Woodcarvings Sale !!!

Well, my sweet wife has me remodeling the house and moving bookshelves all around.  I've come to find that my number of carvings has outgrown the available space on my shelves where I show them off.  So, I really need to send some carvings off to new homes.  In light of this, I have reduced the cost of my carvings available over in the Carvings Gallery page.  Some of the carvings have been reduced as much as 50% OFF!!!  If you've every wanted to own one of my carvings, now is the best time ever to add one to your collection.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at theoldstump@live.com .

On another note, I plan on putting out another big batch of woodcarving knives within the next few weeks.  Check back soon to add one or more to your toolbox.  Although I'm not taking custom orders, if you have a particular knife that you really want, shoot me an email and I'll see if I can't add that particular knife to the batch.

Store Back Up and SALE

With this last batch of carving tools that I made, I had some trouble getting the online store feature of my Available Tools page working correctly.  I finally figured out what was going on and was able to get things working again.  I can now accept PayPal and credit card payments as before.  Of course, I can always accept checks or money orders for those who prefer that method of payment. 

I have also reduced all tools by $5.00 each, just in time for your Christmas stocking.  That's custom, handmade tools for less than some production tools.  Jump over to the Available Tools page and take a look.

Happy Thanksgiving and Some New Tools

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their turkey and mashed potatoes like I am about to.  I've been smelling the wonderful aromas coming out of the kitchen all day and I can't wait to sink my teeth into some delicious food.  I would like to call everyone's attention to the Available Tools Page where I have posted 4 new knives and 12 new palm tools.  All of these tools are available for immediate purchase.  I no longer have the ability to add payment buttons to my website, so in order to make a purchase, please email me at brandantr@msn.com.  All purchases will on a first-come-first-serve basis.  I can accept payment via PayPal, check, or money order.

Enjoy your turkey and have a happy holiday season.

-  Brandant Robinson

Yet Another Price Reduction

I still have six knives for sale over on the "Available Tools" page that no one has claimed yet.  In order to move the off of my shelf and into your toolbox, I have reduced the prices down to $20.00 a piece.  That's $12.00 off from the original price.  If you've ever wanted one of my knives, now is the time to get one.  The prices won't get any lower than this.

Happy carving,
Brandant Robinson

Another Price Reduction!

My inventory of available knives is down to just a small handful now and I'm ready to move those knives off of my shelf and into your toolbox.  I need to sell these so that I can buy more steel and wood to make more knives.  I think I may have some kind of addiction problem, but I'm okay with it.

Each of these knives is handmade and ready to carve out of the box.  I have lowered the price on all of these knives even more significantly that I did last time.  All knives are now listed for $25.00 each.  That's nearly a 25% savings over the original price.  For about the cost of a production knife, you can own and enjoy a handmade custom knife built with precision and care; from my hands to yours.  You'll be making chips in style!

Time for a Sale!

I still have about half of the big batch of knives that I posted for sale over on the "Available Knives" page here on the Old Stump Blog.  This might be the last batch that I make for a while, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up.  I have also lowered the price on all of my knives by about 10%.  That makes for a great price on some of the best knives that you will every own.

Best wishes and happy carving from the Old Stump.

-  Brandant Robinson

All Finished!

Well, it was a long road, but I finally got this batch of knives done.  That was a lot of work. . . Unfortunately, I had a funeral to attend, and I did not get a chance to log all of the knives and get them posted for sale.  So, I guess everyone will have to wait just one more week before they can purchase their new knife.  Just to keep your interest, here's a group photo of all of the finished knives.

Be sure to pick out your favorite and watch for it to be posted to the Available Knives page.  That will most likely happen this coming Saturday.  I hope everyone has a great week.

-  Brandant Robinson

Big Batch Almost Done

Well, folks, I had hoped to finish this batch of carving knives over the weekend, but sometimes life gets in the way of one's plans.  I did get most of the work done on these knives, just a little cleanup and final touch up left to go.  Here are a couple of pics of the progress.

Here's a group shot of all 21 knives after shaping the handles and burning in my makers mark.

Here's a quick shot of the knives after applying the final finish.  This is my multipurpose drying rack that some would mistake for a nut and bolt storage bin.

