Been Stuck in a Rut

It has been some time since I have made a posting here on the Old Stump Blog.  I have been shocked at the number of visits I have still been getting, even though there has been no new information posted for some time.  I thank you for your patience and for your encouragement.  I have been performing some deep introspection as of late and I have come to some important realizations.

I guess you could say that I began my adventures in carving way back in my youth, back when I was a boy scout.  I remember vividly the dull blades and the many bandages as I began to whittle.  I had a few corners of my “Tote and Chip” card torn off for improper use of a knife before I got a real hang of how to wield it properly against an unsuspecting block of wood.  I spent countless hours whittling thick sticks into skinny ones, blunt sticks into pointy ones, and chunks of wood into unrecognizable figures of my own imagination.  Needless to say, I wasn’t very good.  But, as I look back, I realize that at that very young age I began my love for sharp knives and the smell and feel of wood.

After adolescence, I laid my pocket knife down to pursue the American dream of family and fortune.  Now, approaching middle age, I have found true joy in family.  My sweet wife of eighteen years and I are expecting our eleventh child next month.  I don’t know what we have done to deserve so many wonderful children.  We have been deeply and richly blessed by a loving Father in Heaven.  I have truly found the American dream.

Back in 2006 I was finishing my bachelor’s degree in engineering and recognized that I was lacking something positive to do in my spare time.  I wanted to find a hobby that I could participate in at home while still surrounded by my beautiful wife and wonderful children that would produce something of personal value for my time spent.  I remembered back to my childhood and the fun I had as a pocketknife-toting boy scout.  I recalled the relaxing feeling that came as each wood shaving curled up and floated gently to the ground at my feet.  After spending many hours searching the internet, I came across several online tutorials that inspired me to take the plunge back into the world of woodcarving.

Armed with new-found knowledge and a resolute determination, I drove to my local craft store and purchased the only carving set they had available.  The tools were of terrible quality and so dull that my muscles strained with every stroke.  But, not knowing any better, they felt so right in my hand; I had found my carving home again.

That was the ledge from which I launched myself onto my more serious adventures in woodcarving.  I proceeded to follow how-to books and online tutorials until I was confident enough to venture off on my own carving paths.  My style may have some resemblance to those carvers who had and early influence over my directions, but I believe I can truly say that I have developed my own, unique style.

I hope you will forgive me this moment of personal reflection.  I have been stuck in the middle of a carving slump for the past few months from which I have been struggling free myself.  I was offended recently by a fellow carver where unwarranted accusations were made.  Although these statements were baseless, I took it rather hard.  It has taken me some time to work through these feelings.  But now, with the help of my loving Savior, I can honestly say that I am past this and hold no ill will toward any individual.  What a blessing it is to have the help of the Lord in overcoming a difficult trial.

Now that I have let you all into my life and given you a glimpse into my heart, it’s time to move on to the next adventure in woodcarving.  After many requests, I have decided to push forward with the cowboy tutorial and give this old cowpoke a place to rest his weary head.  I am currently in the process of putting together the next installment where we will carve a suitable torso for this fellow and turn the carving into a presentable bust that will look great on any mantel.  I have completed the carving of the bust and am endeavoring to gather the photos and descriptions into a logical and hopefully instructive collection.  Look for the tutorial to be posted within the next few days.

Thank you so much for reading my reminiscent ramblings.  It’s nice to be out of the slump and making chips again.  Once again, I truly appreciate your support and hope that this next section of my tutorial will not let you down.

Happy carving to all,

Brandant Robinson

The Caricature Gets a Hat

Part five of the "Carving the Caricature Face" tutorial is now up and ready. Follow the link above to the Tutorials Page and scroll to the bottom. In this segment, we will put a cowboy hat on our ruggedly handsome fella' as we take the caricature head and turn it into a full bust.  I hope you all find it useful and, as always, if you have any questions, just ask.

Inventory Reduction Sale

My currently available inventory of knives and gouges has been building up over the last few months to a fairly wide selection.  As good as it is to have some tools readily available, it's time that these great knives and gouges found a new home in someone's tool box instead of sitting fallow in my drawer dieing of boredom.  To this end, I have significantly reduced the price on each one of these tools to hopefully entice one of my carving friends into adopting one (or two, or three, . . . ) of these wayward guys into their own tool family.

On another note, I am in the process of finishing up the next installment of my tutorial where we will put a nice cowboy hat on the caricature head that we finished up in the last tutorial.  Check back soon.

Fully Customizable Knives

I have upgraded my Custom Knives page on The Old Stump Blog.  I have now made it possible for you to choose the exact handle material for your knife from many woods and laminates.  Just scroll down through the page for a guide through the selection process.  After choosing the handle material of your liking, select the knife specifications and click the "Add to Cart" button to add your new knife to your cart.  Multiple tools can be ordered at the same time to save on shipping costs.  This new addition will allow you to choose every aspect of your new custom knife.  If you have any questions regarding the order process, just drop me a note at theoldstump@live.com and I'll get back to you.

Lower Prices on Palm Tools

I have finally streamlined the process for making my custom palm tools enough that I can reduce the prices of the tools quite significantly.  I have also streamlined the order process even further to allow you to choose your handle material, the patina on the copper ferrule, and fit the handle with the tool size and sweep that you want for a unique custom palm tool that fits your needs as well as your artistic taste.  Just click on the "Custom Palm Tool" tab above to go to the order page and follow the instructions posted there.

Part Four of Carving the Caricature Face

The long awaited conclusion of the Carving the Caricature Face Tutorial is now up and ready for your use.  In Part Four we finish carving the head by detailing the ears, the hair, and applying some finishing touches to produce a completed caricature face.  I hope that you will follow along and carve your own caricature head.  I would love to see what you come up with.  Just send me your story and a photo or two of your carvings at theoldstump@live.com .  I will not post any photos or stories without your expressed permission, so don't worry about going public if you are not ready for it.

You will find a link to the tutorial by clicking the "Tutorials Page" tab found at the top of this page and scrolling down to the bottom.  The link will then take you to a PDF document.  I suggest that you download the PDF as viewing it from the Google Docs page where the document is stored causes the images to distort for some odd reason.  Have fun and Happy Carving!!!

Part Three of My Tutorial

Part three of my "Carving the Caricature Face" tutorial is now available for use and download.  Please make sure that you download the PDF file as viewing it online tends distorts the photos.  You can access it by going to the top of this page and clicking on the Tutorials Page Tab or by clicking this link:  Part 3 - The Eyes

In Part 3 we spend the majority of our time focusing on the eyes.  Many cavers find the eyes the most difficult of facial features to carve.  The goal of this tutorial is to shed some light on this difficult subject.

I know that many of you out there are following along with this tutorial.  I hope that you are enjoying it and finding it useful.  I'm sorry that each part is slow in coming, but I do this as a hobby and not a business and it simply takes a lot of time to put something like this together.  Of course, if my carving friends find it useful, it is well worth the time spent.  In the next part, we will finish carving the head. 

I am considering going on with this piece if there is enough interest and continuing the tutorial.  We could possible make this fellow into a bust or even a full figure.  I think he would look great as a cowboy, a construction worker, or even a medieval blacksmith.  Please leave a comment on this post or send me an email at theoldstump@live.com if you would be interest in continuing on and what type of carving (bust or figure) and the subject.  I would love to hear from you and good luck with all of your carving adventures.