The WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver who carves in a Whittle-Carving style. The knife is the favorite carving tool and the favorite knife is the one in the carver’s hand at the time. The side effect of this love affair with knives is that there is a passion for collecting and reshaping and refurbishing knives to be used in the carving process.

In recent years I have appreciated the knives made by a little known knife maker and carver who is now deceased. Don Voisard was Chief Engineer at the Duriron Company who had a passion for making knives, so much so that he made hundreds of knives with custom shaped wooden handles and blades made, shaped and sharpened by him. In later years he suffered from dementia and spent his last days in a nursing home. No one knows for sure why and how he made these knives. Nor why he did not market his inventory of knives. Perhaps he just loved making each knife with an inner compulsion to create. It is a mystery as to what kind of steel was used to make the blades, how the blades were tempered or what process he used to make so many knives. Belcher Carving Supply is the sole distributor of the Voisard knives that remain. Even though they are somewhat plain and not fancy, yet whatever he did to the blades he produced a knife that holds a keen edge and is very functional as an efficient carving knife.

The photo display below depict the Voisard knives that have been reshaped and modified both in the shape of the blade and the handles by the Wood Bee Carver for his own collection.

Dick Belcher purchased from the Voisard estate over four hundred knives that Don Voisard had assembled but not finished. The round wooden handles were rough and the preliminarily shaped blades were coated with a protective coating of varnish. Dick finished the handles and sharpened the blades and has them for sale at a modest price at the Belcher Carving Supply ~ either from his home shop (937-845-0346) or his vendor’s table at woodcarving shows where he is set up to serve the carving community in Ohio area shows with the premier show being in November at the Artistry in Wood Show ~ Dayton Airport Expo Center.

The mystery behind the Voisard knives can only be explained by reading between the lines of what is known and what may have been. Don was a quiet man who carved and made knives but few knew the details of his creative aspirations. He was a member of the Dayton Carvers Guild from 1996 to 2008. He exhibited in a few carving shows with his carvings of small birds, fish, bears and other animals which he carved in large quantities. After his wife passed away and being at loose ends with time of his hands he started to make knives in the hundreds, both the handles and shaping and pre-sharpening the blades that would be inserted into the handles. No one knows his intent for making so many knives since he did not actively market them. It appears that it was an inner compulsion and passion to work his engineering and metallurgical skills into carving knives to be used in his woodcarving hobby. Once he got started he could not help himself other than continue to make and refine the knives he crafted.

No one knows the kind of steel he used to make the blades nor the process used to harden and temper the blades. The shape of the blades appeared to have been machined rather than hand shaped which was once again using his engineer skills and perhaps the equipment of the Duriron Company.

[A bit of history] The Duriron Company is an industrial component manufacturer of such products as automatic control valves,  valves and actuators, pumps, sealing systems, filtration equipment, pipes and fittings.  The company was incorporated in 1912 as the Duriron Casting Company in Dayton, Ohio< until 1997 when >The 85-year-old Duriron Corporation lost its name and identity as a Dayton company in July 1997 when Flowserve Corporation was formed by the merger of the $605 million revenue Duriron and the $540 million revenue BW/IP of Long Beach, California, a producer of pumps and mechanical seals for the petroleum, power, and water industries. The new corporation headquarters is in Dallas, Texas and [as of] mid-2002 a $2.5 billion revenue company. The only remaining Dayton activities include the Findlay Street foundry (which was the original operation in 1912), a plastics operation in Springboro, and the worldwide pump engineering staff headquarters office on Monument Avenue.

During World War I the Duriron Company made equipment for ammunition manufacturing and during World War II made equipment for the Manhattan Project for the atomic bomb. A good part of the products made by the Duriron Company included specialty steels of which it was said, “The breadth of alloys in which pumps and valves were offered was also greatly expanded to include a variety of nickel-based alloys….”    And who knows what else went into the steel used of which Don Voisard may have had access to use in the blade material he used to make his knives. So the mystery remains as to the makeup of the steel used in the blades.

Also a mystery is the development of some of his blade designs. Most of his knife blades are of the traditional straight cutting edge wharncliffe blade shape used in most carving knives. Some of his blades were shaped with a curved cutting edge of the blade shape similar to the “spear point” or “pen blade” shape. It was on these latter examples that many blades were designed with an extended tang that positioned the cutting part of the blade away from the handle. It was these particular blades that caught the attention of the Wood Bee Carver who had developed a similar blade design through trial and error experimenting with various blade shapes.

It has become a passion of the Wood Bee Carver to modify and reshape the curved cutting edge blades of the Voisard knives into the shapes depicted in the photographs. The back edge of the Voisard blades have been reshaped into a concave profile to make the blade into an adapted scimitar blade shape. Many of the handles have been redone as well to a four inch length and adding slips of wood to the sides of the handles to make them a little fatter. Some of the original longer and thinner handles have been left in their original shape. The main feature of the Voisard knives is the “feel of cut” in the slicing action of the sharp cutting edge. Perhaps even more important is the untold story of the heart and soul that Don Voisard put into each knife he made.

The WOOD BEE CARVER recommends carving knives made according to his design by Helvie Knives, Bud Murray Knives, Dave Lyons Knives and John Dunkle Knives. Even though any of the knives made by these knife makers are used most of the time, yet the WOOD BE CARVER uses other knives that he has made or reshaped for carving.

Having been a lifelong tinkerer at carving knife reshaping into a functional carving knife, the WOOD BEE CARVER has come to appreciate customizing Voisard knives for personal use.

Ever since boyhood the WOOD BEE CARVER has been fascinated with knives and whittling. Such a fascination has led to accumulating a variety of knives over the years for the purpose of carving. Most of the knives accumulated were old pocket knives that were heavily used and abused requiring the tender loving care of repairing, reshaping the blades and sharpening the blades into a functional carving knife. The blades in pocket knives that could not be repaired were salvaged to be inserted into wooden handles and shaped and sharpened into carving knives.

Over a forty year period of tinkering with knives in this manner one learns a method of sharpening by hand and reshaping blades and handles into a comfortable and efficient carving knife. Also learned by the experience of trial and error of whittling with sharp blades is that the steel in knife blades of different make and name possessed a “characteristic of the feel of the cut” in the slicing action all their own. This means that even though each blade is equally sharp with other equally sharp blades, yet each blade carves a little different from the others. This does not necessarily make one knife better than the other but it illustrates that each have a particular “slice of personality” in the slicing action. Which means for the WOOD BEE CARVER that the favorite knife is the one in the carver’s hand at the time of carving which further means that all knives are a favorite in one way or another.