Look for the finished knives to be made available by the end of this week or the first of next.  They will be found over on the Available Knives page here on the Old Stump Blog.  Happy carving!

-  Brandant Robinson

Big Batch of Knives

I know that I don't post here very much, but I thought that I would give everyone a heads up that I'm currently working on a big batch of carving knives which should be done in the next week or two.  Just for fun I took a pic of all the blades laid out on my workbench.  That's a lot of grinding!

I have three blades of each of the following profiles: 1-1/2" all-purpose scimitar, 1-1/4" all-purpose scimitar, 1-1/2" all-purpose katana, 1-1/4" all-purpose katana, 1-1/4" all-purpose hybrid, 1" detail arrow, and 1" detail katana.  These blades are all made from thin material, so they are nice and flexible.

I plan to give each of these groups of three dolphin, octagonal dolphin, and caterpillar style handles out of differing wood varieties.  It should give folks exactly what they are looking for.  Let me know if you have any specific requests and I'll try to meet your needs.  I'll post some finished pics when I get these done and you'll find them on the "Available Tools" page when they are ready for new owners.

Happy carving!

New Website

Hi, folks.  I hope everyone is doing well and making mountains of woodcarving chips.  I just wanted to post a link here to my new Custom Knives Website called The Robinson Edge.  I would like to invite you to stop by, check things out, and even sign up for my mailing list.  Here's the link:

The Robinson Edge

Updated the Carving Gallery

If you have stopped by the Carving Gallery here on the Old Stump, you may have noticed that payment buttons have been added to all of the carvings that are currently available for purchase. Should you be interested in purchasing one of my carvings, simply click the "Add to Cart" button and use the online check out as you would with any online store.  If you have any questions or problems with the system, just drop me a line and I'll give you a hand.

Several of you have asked when I will be making some more knives.  Currently I'm involved in a big project for a Christmas gift for my wife, so I won't be making any new carving knives until after the new year, so save some of that Christmas money (wink wink).  If you want to see that project I'm working on, check out my sister site at Robinson Edge .

On another note, I can see that I've lost interest in my little hunter bust since I haven't carved at all on him in the last few weeks.  To get myself motivated to get carving, I think I might start on something totally new and maybe come back to this piece when I feel ready for it.  I'm thinking maybe a cowboy or possibly a native american.  I'll certainly share progress pics here of whatever I decide to do. Thanks for following along with me on my adventures.

-  Brandant Robinson

Deer Hunter Bust

As I ease back into the woodcarving scene, I have decided to revisit a piece that I started some time ago.  It's a bust of a deer hunter that should turn out to be a fun project to break the rust free from my woodcarving muscles.  Here's a really crumby photo of the project as of last night.  I've just attached the right arm to the torso and have it clamped up with some rubber bands.

If the carving turns out as I envision, he will have a rifle slung over his right shoulder with the sling in his right hand.  He'll have some binoculars around his neck and something that I haven't decided on held in his left hand.  I'll post more pics as the carving develops.  Thanks for checking in.

-  Brandant Robinson

Email News Letter

Hey, folks.  I appreciate the warm "welcome home" that everyone has given me.  It's good to be back among friends, doing a little carving, and making a few knives.  The knives that I posted on the Available Knives Page last week are half gone, so get yours before they are all in someone else's toolbox.

Since I'm not taking custom orders for woodcarving tools right now, I have been urged to start an email news letter to let those interested people know when new tools and finished carvings are available to the public to be purchased.  I think that's something that I could do without too much fuss.  Also, I'm not taking orders, but I will entertain requests.  If you need a specific tool, shoot me a message and I'll see if I can add it to the next batch.

So, if you'd like to be on my Email List, just send me an email at theoldstump@live.com with the words "OLD STUMP SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line, and I'll get you added in.  Also, if you'd like to be on my Email List for my custom folding knives which are found on my sister sight at Robinson Edge just indicate that in the body of your email and I'll get you signed up for both.

In the News Letter I'll keep you up to date on new knives, gouges, and carvings.  I won't fill up your inbox up with unwanted emails and you can ask to be removed from my list at any time, no questions asked.  I appreciate your indulgence as I ease back into the carving life.  I didn't realize how much I missed carving and making woodcarving tools.

