My First Carving Show

I'm really getting excited for my first carving show coming up next week.  I've never even attended a show, let alone participated in one.  I'm anxious to see how my pieces stack up against all of the other wonderful carvers around my area.

The show is called the "Utah Valley Wood Sculpture Show" and is being held in Provo, Utah on September 23 and 24.  Here's a link to their website: Utah Valley Wood Sculpture Show

If you are planning on attending, drop me a note so that we can be sure to meet.  I'll post some pictures when I get back and let you know how my entries fared.  Wish me luck!

Four New Knives!!!

It seems that lately I've been spending more time in my shop making knives than I have been spending carving.  Here are four new ones that I finished up this weekend:

This one's a real beauty.  The handle is octagonal dolphin shaped and is made from a piece of peach with some stunning grain.  The blade is a 1-1/8" scimitar shaped detail blade.  This knife would be fantastic for creating even the tiniest detail.

This knife is a real comfortable little knife.  The handle is stubby shaped and made of a nice piece of peach.  The wood I used to make the handle had some internal checking, leaving a fairly large crack down the left side of the knife, but after filling it with some epoxy, the handle should be good for a lifetime.  The blade is a 1-1/2" long katana shaped all-purpose blade.  This should be a wonderful knife for someone who may struggle with their grip, since the stubby handle is nice and chunky.  I did discount the price because of the crack, so this might be your chance to give this style a try.

Number three is an unusual little fellow.  I call the blade shape "Cleaver" since it looks kind of like a butcher's cleaver.  It's 1-1/4" long and nice and wide.  This knife will really hack off some wood, so it is listed as a rough-out style.  I made it as a friendly alternative to the utility knife that many are using.  I've tried using a utility knife to carve with before, be I just didn't like the feel of that thick, metal handle.  This knife offers a way to keep that utility blade shape, while maintaining a comfortable feel.  The handle is made from a nice piece of sapwood peach that has some delicate graining.

Last, but certainly not least, is this beauty.  It's a 1-1/4" scimitar shaped detail blade.  This style of blade has become one of my most popular, and it's easy to see why.  That nice profile is great for making curved cuts and that sharp point really gets into those tight place for detailing.  The dolphin shaped handle is made from a nice, rich piece of plumb with some terrific grain.  A fantastic little detail knife.

All of these knives are available for purchase on the Knife Gallery page.  Click on the photo in the Knife Gallery to see a few more pictures from different angles of these knives.

Weekend Knives

I had the weekend off from custom orders, so I took the time to make a trio of my own choosing.

The top knife is a real beauty.  It's patterned after my personal rough-out knife that I go to for almost all work when I need to remove a lot of wood.  It has a 2" long katana blade that is extra wide for strength.  The octagonal dolphin handle is made from a piece of wormy plum wood that gives it some fantastic character.

The next contestant is a 1-1/2" katana-shaped all-purpose knife.  You can't beet this blade for all of your general carving needs.  It's a great knife for taking your next project right up to the fine detail stage.  The smooth dolphin-shaped handle is made from clear apple and has fine and graceful grain lines.

The bottom knife is a thing of beauty.  The blade is a 1-1/4" long scimitar style.  This is a fantastic little detail knife for the finest details that you can dream up.  It's thin blade and sharp point get into those hard-to-reach places.  To top things off, the dolphin-shaped handle is made of my personal favorite, apricot wood.  It has beautiful grain lines and fits perfectly in the hand.

All three knives are available for purchase on the Knife Gallery page.

Farmer Brown

It's been a while since I've posted a finished carving, so I though that I would show you my latest piece.

You may remember this guy from a post a little while back before he had any paint on him.  I decided that an old farmer had better have a beat-up old straw hat to look right, so here's what I came up with.  I also gave him a pair of round glasses and a piece of straw sticking out of his mouth for a finishing touch.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how he turned out.  I'm also working on improving my photography technique.  The light is still a little harsh, but at least the colors look sharper and truer to the real colors.  Stop by the Picture Gallery (click the tab at the top of this page) for several more photos of this old codger.  I hope you like him.

Wooden Rings

Here's a fun little project that I completed recently.  I've heard several people mention how they made wooden rings and it intrigued me.  I did some research on the different methods for making these rings and thought that I would give it a try.  These three rings were made by laminating three layers of oak and apricot together with the grain of one layer running perpendicular to the next.  This way the ring is quite strong.  I've been wearing one around for a week just to see how it would stand up to the daily grind, and it seems to be doing just fine.  I gave the other two to my wife and daughter who, for some reason, were overjoyed at receiving the gift.  They are really fun to make and a great way to use up all of those little scraps that you may have laying around.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Lower Prices!!!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I have significantly lowered the prices on my present inventory of quality, handmade carving knives.  I need to reduce my stockpile so that I can fill it up again (wink wink).  Go to the Knife Gallery Page by clicking the link above and check it out.

The Hybrid

Here's a real beauty!!! She's has a 1-1/4" long blade in a shape that I call a hybrid between my scimitar and katana shapes. It brings out the best characteristics of each blade profile and combines them into one. The handle is beautiful cherry with a natural finish to bring out the subtle beauty of the grain. The handle shape is what I call the octagonal dolphin shape that is extremely comfortable to use and the ridges give you a good, firm grip on the knife. I'm extremely proud of this one.  Go to the Knife Gallery Page for more views.