The WOOD BEE CARVER developed a blade shape with a curved cutting edge with an extended tang and the back edge with a concave shape so that the business part of the blade looks like a banana or crescent moon shape. The preferred handle shape is four inches long with a fat cigar shape or one with a pistol grip shape like the old flint lock pistol. Such a handle shape allows for the knife to be rotated in the palm of the hand while guiding the blade to cut sideways, upside down or right side up for long periods of time. Slender handles longer than four inches fit the hand in awkward positions causing the hand to cramp or experience tiredness. Pocket knife handles are not comfortable for long periods of carving due to their size and shape so wooden handles custom made became the handle of choice. Both the handle shape and blade shape were developed over a long period of trial and error experience of carving to discover the most efficient carving knife that produced a slicing cut with both the push and pull stroke.

Other carvers would ask where they could get a knife like the WOOD BEE CARVER used. The WOOD BEE CARVER only made knives for personal use, so he found a few knife makers who either made a similar knife or was willing to make knives according to the WOOD BEE CARVER’S design.

Ralph Long of North Carolina has been well respected as a premier knife maker for way over twenty years and two of his knives in his inventory with a scimitar blade shape were the first to be recommended. However, Ralph has experienced failing health in recent years and no longer makes knives. Helvie Knives, Bud Murray Knives, Dave Lyons Knives and John Dunkle Knives make knives according to the WOOD BEE CARVER’S design and are highly recommended.

Even though all of these recommended knives are used most of the time, yet the Wood Bee Carver still likes to tinker with knives from his own personal collection. Thus the Voisard Collection is one of the many collections that are also used for personal carving from time to time. That may explain why Don Voisard and the Wood Bee Carver are kindred spirits without ever having met other than through appreciation for the feel of the cut of a Voisard knife.

Hello Carvers! HELVIE KNIVES proudly presents……The 3rd Annual Basswood Knife Carving Competition!

Some changes have been made in the rules governing the carved knife handles that will be suitable and acceptable for judging. After the first two years of this contest it has been learned how to refine the rules to make all entries compete on a level playing field.

Carving must be done within the confines of the basic dimensions of the basswood handle with no add on of additional wood or material. Examples being; cutting some of the knife handle off and gluing it back on to get a different plane, no blade covers to make the handle longer, and the blade shall not be altered.

There will be 3 classes to choose from: Please be honest with your carving experience.

• Beginners Class for carvers that have been carving for one year or less.
• Intermediate Class for carvers that have been carving for one to three years.
• Open Class for anyone regardless of experience or number of years carving.

Helvie Knives will supply the basswood knives to be carved for all entries. There will be a $5 entry fee. The cost helps pay for shipping and materials. If you want the knife returned to you after the competition there will be an additional $5 fee to cover shipping and handling fees back to you. If you do not want your carving back, we will add it to our office display and our web gallery.

The handles are about 6″ in length with a girth (circumference) of about 1 3/16″ – 1 1/2″. All basswood knives distributed to the participants will have a “dummy” blade on them and will not be sharp. Any theme can be carved into the handle. All participants will need to have their entry returned to Helvie Knives by October 16, 2015. All entries will be taken to the Renegade Roundup in Tennessee to be judged by renowned CCA member Steve Brown. Participants do not need to be in attendance to win.

Awards will be given to the winners and the runner ups of all three classes. If you are interested in participating, please contact us via phone at 765-675-8811, via e-mail at zen@tiptontel.com ~  or via mail at Helvie Knives PO Box 145 Tipton, IN 46072.

Thank you for your participation! And good luck to all!

Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson

The photo above shows the lay out of the presentation box for the Helvie fund raiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.   The cover of the box is decorated with wood burned art work done by Rich Smithson of the art drawing of artist Don Stephenson as displayed in the photo below.

This ONE OF A KIND presentation box contains twenty one WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives and a Whittle-Doodle (eight inches tall by two inch square) that was carved by Don Mertz as pictured in the photo below.

HELVIE KNIVES PROUDLY PRESENTS:

A fundraiser for JDRF (Junior Diabetes Research Foundation)/T1D (Type 1 Diabetes) is a “ONE OF A KIND” woodcarving knife collection! This collection of knives will be at the Eastern Woodland Carvers July Show in Converse, IN in July of 2015. (If you are not attending the show but would like to participate, please contact us at 765-675-8811 or zen@tiptontel.com). You do not need to be present to win. Raffle tickets are $1/each or 7 tickets for $5. The collection will consist of 21 total knives from the Don Mertz Signature Series line and a hand carved piece from Don Mertz himself.

If you are interested in making a donation straight to JDRF they are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. They can be reached at their website http://jdrf.org/ They have many events that they do every year to raise awareness and funds for further research in hopes of one day finding a cure.

As some of you may know our daughter, Skylar, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 years, in May of 2011. She, along with thousands of other children and adults, have to learn to live with T1D (Type 1 Diabetes) and the complications that it causes on a daily basis.

Thank you to everyone for your support and kind generosity!  Sincerely, Rich & Holli Smithson/Helvie Knives

National Diabetes Awareness month is November.

John Dunkle, knife maker, has developed a special process for heat treating and tempering a “premium super steel” in his latest line of knives. This new knife possesses super and long lasting sharpness that requires less stropping between long periods of carving time.

John made me a special ordered knife according to my design and handled in antler. This knife was put to the test of carving two caricatures of the “Employee of the Month” (as depicted in the photos) from a block of basswood six inches tall by an inch and half square for each figure. Each carving takes about eight hours of carving time in which the “Dunkle Premium Knife” held its super sharp cutting edge from beginning to end of both the figures. This means that the knife performed very well during the modeling stage of carving each figure to basic form with its slicing and cutting sharpness. Just as impressive the Premium Knife performed very well during the final detail carving stage of finer slicing cuts in a precise manner. The Dunkle knife was also used to carve a bear holding a heart as in the two photos below.

The new Dunkle Knife is well worth the extra cost but then his regular line of carving knives and tools are recommended as well. Contact John at 419-494-5948 or jcdblade@gmail.com to inquire about his new knife or visit his booth at the various shows and seminars where he exhibits.

Dragon Bee and Dragon BEE II knives are the latest edition of the Wood Bee Carver Signature Series knives made by Helvie Knives (765-675-8811). Each knife hosts a scimitar shaped blade in a pistol shaped handle.

The curved cutting edge of the scimitar blade shape is to enhance the slicing action as the knife is guided through the wood in either a push or a pull stroke. A curved cutting edge will make slice cuts in areas where a straight cutting edge cannot reach.

