Wood Carving Basics

There is woodcarving and there is whittling as the old-timers call it, the latter of which is the oldest of the two forms. The three main things required to begin carving are 1. Either a whittling knife or a six piece basic carving set, 2. A soft wood, and 3. Imagination and desire.

As you progress in talent you may graduate up to chainsaws and hardwoods but for today we will stick with the basics. The basic six piece carving set consist of the following tools: A straight gouger, straight veiner, straight chisel, bent v-tool, straight skew, and a bent chisel.

These tools come in different handle shapes so it is up to you to decide which type feels more comfortable in your hand. Most sets can be purchased for under $50.00.

There are four basic types of woodcarving you can do and each type may require different tools for the job. As stated earlier whittling is the oldest of these and requires nothing more than a carving knife. Then, there is Carving in the Round, Relief Carving, and Chip Carving.

For hand carvers the best wood choices are Basswood, Pine, and Cottonwood. If you choose wood that is either to soft or to hard you will not be able to achieve the desired results. Once you have the correct tools and wood in hand the rest is up to you.

Woodcarving is a wonderfully inexpensive hobby that allows the artist to escape pressures we all face and let the problems of the day float to the floor along with the shavings.