Merry Christmas from The Old Stump

May your heart be filled to overflowing with joy and Christmas cheer as you celebrate this most wondrous of occasions with your family and friends.  May the peace that only the Savior offers permeate every fiber of your being and bring hope to your souls.

Merry Christmas from The Old Stump!

Custom Palm Tools Page

I have added a new Custom Palm Tools page to The Old Stump for placing a custom order.  I have made it possible to select any handle material, ferrule patina and blade size and sweep for a truly custom tool.  Please stop by for a visit.  I would appreciate any feedback that you would be willing to share.  I would also be happy to answer any questions that you may have at theoldstump@live.com .  Thanks for stopping by.

Carving the Caricature Face Part 2

Part 2 of the Carving the Caricature Face Tutorial is now available for download.  In the first part of the tutorial we worked on roughing out the head and detailing the nose.  In the second part, we work on the mouth and lower half of the face.

 

Follow the Tutorials Tab located at the top of this page and scroll to the bottom of that page until you find the link.  I recommend that you download the PDF file to your computer for ease of use and because viewing it on line cans cause the photos appear a bit fuzzy.  I hope that you enjoy it and find it educational.

 



Now Accepting Custom Palm Tool Orders

Well, I'm all tooled up and excited to start accepting custom orders for my line of palm tools.  I have also added 1/2" tools to the line to expand from the 1/4" and 3/8" tools.  3/4" tools are in the very near future and V-tools are also on the list.  Visit the Palm Tool page and scroll to the bottom to place your order.  I will accept special requests on handle material as long as the wood holds out.  Just send me a message during checkout or email me at theoldstump@live.com with your special request.  Thanks for stopping in.

New Tutorial

A few weeks ago, I put out the feelers to see if my followers were still interested in my tutorials.  I received a ton of emails with positive feedback asking me to keep making them.  The overwhelming response has spurred me on to start a new tutorial.  Many of the emails expressed how helpful the study stick tutorial had been and asked me to continue on with it.  Unfortunately, the study stick fell to an untimely demise, making it impossible for me to finish it up.  On a more positive note, this gives us a chance to start something new.

I decided to continue to help those who are struggling with facial features by carving an new face.  But, why stop there?  Let's carve the whole caricature head!  The first installment of the tutorial covers roughing out the head and caving the nose.  I hope you find it useful and informative.  Just click the Tutorials Page Tab at the top of this page and scroll down to the bottom.  There is a link that will take you to a PDF document that contains the tutorial.  Viewing it online can distort the images that are imbedded in the document, so for best viewing I suggest you download it to your computer's hard drive.  It also makes scrolling through the pages much smoother.  I hope you enjoy it.  Here's a sneak peek at what the end results will be:

Not for Wood

I thought that I would try something a little more involved that the usual carving knife.  These knives were significantly more challenging, but were incredably fun to make.  Custom knives of this quality sell for hundreds of dollars from a number of custom manufacturers.  Maybe some day I'll get into that racket.

The first knife pictured here is a hunting/skinning knife made of O1 steel, O1 bolsters, brass handle pins and apricot wood handle scales.  The spine of the knife has file work of my own design and the edge is deeply hollow ground for an exceptionally sharp cutting edge.  I've held a lot of knives as you can imagine, but this knife just feels amazing.  It was well worth the time it took to make it.  I can't wait to give it a try in the field.

This next knife is a paring knife that I made for my sweet wife.  Also made of O1 steel, hollow ground blade, brass handle pins, and padauk wood handle scales.  I went with a nice satin finish on this little gem, which I really think adds to the overall look of the knife.  As you can see in the second picture, the tang is fully tapered and the bolsters are zero clearance.  The handle has a belly on the bottom as well as the sides for a wonderful grip and feel.  It's already seen work in the kitchen and cuts like nothing you can buy at the department store.  I already have plans to make my sweetheart a whole kitchen set.  I'll be sure to post pictures when the set is complete.

Thanks for taking time to look at my latest knife making adventures.  I have also just posted a handful of new carving knives if you would like to hop over to the Knife Gallery page.

Palm Tool Gallery

Hi Folks!

If you look at the top of this page, you will find a new tab labeled "Palm Tool Gallery."  Since I've been making more and more palm tools, I thought it appropriate to give these flashy little chip makers their own page to hang out on.  I'm still not quite ready to accept custom orders for these gouges, but I will be in the very near future.  I hope you will stop in and take a quick look.  There are some really nice ones there who are waiting for a new home.

Christmas is coming!  Now is the time to place your order for custom carving knives for yourself or those on your Christmas list.  Get your orders in early to avoid delays.  We want no empty stockings on Christmas morning!

I would also like to thank all of those who have left comments and sent emails about me providing future tutorials.  Due to the overwhelming response, I will continue to post new ones periodically.  Hopefully after the holiday season is wrapped up, I'll find the time to continue with the study stick tutorial and cover how to carve the eyes.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Carving!