The pistol shaped handle, like the other two handle shapes of the Wood BEE Carver series of knives is designed for function more that aesthetic appearance. Both the handle designs and blade shape designs were developed by the Wood Bee Carver over a forty years period of trial and error of using a knife as the primary carving tool for Whittle-Carving. A comfortable handled knife with versatile slicing blade is essential for carving during long periods of time.

The photographs below show the Dragon and Dragon II  making a variety of slicing cuts in a variety of positions on various carving projects. The longer and larger Dragon blade can reach into areas where other knives cannot reach. The Dragon II with its smaller blade is shown in a variety of positions and slicing actions.

Photos  below depict the various ways the pistol grip handle can be held to guide the cutting action of the blade and example of small carving done by Dragon BEE II Knife.

The cutting edge of any blade shape is made up of very small cutting teeth comparable to the teeth on a hand saw blade. It is these cutting teeth that separate wood fibers when the blade is sliced through the wood. Pushing the blade horizontally into the wood with a wedge cut will crush the fibers of wood rather than separate the fibers with a clean cut.

The analogy of the slicing action is what one does to cut a nice juicy steak by using a slicing action rather than forcing the knife down into the steak. Slicing bread, slicing baloney or slicing vegetables is more efficient than “chopping” with a forced wedge cut.

Learning to use a carving knife in a slicing action takes practice to undo any old habits of wedge cutting which produce ragged surfaces and fuzzy and broken fibers. A carver should practice with a new knife to make slicing cuts while using every portion of the cutting edge for the various practice cuts. Practice learning to use the tip portion of the blade with push and pull slicing cuts. It is this area of the blade that is most versatile for making a variety of shaping and detailing cuts.

A straight cutting edged knife carves primarily in a straight line while a curved cutting edge carves circles around a straight line by being able to approach the wood to be shaped from a variety of angles. The curved blade with a scimitar shape where the back edge is a concave to mirror the convex curve of the cutting edge is able to do slicing cuts in tight areas and carve around corners so to speak.
There is no one knife that will do everything a carver wants to do and each knife has its own merits of usefulness. The key for the carver is to become very familiar with what each knife can do by practicing a variety of slicing cuts. A curved cutting edge knife can be used in both the push and pull slicing stroke as well as upside down, sideways and right side up. A small bladed detail knife is for doing delicate, detail and light carving and should not be used for making hefty cuts. The tip end of a larger blade can be used for making detail cuts and works wonders when making shallow and delicate slicing cuts that produce a shaving action. A long blade can reach areas where a shorter blade would be impeded and carving at the tip end of the long blade produces a different cutting action than a shorter blade does. It is a law of physics on the fulcrum and lever action that is at play in the different properties between the cutting action of a short and long blade. A hefty handle will be more comfortable when carving over a long period of time while a narrow and small handle will cramp the carving hand into fatigue.

The photos below show the beginning process in the making of the Dragon Knives being made by Rich Smithson of Helvie Knives.

Skylar Smithson and Don Mertz stand behind the presentation box of 21 Wood Bee Carver Signature Knives made by HELVIE KNIVES  and a Whittle Doodle carved by Don Mertz that was awarded to Farley Baker of Morrow, Ohio in the raffle drawing at the Eastern Woodland Carving Club Show, July 19, 2015 in Converse, IN.  Even thought there were hundreds of raffle tickets purchased for this fund raiser for Childhood Diabetes Research, yet only one ticket could win the box of knives.  However, everyone who purchased a ticket is a winner in that each donation will provide necessary funds for the research for helping children with diabetes.  Thanks to Rich and Holli Smithson for their generous donation of the twenty one knives and beautifully wood burned lid of the presentation box.  Together, all who participated in this project is a winner.  THANK YOU!!!!

Stropping by hand on a leather strop impregnated with an abrasive compound of choice is all that is needed to keep any of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives made by HELVIE KNIVES tuned up and ready to carve.

Stropping is the action of laying the blade of a carving knife down flat on the leather strop positioned so that the cutting edge will trail the pulling stroke. Hold the blade flat on the leather strop using slight press while making the pulling stroke. At the end of the pull stroke lift the knife up to return it to the starting point of the stroking action and lay the blade flat again on the leather strop and repeat the stropping stroke several time. Then turn the knife blade over, laying the blade flat again and pull the stropping stroke in the opposite direction to treat the other side of the blade. Strop the second side several times.

Stropping is a learn by doing activity in which one will learn an appropriate number of strokes on both sides to tune up the cutting edge for clean and sharp slicing cuts. Stropping is not technically “sharpening” but rather a “polishing” of the cutting teeth of the cutting edge and the sides of the blade to enhance the slicing action.

When stropping concentrate on keeping the blade flat on the leather strop and do not be concerned with the angle of a bevel. The stropping action will slightly compress the flat blade down into the leather which in turn will enhance the micro bevel of the cutting edge as it is being polished and burnished by the leather and abrasive compound.

The only time a cutting edge needs to be sharpened is when the cutting edge develops a nick or scratch or dullness from repeated use. Hand sharpening using the diamond hone paddles or credit card shaped hones with progressing grits of medium, fine and extra fine is all that is necessary to create a good cutting edge on a carving knife which is followed up with a stropping on a leather strop to remove the burr edge caused by the diamond hones and give the final polish and burnish treatment to the blade.

Stropping a curved cutting edge blade is to simply follow the direction of the cutting edge from the heel of the blade to the tip of the blade while guiding the cutting edge along its path. The key to remember is that one is stropping the entire length of the cutting edge as the cutting edge trails the direction of the stroke.

Sharpening a blade using the progressive grits of a diamond hone is to lay the blade flat on the hone and using slight pressure guide the blade with the cutting edge leading the way in the push stroke on one side of the blade. At the end of the push stroke, keep the blade flat and slide it backwards to repeat the forward stroke. It is the forward stroke that causes the abrasiveness of the diamond hone to cut teeth into the cutting edge and the backward stroke allows for the blade to remain flat during this back and forth action and helps to shape the side of the blade. Repeat the process for the other side of the blade with the cutting edge now leading the way in the backward or pull stroke. Stroke backward and forward to keep blade flat and eventually after working on both sides of the blade with an equal amount of strokes a burr edge will appear. Move then to the next finer grit of the diamond hones and repeat the process until the burr edge gets smaller and smaller. Finally, remove the burr edge using the stropping action. Sharpening a curved cutting edge is simply remembering to follow the path of the cutting edge from heel to tip and tip to heel in the stroking action in order to sharpen the entire cutting edge.