Also, I'm working on a new carving of a deer hunter.  It's so nice to be making woodchips again!  I'll be posting progress photos very soon, so check back. Thanks for stopping by the Old Stump.

-  Brandant Robinson

It's Been A Long Time

Well, folks, it's been a long time since I've posted anything here on the Old Stump.  I have been pursuing other interests and haven't had a lot of interest in woodcarving or woodcarving tools. Lately I've started to miss making chips and the fun and joy that comes with it, not to mention that I miss all of my friends in the woodcarving community.  In order to inspire myself to get back into woodcarving, I decided to make myself a new knife.  Since I was making one, I thought why not make a whole batch of new knives and offer them to the public.  In the past I have used floor scraper blades for the blades of my knives.  Now I have the equipment of a real knife shop and have the ability to shape and heat treat my own blades.  So, I decided to use some high quality O1 tool steel to make these blades.  I must say, they turned out really nice.  Here's a group photo of the batch.

Nine of the ten are now available over on the Available Knives Page of the Old Stump.  I hope to get started on something new and maybe take you along for the ride.  Thanks for stopping by.

No More Custom Orders

Greetings, folks!  It’s been a while hasn’t it.  I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their adventures in woodcarving.

As most of you know, I have been making woodcarving knives and gouges for about five years now as an enjoyable hobby and a small side business.  The fabrication of these tools has brought me a lot of satisfaction and pleasure, not to mention the joy I have received from hundreds of happy customers.  With a heavy heart, I have decided to stop taking custom orders for knives and palm tools.  This decision was certainly not made lightly as I have enjoyed having a hobby that has been able to pay for itself.

The main reason for me coming to this decision was simply a shift in my personal interests.  Although I have enjoyed making these woodcarving tools in the past, my interests have evolved into making custom folding knives.  I find that I enjoy my time much better and find even richer rewards in making my folders than I ever did making woodcarving tools.  And, since this is my hobby, I guess I get to choose how I spend my limited number of spare hours in the week.

I still have quite a few handles cut out and blade steel in my shop, so I will periodically post tools on the “Available Tools” page when I get the inclination to make a carving tool or two.  I will also take requests, so if you are just dying to own a particular tool, drop me an email and I will do my best to make one to your specs the next time I work on woodcarving tools.

I would also like to invite you to visit my new blog at Robinson Edge where you can follow me on my new adventures into the world of custom folding knives.  I even have a few of my knives on that site posted for sale if you are interested.  I will continue to post the occasional woodcarving here and will also leave up all of the previous posts and tutorials for everyone to use.  I want to offer a great big thanks to all those who have purchased my knives and gouges and I hope they continue to make mountains of chips for year to come.

2014 Commemorative Gouge

I thought I would close out the year with a real bang.  Recently I have been making a lot of custom folding knives with really fine detail work and tight precision.  I thought I would give my carving friends something truly unique that would test my skills as a maker as well as produce a piece of functional art.  This is what I came up with.

 

 

The gouge is a 3/16" #7 with a fluted blade which is highly polished.  The ferrule is fluted copper, also highly polished to keep with the shiny theme.  The handle material is maple burl that has been dyed red and black and professionally stabilized.  The inlayed shield is nickel silver and has the size of the gouge, the year and my initials hand engraved into the bright surface.  I wish the photos could do this tool justice.  I really need to work on my photography skills.  A little over-the-top?  Well, maybe.  But I sure like it and really enjoyed making it.

I have made this piece available for purchase on my "Available Tools" page if you are interested in owning it.  Thanks for taking a look and I would love to hear any comments.

Sale Ends Soon - July 5

I know I haven't posted anything new in a long while.  Late spring and early summer seem to be the time that things need to get done around the house and yard and I've had my fair share of chores and projects to complete.  My carving has practically come to a screeching halt for the past few months.  Not to mention that I've been spending more and more time on my new hobby of making custom folding knives and less and less time making chips.  I did, however, manage to finish up the bust of a caricature that I call "The Scoundrel."  When I get a spare moment, I'll take some pics and post them for all to see.  I also finished up the head of a gunslinger that still needs a place to rest his disembodied noggin.  I'll try to get in some progress pics of him as well.

