbers in the description of the product. Usually you’ll see two variations of the nomenclature. Both of them will tell you the width of the tool and its sweep (which is basically the depth and angle of the bevel’s side, curvature of it). They simply look differently. One option will look like 2/32, where the first number is the sweep and the second is the width of the instrument. And the other is something like #4 for the sweep whereas the width is mentioned separately.
So before checking out the chisels define for yourself what you need them for and then proceed with the further introduction. Now we’re ready for the review section. Let’s find out what are the best wood carving chisels. On board!
A lovely hand chisel that will be suitable only as a palm tool. Pre-sharpened before packaging, nice to hold and quite comfortable in use, it’s an almost perfect tool for any concave carving that you may have planned. Wooden shaft is good for preventing your hand slipping, the company is also very responsive to all the questions, they have different tutorials in their social media, instructions for chisels included. However, some people complain that the tool breaks easily (hasn’t happened to me, just sharing).
To sum up: a nice tool for spoons, concave patterns, bowls or cups, but not very needed if you don’t do those things often. Nice and sharp, but maybe breaks easily.
Check this tool here: BeaverCraft, Wood Carving Bent Gouge K8a/14 0.55″ – Spoon Carving Tools – Woodworking…
A very nice looking tool with a dark wooden handle and quite sharp blade. Has a metal cap that holds the blade in place, looks stylish. Will be great for round patterns and concaves as well. However, it doesn’t come pre-sharpened as BeaverCraft’s does so will require some honing before you can start using it. That isn’t a very nice trait to me, though it’s not a bad tool in other senses.
To sum up: quite a nice tool, cheap but it shows in the quality since there are some tools that don’t cost an arm and a leg of better quality.
Find out more about this gouge here: Gouge Knife, Wood Carving Knife, Bowl Carving, Bent Gouge Knife, Black Walnut Handle Radial Gouge Knife for Hard and Soft Woods.
This is a longer gouge than the previous two. If you are curious about it being a good or a bad thing, I’ll answer – up to you. If you like to apply more force while you carve, you’ll like it since it allows you to hold it with two hands, carefully though. It might feel too big for your hands, so take it up to your tastes. They have tutorials on using their tools on YouTube so you can watch those as well to help you choose.
To sum up: a nice long bent gouge for creating concaves as much as the previous ones in the reviews. Has a longer handle which can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your preference.
Check this long bent gouge here: BeaverCraft Wood Carving Gouge Chisel 7L/22 Wood Carving Tools Bowl Carving Carbon…
This is a nice large set of seven different chisels, mostly for relief carving. That’s not the only thing they can be used for, of course – any detail carving could be done with them. 7 various tools to meet different goals is always better than one, isn’t it? However, if you are only learning or still not sure about needing chisels at all, you might find this a waste of your money so don’t rush into it. Personally I enjoyed this set for what it’s worth.
To sum up: if you have high standards, you’ll probably need something else. But if your goal is to find proper beginner level chisels that will do their job – make sure to look at this set. Just remember that it needs a lot of sharpening.
Find out more about this 7 chisel set here: Schaaf Tools Full Size Wood Carving Tools, Set of 7 | Fishtail Profiles Included | for Beginners, Hobbyists and Professionals | with Protective Canvas Case
Well, this set is certainly something compared to all the other options above. I’d call it “a miniature set for miniature carving”. It’s quite diverse and has a lot of different blades. The shapes are quite unusual and that makes it an interesting tool set to use. So if you’ve looked at other chisels and couldn’t quite wrap your mind around where you could use them, maybe this set would be your go to since it’s so different. Probably would be better for softer woods because they are so miniature and not as tough as you need for working with hardwood.
To sum up: an unusual set that would be a nice gift for a beginner, kid or somebody who is tired of the same old routine with whittling. Consider the quality/cost ratio and the overall look of the tools though.
Learn more about this set here: Wood Carving Knife, Intsun 12 Set SK2 Carbon Steel Wood Carving Tools Kit Handmade Crafting Chisel Knife for Kids Adults Beginners Professionals with Reusable Pouch
I would like to say, first of all, that there are a lot of things to try. Thankfully, we’re not limited in the choice so each and every one of you has an opportunity to check out the tools you’re interested in and make your own opinion on them. And when it comes to the question “What are the best wood carving tools?”, to me the answer is, funnily, sharp and working.
Certainly, some are better than others, but that’s a subjective opinion for most carvers. I shared mine, now it’s time for you to think of yours. Answer the question “What are the best chisels for wood carving?” yourself – and you’ll know just how much better it feels.
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