Not recommended is the use of motorized sharpening systems or buffing wheels. Hand sharpening and stropping is simply an extension of the carving process in that the knife becomes a part of the hand which is an extension of the carver’s creativity. Be Sharp and Never Dull.

Each year at the Annual Meeting of the Caricature Carvers of America each active member participates in trading a carving with each other using a scheduled formula.  The WOOD BEE CARVER carved a Whittle Doodle as his 2015 Trade Piece. 

It is carved in a three inch square by six inch tall block of basswood using a variety of knives.  The main knife was the Dragon II or #21 in the Signature Series made by Helvie Knives using the design of the WOOD BEE CARVER. The secondary knives used for reaching into tight areas or for specific slicing cuts are modified pocket knife blades reshaped for experimental purposes for knife designs. The knives used are pictured in the photograph above.  The photographic gallery that follows is of a variety of views and close up views of sections of the Whittle Doodle.

The photo above shows the lay out of the presentation box for the Helvie fund raiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.   The cover of the box is decorated with wood burned art work done by Rich Smithson of the art drawing of artist Don Stephenson as displayed in the photo below.

This ONE OF A KIND presentation box contains twenty one WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives and a Whittle-Doodle (eight inches tall by two inch square) that was carved by Don Mertz as pictured in the photo below.

HELVIE KNIVES PROUDLY PRESENTS:

A fundraiser for JDRF (Junior Diabetes Research Foundation)/T1D (Type 1 Diabetes) is a “ONE OF A KIND” woodcarving knife collection! This collection of knives will be at the Eastern Woodland Carvers July Show in Converse, IN in July of 2015. (If you are not attending the show but would like to participate, please contact us at 765-675-8811 or zen@tiptontel.com). You do not need to be present to win. Raffle tickets are $1/each or 7 tickets for $5. The collection will consist of 21 total knives from the Don Mertz Signature Series line and a hand carved piece from Don Mertz himself.

If you are interested in making a donation straight to JDRF they are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. They can be reached at their website http://jdrf.org/ They have many events that they do every year to raise awareness and funds for further research in hopes of one day finding a cure.

As some of you may know our daughter, Skylar, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 years, in May of 2011. She, along with thousands of other children and adults, have to learn to live with T1D (Type 1 Diabetes) and the complications that it causes on a daily basis.

Thank you to everyone for your support and kind generosity!  Sincerely, Rich & Holli Smithson/Helvie Knives

National Diabetes Awareness month is November.

On July 19, 2015 at the Eastern Woodland Woodcarving Show in Converse, IN, the winning ticket for the Helvie raffle of a presentation box containing twenty one Wood Bee Carver Signature Series knives and a Whittle-Doodle carved by the Wood Bee Carver was won by Farley Baker of Morrow, Ohio. Many people purchased raffle tickets in this fund raiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research with the end result of $1850 for this worthy cause. Holli Smithson of Helvie Knives posted on Facebook the photo below along with the report of the total raised.

Our raffle this year went the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and we proudly raised $1350! Rich Smithson place of employment, Walmart DC # 7055, also kicked in an additional $500! For a grand total of $1850!!! In the picture is not one, but two, of Tipton’s finest; Officers Dylan Dietrick and Robert Nunemacher along with our Skylar Smithson and fellow type 1 diabetic Eli Dollens. Thanks to all who participated!

Helvie Knives is own and operated by Rich, Hollie and Skylar Smithson and besides making high quality carving knives they are very generous in supporting a variety of worthwhile causes. Thanks for your generosity Helvie Knives.

The Helvie Knife Competition was judged at the Renegade Carving Seminar in Lebanon, TN by Steve  Brown and Jon Nelson.  Pictured above are the winning entries. The left photo are the winners in Open Class who were (left to right) First: Myron Compton; Second: Mark Akers; Third: Bob Hersey. Middle photo are the winners in Intermediate Class who were (left to right) First: Fred Nahlen; Second: Kathleen Mankinen; Third: Kerry Richard. The right photo are the winners in the Beginners Class who were (left to right) First: Mary K. Peterson; Second: John R. Munter; Third: Scott Boyle.

Judges Steve Brown and John Nelson had their hands and minds full of decisions to make from the abundant entries of knife handles carved from all over the country.  Thanks to Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson of Helvie Knives who sponsor this fun competition and all who participated.

Artistry in Wood Show, Dayton, OH, November 14 and 15 will host a banquet on Saturday night which will include Raffle Prizes. One of those prizes is a Helvie Knife made by Rich Smithson who also wood burned the art design on the cherry handle. He utilized the art drawing ideas of Uncle Sam drawn by Don Stephenson of the Dayton Carving Club. The Uncle Sam knife holder was carved by the Wood Bee Carver, Don Mertz.

One of the Artistry in Wood banquet raffle prizes is a commemorative Helvie Knife and knife holder using the theme of Uncle Sam. This project was a collaborative effort between Don Stephenson, artist, Rich Smithson, Helvie Knife Maker and Don Mertz, carver of knife holder.

Stephenson drew several caricature sketches of Uncle Sam which were used by Smithson to wood burn the Helvie Knife handle in the Uncle Sam theme.

Smithson provided the basswood block, five inches tall and three and three quarter inch square with the blade insertion hole burned into the top of the block. The Wood Bee Carver carved an Uncle Sam bust in the block to make the knife holder. Using the blade insertion hole as the center guideline, the first step was to shape the square block into the roundness for the hat. Gouges were used to shape the hat while removing the excess wood to expose the shape of the hat. The photo shows the hat carved to basic form and the wood under the hat is being removed to narrow the head to begin to fit into the hat.

The photo with the Uncle Sam image behind the carving shows the knives that were used to carve the face, shirt collar, bow tie, hair and beard. The three Helvie knives were the Bumble Bee, the Hornet Bee and the Wasp Bee which did the majority of the carving to basic form and final detail carving.

The “other knife” is an experimental knife being tested as shown in the three photos making various slicing cuts. The “other knife” was made using an old pocket knife blade reshaped and placed in a wooden handle by the Wood Bee Carver.

The Uncle Sam bust was colored using artist oil paint thinned with boiled linseed oil followed by a protective application of lacquer and Howard Feed –N-Wax.