I want to thank everyone for your recent tool orders, and for those who have taken the time to send me photos of your woodcarving art.  What a thrill it is for me to see what my meager tools in the hands of you, the skilled artist, can accomplish.  It has also been fun working with you in your decision making process and a pleasure to craft your custom tools.  I have enjoyed putting on this extended sale, but like all good things, it too must come to an end.  I've set the final day of the sale for July 5, so, while you're enjoying the Independence Day weekend, make sure you get your orders in too while you can still take advantage of the low prices.  I'm only an email away at theoldstump@live.com if you should have any questions about my tools, need help making you tool selection, or help placing your order.

Thanks again, everyone!  Keep making chips and happy carving to all.

Brandant

Now Accepting Custom Tool Orders

Thank you, my friends, for all of your patience with my taking some time off from tool making.  I can’t say that it has been a restful sabbatical, but it definitely was a productive one.  It was a long hall, but I’m glad to be back doing what I truly love doing, making tools.  After all is said and done, I’m ready to start making sparks and happy woodcarvers again.

In commemoration of my return to the shop, and just in time for tax return season (wink, wink), I have decided to have a celebratory sale on all of my woodcarving tools.  All of my custom tools have been reduced by $2.00 to $5.00 each, so now is the time to place an order.  Click the “Custom Knives” or “Custom Palm Tools” tabs above which will take you to the respective page.  The process for placing a custom order is pretty clear and simple, but I’m always available via email at theoldstump@live.com if you have any questions.

You may also see the “Available Tools” tab above.  Periodically I get an itch to make some tools, but I don’t have any orders to fill at the time.  Well, I’m not going to let a little thing like that stop me from doing what I enjoy.  Thus, the Available Tools page is where I make available these completed tools that are looking for a new home.  Right now, since I need a little cash to buy more tool-making materials, I have cut the cost on all these tools by $8.00.  Take a look and see if one of these gems would fit well into your toolbox.

Again, thank you, my friends!  It’s great to be back making tools and carving once again.  I’m currently working on a cowpoke caricature that I think you will all enjoy.  I’ll post some pics real soon.

Happy carving to you all,

Brandant

No Custom Orders for Now

Greetings my woodcarving friends!

This is just a quick note to let you know that I appreciate your interest in following along with me on my carving adventures and I hope you are all enjoying your own adventures in the world of woodcarving.  I hope you find the information here useful.

As most of you probably know, I am not a professional woodcarver or tool maker.  Even though I am passionate about both, they are only my hobbies, not my vocation.  But, they do give me something enjoyable to do on the weekends. 

I need to let everyone know that for the next couple of months, I will be preparing for a professional licensing examination that is going to take up the majority of my free time.  Unfortunately, I will not have much time to spend out in my workshop and, consequently, I will not be taking any new custom knife or palm tool orders for the time being.  I anticipate restoring my custom tools pages upon completion of my examination and hope you will not be too disappointed in having to wait for a few weeks to place your orders.  Everything should be back up by mid April and I look forward to working with you to meet your carving needs.

Thanks again for your interest in The Old Stump, and wish me luck on the test!

Brandant

Happy New Year

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and thank you all for your interest in The Old Stump Blog.  I greatly appreciate those who have purchased knives, palm tools, and carvings from me over the past year and I hope that each item has exceeded your expectations.  I also hope that everyone has enjoyed the tutorials and following along with me on my carving adventures.

I haven't had much time at all to carve over the past several months.  Sometimes life takes a turn and interests change.  I have recently started making high-end custom knives which are way above and beyond my simple carving knives.  It has been a real challenge learning the techniques and acquiring all the tools required for fine knife making.  Here are some samples of my work so far.

 

Each one of these knives is hand made by myself alone from my own custom designs.  The folding knives are particularly challenging, and finessing the folding and lock mechanisms just right is very rewarding.  Here's a link to my photo album for several more views of each of these knives:

Custom Folders and Fixed Blades

If anyone would be interested in a handmade custom folder or fixed blade knife, just drop me an email.  I'd be happy to entertain any serious inquiries.

Again, a very Happy New Year and may 2014 be the best year for you yet!