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Hand Forged Wood Carving Knives Since 1987

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Recommended Tool Selections

It may be a little difficult to decide which of my tools to purchase first. You might start with the one or two tools that will be most helpful on your current wood carving project.
Here are some specific suggestions. {Please order on the main pages or the Pricelist page.}

General whittling:

A good straight knife is certainly a must. The gently rounded edge and pointed tip makes this a fine general carving knife.

Medium Forged Bevel Straight Knife (SN-M)

1.5 " blade 8" overall $53

Straight Knife for general whittling and chip carving. Fine wood carving knife hand forged by
Jim Wester of North Bay Forge.

Hollowing out:

Because the radius of curvature is different along the length of the blade, this knife offers the most versatility in hollowing out. This is my most popular bent knife.

General Bent Knife (BN-G)

1.5" blade 8" overall $86

Texturing large surfaces:

A great way to finish a carving (whether it is a three dimensional figure, or a flat sign) is to texture the entire surface with shallow tool marks. With this method, little or no sanding is required. This is the traditional way of finishing Northwest Coast carvings. The General Bent Knife ( B N - G ) works well for this (pictured above), though some carvers prefer the Shallow Bent Knife ( B N - 1 ) for taking very shallow cuts. The Shallow Bent Knife is also excellent for reaching into difficult areas (like eye sockets) where changing grain makes a double bevelled tool handy.

Shallow Bent Knife (BN-1)

1.5" blade 8" overall $86

Shallow Bent Knife, hand forged wood carving knife. Also known as crooked knife, as used in the Native North Coast style wood carving

Straight Knives
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Fishtail Bullnose Chisels
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A Cut Above
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About the Knives
* Spoon Carving
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Suggested Selections
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* Forging a Blade
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Classes

Small and more detailed hollowing out:

The mini bent knives offer the ultimate in control because the small blade is so close to your hand. The mini General Bent Knife ( m B N - G ) is the most versatile, for detailed hollowing out as well as texturing. It is terrific for small bowls and spoons. This is also a very good choice for people with weaker wrists, who might find the larger bent knives too taxing.

mini General Bent Knife (mBN-G)

.75" blade 7" overall $65

mini General Bent Knife, hand forged wood carving knife for whittling and general wood working. Also known as crooked knife, as used in the Native North Coast style wood carving

Drawknives:

Although these are not for everyone, I can't resist putting a plug in for my favorite carving tool. When carving wood that is held down with a clamp or in a vise, (or is heavy enough to hold still by itself) nothing will remove wood with the power and control as a fine edged drawknife. For narrow pieces (chair rungs, boat spars, musical instruments) the Straight Micro-Drawknife ( D K - 1 ) is a true joy to use!

Straight Micro-Drawknife (DK-1)

1.5" blade 9" overall $121

Straight Micro-Drawknife hand forged wood working tool by North Bay Forge. A fine wood carving tool for removing wood quickly. Great for furniture carving, carving musical instruments (necks of guitars), boat spars, wood carving with a shaving horse.

Adze ("chainsaw on a stick"):

Certainly one of the most effective hand tools for removing wood quickly. The gutter adzes, with their cupped edges, are best for aggressive removal of wood, cutting cross grain and hollowing out. For people not accustomed to swinging an adze for an extended period or whose wrists and forearms might appreciate a lighter tool, the small gutter adze would be the right choice.

Small Gutter Adze

Edge is 1.5 inches across with a 2.5 inch diameter cup. Handle is Cherry, 12.5 inches long. $250

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My carving knives are intended for serious wood carvers. They are razor sharp and can be very dangerous if used improperly. Please be careful and don't allow young people to use them unsupervised.

Your satisfaction is fully guaranteed. If you have a problem of any kind with one of my knives, please let me know. I will make it right with you.