A commission to carve two Mountain Men just alike using a photograph of a clay sculpture of a mountain man became a welcome challenge. Every carving project is a learning piece with its own built in challenges. One challenge during the planning and imagining stage is to make the transition of carving a three dimensional figure based upon a two dimensional image with only one view. Three dimensional is to see the project with an “in the round perspective” while a two dimensional image is a “flat perspective.” Another challenge is to try to keep the carving as close to the original image that was a clay sculpture which means two mediums “clay” and “wood” create different surface textures and color renditions.

There is also the challenge of imagining the size of the original which is unknown other than the photographic image presenting overall proportions. That challenge becomes one of using those overall proportions to fit a particular size of the block of basswood which in this case was nine inches tall, two inched thick and three and a quarter inch wide. Another challenge was imagining what was not seen in the original photograph in that the side view and back view had to be imagined by comparing the outfit and accessories characteristic of a mountain man. The challenge continue while carving the second mountain man to be like the first carving but with subtle differences to make each have their own personality.  All challenges become opportunities to use artistic interpretation to blend all the challenges together to guide the creative carving process.

The first three photos above are of the first mountain man carved and the second row is the second mountain man carved.  The next series of photographs are of the first mountain man finished and the second mountain man carved to basic form without much detail.

The first photo above is a close up of the first mountain man and the second carved to basic form.  The next three photos are of the finished second mountain man that shows a close up of facial features.

The carver’s choice of knives to use gave a serendipitous feel to the carving process. Both mountain men were carved with what this carver calls the “other knives” that have been shaped and made by the carver using old pocket knives blades inserted in wooden handles. Both the blade shapes and the handle shapes are experimental in nature as this carver likes the personal challenge of testing trial and error reshaped blade and handle shapes. Two of the knives used were made by other carvers; one was by the late Bill Essex with is “SX” initialed knife and the other made by Denny Neubauer who made the knife out of a box end wrench. (“Other Knives” refers to knives other than the knives the Wood Bee Carver recommends as well as uses most of the time.)

The Denny Neubauer knife is the cactus handled knife on the left in the first photo and the Bill Essex knife is the red handled “S” shaped knife handle on the right in the first photo.  The next series of photos below show the “other knives” used to carve the second mountain man.

“Woodcarving is the journey more than the destination,” which means that once the carving project is finished, the carver looks forward to the next carving challenge in the next carving project which is the “journey” or the fun part of carving.  For the Wood Bee Carver the fun part is the feel of a carving knife slicing through the wood to complete the challenge of carving a subject that comes out of the creative process.  As my good carving friend Billy Stephens coined the phrase, “There is never a dull moment for a boy with a sharp knife and a piece of wood,”  may ever carver “Bee Sharp and Never Dull,” so sez the WOOD BEE CARVER.

The WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver and ever since boy hood days of whittling with an old pocket knife, the knife, any knife, remains a favorite. Even though the WOOD BEE CARVER uses and highly recommends knives made by Helvie Knives, Bud Murray Knives, Dave Lyons Knives, and Dunkle Knives all who make knives designed by the WOOD BEE CARVER, yet from time to time OTHER KNIVES are also used.

OTHER KNIVES are knives the WOOD BEE CARVER has made for his own personal use by using old pocket knife blades to reshape and re-handle into a carving knife. OTHER KNIVES come from the mind of the “Tinker Thinker” whose mind explores the day dream adventures of tinkering with knife blade shapes for making experimental carving knives.

A blog posting on May 25, 2008 ~ “TINKER KNIVES – Customized Carving Knives” describes the process of transforming small handled pocket knives into experimental carving knives. Many of these knives received another experimental transformation recently when a long reach and thinner blade was needed for carving in narrow areas of a carving project. The result was the five knives pictured in the first photo above.

The middle photo above with the four knives pictured with each having a brass tubed tang are based on another way of using pocket knife blades as was first described in the blog post of June 15, 2008 ~ “TINKER KNIVES II – Another Way to Tinker”. The four blades came from one pocket knife whose handle was way too small to comfortably use for carving.

The third photo above with nine knives pictured shows the continuation of experimenting with blade shapes that have been inserted into butternut pistol handles. Each handle is four inches long and is fairly thick to make a comfortable handle that will not fatigue the carver’s hand during long periods of carving.

The process for making OTHER KNIVES will be briefly described using photographs and written explanations for a variety of the knives pictured. The two previous blog entries mentioned above are more descriptive so it is recommended to read those postings as well.

The shaping of any blade was done by using a hand cranked grinding wheel, a one inch by forty two inch sanding belt, a Dremel equipped with a small sanding drum and diamond hones for hand sharpening followed by hand leather stropping. During the shaping process of using grinding wheel, sanding belt and drum, cool the blade often by immersing in water so as to not draw the temper out of the blade.

“TINKER KNIVES II” posting describes how to insert the pocket knife blade’s tang into a crimped end of a five sixteenth inch brass tube. That was the process used in making the four knives in the middle photo above with the brass tube extended tang. The extended tang allows for a longer reach by putting the business end of the blade away from the handle. The first photo below shows the various stages in the process. Top illustration shows a stainless steel wire, a five sixteenth inch brass tube about two inches long and a pocket knife blade. The second blade down shows the wire inserted in the hole of the tang and the start of twisting the wire along with a brass tube. The third blade down shows the twisted wire and a crimped brass tube ready to receive the twisted wire and tang into the crimped area. The fourth blade has been inserted into the crimped brass tube ready to receive epoxy inside the tube and around the twisted wire.

The second photo shows the two part five minute epoxy bottles, the knife blade stuck into a block of wood with the mixture of epoxy put inside the brass tube and the yellow jar lid used for mixing the epoxy.

The third photo shows the brass tube and blade after the epoxy has cured and the wooden handle blank with drilled five sixteenth inch hole ready to receive the blade and tube assembly. The fourth photo shows the blade and tube assembly inserted into the wooden handle that has received a mixture of epoxy. Note that about an inch of the brass tube is extended on the outside of the handle to allow for an extended tang for the carving blade when finished.

The two photos below show the finished results of making a carving knife using the blade out of a plastic handled advertising knife. Who knew that such advertising knives possessed blades that make excellent carving knives? This is what happens when any “Tinker Thinker” experiments with surprising results.

The next two photos below show how the blade is inserted into one half of a wooden handle ready to be epoxied to the other half of the wooden handle and the second photo shows the glued up knife along with a pattern for the pistol shaped handle.

The next series of four photos below begins with an old pocket knife with a much worn blade before it has been reshaped and then removed from the pocket knife frame. The second photo shows the reshaped blade with twisted wire tail lying on top of one half of wooden handle and the other half of the wooden handle mortised to receive the tang portion of the blade. The third photo shows the blade with wire tail seated in the mortise ready to receive epoxy gluing of the two handle halves. The fourth and final photo shows the finished knife.

The three photos below begin with a photo of an old Colonial pocket knife to show the “before” condition before the blade is reshaped. The second photo shows the reshaped blade with twisted wire tail being epoxied in the mortise of the one side of the wooden handle. The third photo shows the finished knife.

The three photos below begin with a photo of a pocket knife made in Germany to show the “before” condition before the blade is reshaped. The second photo shows a hand cranked grinder wheel beginning to shape the blade. The third photo shows the finished knife.

The three photos below begin with a photo of a Camillus electrician’s knife to show the “before” condition before the blade is reshaped. The middle photo shows a hand cranked grinder wheel beginning to shape the blade. The third photo shows the finished knife.

The four photos below begin with a “before” photo of an old Utica electrician’s knife followed in the second photo of the finished carving knife. The third photo is an old Utica pocket knife with its blade reshaped followed by the fourth photo of the finished carving knife that used the blade from the previous photo.

The next two photos below begin with two pocket knives whose blades have been reshaped. The top knife, an old knife made in Germany, is the subject that will be used to make a carving knife by removing its blade and epoxy the blade into a wooden handle as in the second photo.

The next two photos below show a very old pocket knife with a previously reshaped blade that will be reshaped again as depicted in the second photo. Then the following two photos begin with an earlier tinker knife with brass tube construction in the first photo and the reshaped new blade profile shown in the second photo.

The first photo below is of an old hunting knife whose tip of the blade had been broken off years ago. It was reshaped by grinding a notch in the blade in front of the handle to create an extended tang so that the cutting edge could be curved into a radius. The back edge was ground with a concave curve to meet the angled blunt tip. This knife is used for heavy duty roughing out slicing cuts. The second photo show the traditional wharncliffe blade shape that has been re-handled with the cutting edge angling up from the tip towards the handle to create a “reverse skew” cutting action that when any way it approaches the wood it automatically begins a slicing action.

These photo examples illustrates that the “Tinker Thinker” is always seeking to experiment with innovations in a blade design and will often re-work a previously reshaped blade into a revised shape. Each reshaped blade is then put to the test by carving with its new shape to discover its effectiveness in the carving process. These reshaped blade designs often become ones that Helvie knives will make for the WOOD BEE CARVER to put into the Signature Series. From the mind of the “Tinker Thinker” come blade designs tested in the carving process as the OTHER KNIVES are used as experiments in carving projects. The photo below shows three OTHER KNIVES that were used to carve the Mountain Man in a walking stick.

There will always be OTHER KNIVES and even more OTHER KNIVES as the Tinker Thinker WOOD BEE CARVER will continue to day dream imaginative ways to round out his carving experience. As fellow “whittler” Billy Stephens once said, “There is never a dull moment for a boy who has a knife and a piece of wood.”

The Bear Creek Hobo in the photograph above was carved using a Scimitar knife made by Mickey Gaines of the Bear Creek Blades. The knife was made in the continuation of the tradition of knives made by the late Ralph E. Long.

Ralph E. Long made exceptional carving knives for twenty years until his death on April 6, 2015. In 2006  carving friends gave me two Ralph E. Long Knives which introduced me to their superior carving ability. Subsequently I ordered additional knives from his catalog and fell in love with his WH 8 Scimitar blade shaped knife. In 2009 I carved a pirate for Ralph using only that Scimitar knife as in the posting Long Knife Pirate. We became fast friends through phone conversation. Ralph E. Long was my very special knife making friend who made Superior Carving Knives in which he invested his creative gifts of the heart into each knife he made which was his special magic. Even though we never met face to face, yet he was a kindred spirit whose generosity of spirit came through our phone conversations and the knives he made especially for me. His lovely wife Dot is just as gracious as it is apparent that they mirrored each other in their love and character. Each time I carve with a REL knife there is an appreciation for having known him from a distance and yet close to the heart of friendship.

The tradition and reputation of Ralph E. Long Knives will continue on through the capable hands of Mickey Gaines of Bear Creek Blades. Mickey purchased the REL Knife making business and will soon be in production of the same quality carving knives that satisfied carving customers experience through Ralph.

Mickey sent me a Scimitar knife he made to evaluate and test and the results are evident in the photographs of a variety of carvings carved with the one knife pictured in the photographs below.

The next series of photographs are of a variety  carvings including a Whittle Dwarf, a Santa jewelry pin and an Old Geezer.

Mickey learned well from his association with Ralph in that the knife he made is just like the quality knife that Ralph was noted for making. When Mickey reaches full production an appropriate announcement will be made. Thanks Mickey for continuing the memory and reputation of Ralph E. Long alive through knife making.

Ralph E. Long

November 10, 1931 – April 6, 2015

HELVIE KNIVES introduces the latest addition to the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series of knives. VIPER (#22) , VIPER II (#23)  and VIPER III (#24)are the latest innovation in the basic design concept of the WOOD BEE CARVERS Signature Series of knives. VIPER blade is two and half inches long , VIPER II blade is one and five eighths  inches long and VIPER III is an inch long.  HELVIE KNIVES has added a detail knife to the VIPER Series of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series of knives and can be ordered by calling 765-675-8811 (soon to be added to their web site) Rich Smithson is a very accomplished knife maker and all his knives are good choices for carving knives.

The VIPER and VIPER II were used to carve a six inch tall pirate to illustrate the versatility of these two knives to carve the block of wood into the basic form of a pirate and then carve the detail cuts to complete the pirate.

The basic design of the carving blade for the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature series Knives was developed over a period of forty years of carving with a knife. During that time various shapes and angles were put through the trial and error process of discovering a blade shape that was most functional for the style of Whittle-Carving using ONLY a knife. More about this concept of blade design along with examples of the variety of knives developed using this basic blade design concept can be read in the posting under Cool Links entitled “Helvie Knife Guide,” found in the second column to the right of this posting.

The discovering process continued through experimenting with making what is called the “Other Knives” as described recently in a posting on this blog. The photograph above shows the experimental Other Knives below the Viper and Viper II knives as a “before and after” comparison. The Other Knives were made using old pocket knife blades epoxied in a butternut handle whittled into a pistol shaped handle.

All the blade designs in the Signature Series are based upon the concept of slicing with the cutting edge. Most blade designs utilize a curved cutting edge along with an extended tang that positions the business end of the cutting edge of the blade out and away from the handle. The extended tang also puts into play the physics principle of the lever and fulcrum to create an enhanced cutting action. The blade design in this series that has a straight cutting edge incorporates a reverse skew angle so that the cutting edge angles up from the tip towards the notch in the tang. This reverse skew angle enhances the slicing action of the straight cutting edge. The reverse skew angle is found in the Drone Bee and the Side Winder Bee knives.

The VIPER and VIPER II blades utilized the curved cutting edge in the Scimitar blade shape while each positions the blade at a downward angle as they come out of the handle. Such an angle and curve of the blade enhances the approach of the blade into the wood for a variety of cuts. The photographs below show a variety of positions of the cutting edge making a slicing cut.  The VIPER III is a detail version of the first two versions of VIPER.

The first photo of the VIPER blade positions the cutting edge into a slicing action utilizing as much of the blade to create a ditch, trough or grove with two angled cuts to separate the arm from the side of the back of the figure. The second photo shows the slicing action of a push stroke of the belly of the cutting edge. The third photo shows the slicing action of the pull stroke of the heel portion of the curved blade at the notch of the extended tang.

The next series of photographs show the VIPER II blade in various positions and slicing cuts. The first is of the cutting edge slicing to separate the side of the coat lapel and the ruffled bib of the shirt. The second photo shows how the curved scimitar blade can carve around corners and get into tight places like between the peg leg and the shoe of the pirate figure being carved. The third photo illustrates how hair is textured with layers and waves by using the tip portion of the cutting edge like it is an ice skate and as it is sliced forward the slicing cut is rolled in the forward motion which creates a hollowing out cut resembling a gouge effect.

The VIPER and VIPER II utilize a long blade which creates a different feel of cut when compared with a short blade. There is a place and time for the use of different lengths of the blade. The longer blade offers greater maneuverability in the slicing cuts while a short blade may give a sense of control for close up slicing cuts. The key is for the carver to become very familiar with whatever size and shape of tool being used. Familiarity comes about the more the carver uses the slicing tool.

The WOOD BEE CARVER recommends that every carver should do a twenty minute a day work out of carving with one tool only to shape of piece of wood by experimenting with a variety of cuts and positions of the tool to the wood. Always concentrate on doing a slicing cut like the action of slicing baloney, bread or a tomato. In the twenty minute a day work outs the knife carver will discover what all the cutting edge of the blade can do and the knife will simply become an extension of the hand connected to the creative spirit.

A curved cutting edged knife may seem awkward to a carver who has only used a straight cutting edge knife as a secondary tool to supplement traditional carving tools in the carving process. Learning to carve using only a knife in a slicing action will enhance the carving experience. And, learning to use a curved cutting edge in a slicing action will lead to a discovery of new ways that a carving knife can be used. Click on this hot link SOFT WHITTLING ~ A Tutorial to understand a little more the concept of carving only with a knife in a slicing action using a curved cutting edge. Then purchase a curved cutting edge knife to begin the twenty minute a day work out that is to be followed by carving something using only that one knife. Practice “slicing the baloney” with slice and roll cuts as well as learning to open up the block of wood using the notch cuts and three cut triangular chip cuts so that one can continue to carve the basic form first and finish by carving in the details.

Visit Helvie Knives to look over the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives available, pick one that looks interesting as your first one to try since any knife depicted will work as the first learning knife. At a later time another knife may be considered based upon the good experience of the first learning knife.

The WOOD BEE CARVER always says, “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood,” and “The more one carves the better one carves,” and “Slice, Slice and Slice with the cutting edge.”

The knives pictured above are left to right: VIPER II, VIPER, DRAGON, SIDE WINDER and SIDE KICK.

The WOOD BEE CARVER has been primarily a knife carver for over forty years and during this journey knife blades and handles have been developed through experimentation of trial and error discoveries of what carved the best.  A curved cutting edge produces a slicing cut and is the most efficient in reaching into areas that a straight cutting edge cannot reach.

A few knife makers have been kind enough to make knives of the WOOD BEE CARVER design that include the late Ralph E. Long, Bud Murray, Dave Lyons, John Dunkle and Rich Smithson of Helvie Knives.  It has been Rich Smithson who has been eager with encouragement and skill to incorporate a variety of these designs into the HELVIE Signature Series of knives.

The process is for the WOOD BEE CARVER to make a prototype of the blade design in the process of experimenting how any new designed blade will perform during the carving exercise.  The proto type is sent to Rich who in turn will make a HELVIE Prototype which in turn will be tested by the WOOD BEE CARVER.  When the HELVIE Prototype passes testing and refinement then the new design will be put into production.

The WOOD BEE CARVER carves from a block of basswood using only knives to shape the wood first into the basic form of the project followed by knives that will carve details into the good foundation of the carved basic form.  This process is “design by carving” that begins with a mental image of the project to be carved and as the cutting edge of the knife slices away wood the basic form begins to take shape.  Continuing to refine the basic form will bring the project to the detail portion of the carving process that even refines the details with fine slicing cuts.

The two photographs above show a front view and a profile view of Mother and Child carving project carved out of a three and half inch square by six inch basswood block.  On either side of the carved to form project are four HELVIE Knives and one prototype knife that were used to carve the basic form of Mother and Child.

The two knives on the left are VIPER II and VIPER Signature Series knives and the two knives on the right side are DRAGON and SIDE WINDER Signature Series knives all made by HELVIE KNIVES.  The fifth knife on the right is a prototype called SIDE KICK that is being tested in its initial stage.  Each of these knives is designed to be slicing tools and the angle and position of each blade in a pistol shaped handle allow for an efficient approach to the slicing action. The longer blade design allows for the principle of the lever and fulcrum to come into play as does any portion of the curved cutting edge enhances the functionality of the slicing action.  Any knife, be it a curved cutting edge or a traditional straight cutting edge knife is most efficient when the carver experiments with all kinds of cuts to discover its versatility.  It is like what the WOOD BEE CARVER often says, “The more one carves the better one carves,” and so the more a carver uses the knife in a slicing action that much more the carver will appreciate all that the carving knife can do.

To learn more about any of the knives mentioned here, visit the “Knives” Category on this blog along with the “Helvie Knife Guide” listed under “Cool Links.”  To order any of the Helvie Signature Series Knives go to “HELVIE KNIVES” under “Cool Links” or call 765-675-8811.

The VIPER III is the third and smallest version of the VIPER series of the Wood Bee Carver Signature Series.  The design of the curved cutting edge and the downward angle of the snaking shape of the blade allows it to snake its slicing action into areas difficult to reach. Even though the one inch small blade has all the appearance of a “detail knife” yet it is an “all purpose” carving knife.  The small radius of the curved cutting edge slices smaller chip removal than a larger radius blade while still being capable to removing a lot of wood in the shaping process in a small package. It is very versatile when carving small carving projects as well as being functional for taking small cuts in the shaping of a larger carving project.  Once the carving project is carved to its basic form, the VIPER III continues to carve in the details with precise slicing cuts.  The accompanying photos are examples of VIPER III used to carve each completely using only this one knife.

The Wood Bee Carver suggests that the VIPER III would be an excellent choice for the first purchase of any of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives made by HELVIE KNIVES.   Even though any of the other knives in the series would be a good introduction into learning to carve with a curved cutting edged knife, yet the VIPER III is a very versatile carving knife.  The more one carves with a curved cutting edge in a slicing action that much more the carver will come to appreciate “slicing” as the way to carve.  The VIPER III is an excellent slicing knife.  The pistol shaped handle fits comfortably in the palm of the hand that can  maneuver the knife in the guidance of the snaking action of the cutting edge as it reaches into the tightest of areas to be carved.

The other two knives in the VIPER series, the VIPER with a large blade and the VIPER II with a medium blade complement the VIPER III in a three knife set to accomplish most Whittle-Carving projects of varying size.  One size blade shape will not fit all carving possibilities because the radius of slicing cut changes with each size of the blades.  The carver chooses the size of blade to accomplish that task at hand.  Keep in mind that the tip end of all knife blades are equal for doing “detail cuts” while it is the belly of the blade length and size that determines the size of the chip removed.

To learn more about any of the knives mentioned here, visit the “Knives” Category on this blog along with the “Helvie Knife Guide” listed under “Cool Links.”  To order any of the Helvie Signature Series Knives go to “HELVIE KNIVES” under “Cool Links” or call 765-675-8811.

The term “Side Kick” normally refers to a unique relationship between two people and means such things as a confident, a partner, a companion, one who helps, an assistant, a wing man, a go to guy, best friend, straight man in a comedy due, one who compliments the other by doing what the other cannot do, one who in content to give the other the limelight and a duo team. Famous Side Kicks were Tonto as Side Kick to Lone Ranger, Gabby Hayes as Side Kick to Roy Rogers, Ed McMann as Side Kick to Johnny Carson and Robin as Side Kick to Batman.

Applying the name “Side Kick” to a blade shape is descriptive of the two cutting edges, one at the front of the blade and the second at the side as depicted in the photograph with graphics illustrating the “A” and “B” cutting edges on the blade.  The knife is designed to be a slicing blade with two options of use while using the same knife depending on the direction the carver wants to guide the knife in making multiple slicing cuts.  Illustrations of the various cuts are depicted in the following photographs.

There is no such thing as one knife that will do everything the carver desires and that is why carvers purchase a variety of knives (at least that is the excuse the carver tells the spouse.)  The SIDE KICK is used primarily for roughing to basic shape of a carving project as it makes bold slicing cuts using the front end “A” almost like a bull nosed carving tool and then using the “B” cutting edge on the side to make a slicing cut in another direction. Where “A” and “B” cutting edges meet there is a small arching cutting edge that can serve as a mini bull nose gouge or for making controlled stop cuts and it also comes into play as a continuation of the slicing cuts of “A” or “B” to make a clean transition at the end of the slice.  The front edge “A” has a curved cutting edge that creates a built in slicing action with the push stroke.  The side edge “B” is basically a straight cutting edge that when used in a slicing action will shape the carving under the guiding hand of the carver.  Like any new knife, a carver needs to use the knife by experimenting with various slicing cuts to discover the SIDE KICK Knives versatility.

In a limited way it can be compared to the SIDE WINDER which also has multiple uses of the cutting edges.  The SIDE WINDER possesses snaking angles that allows it to approach the carving action in order to reach difficult areas.  The SIDE WINDER and the SIDE KICK each have specific uses unique in their own design and yet are complimentary to each other. A carver who uses both will find that both are useful in their own right as multiple use carving knives.

The photograph below shows a series of knives used in shaping the basic form of the Mother and Child carving.  On the far right of the carving is a proto type of a SIDE KICK which was used in the early stages of roughing the basic shape. Also used in that initial shaping was the SIDE WINDER between the SIDE KICK and the DRAGON with it long scimitar blade shape that comes to a sharp point.  The other two knives to the left of the carving are the VIPER and VIPER III which were used along with the DRAGON to refine the detailing of the carving.  The sharp point of these three knives is able to do cuts that the SIDE WINDER and SIDE KICK could not do because of their blade shape.  The point is that it takes several knives to do the carving process.

The final two photographs illustrate how the SIDE KICK knives are stropped on a leather strop.  Stropping is all that is necessary to keep any HELVIE Knife is top carving condition.  Stropping by hand is much better that attempting to use a motorized buffing wheel which will round over the cutting edge and alter greatly the original cutting characteristic of the cutting edge.

To strop the blade on a leather strop works best to lay the blade flat on the leather strop with the cutting edge “trailing” the stroke of the blade along the strop with minimum pressure.  Do NOT think about a bevel while keeping the blade flat on the strop because the stroking action with minimum pressure will polish the cutting edge and the bevel will take care of itself.  At the end of each stroke pick us the blade, return to the starting place, lay blade flat and repeat the stroke  and do this same action several time and then turn the blade over, to go the opposite direction, also having the cutting edge trail the stroke and also flat on the leather strop.  Test the slicing action by slicing across the end grain of a basswood block.  The only time sharpening will be necessary will be if the tip breaks off, or a nick appears in the cutting edge or the edge has become rounded.  For best results the use of diamond honing plates are recommended in the grit composition of Medium, Fine and Extra Fine.  Sharpening direction is laying the blade flat on the diamond hone and pushing the blade forward with the cutting edge leading the way.  With a curved cutting edge, simply begin at the tip and with an arching action follow the radius of the cutting edge towards the heel and then reverse the action from heel to tip of blade in an arching action several times on one side. Next turn the blade over and with a pull stroking action do the second side of blade like the first, heel to tip and tip to heel.  Once a burr edge appears the full length of the blade, move to the fine diamond hones until the Extra Fine hone has been used.  Final process is to strop long enough to totally remove the burr edge and the test slicing results in a slick surface after the slice.

SIDE KICK knives may be ordered from HELVIE KNIVES ~ 765-675-8811 and in the near future the SIDE KICK knives will be added to the Helvie website. Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson will be happy to help with knife selection.  Each knife ordered is costumed made one at a time backed by a reputation for making excellent carving knives.