How to a Hold Chip Carving Knife

Many chip carvers say a carver is only as good as his tools. Although this is true, how he uses them also matters. Holding your chip carving knives correctly will make it easier, faster, and more pleasant to carve. Below I have illustrated two positions for holding the cutting knife and one for the stab knife.

Position 1

The first position helps you to learn to use the large cutting knife. First, pick the knife and hold it like a kitchen knife. Now, turn your hand over and notice the knife lying across your palm. This is the desired position, but instead of using all fingers, hold it with your last three fingers. Your index finger will now serve as a resting point instead of gripping the knife.

Now bend your thumb and notice the first joint and how the thumb forms a crease when it bends. Look at the knife handle and place the thumb joint on the handle’s edge. Some chip carving knives come with a thumb notch on the handle, making it easier to know where to place the thumb.

The angle created should be around 65 degrees to the surface. A lesser angle will be shallow, and the shadows they reflect will not be sharp and defined. Chip carving and more than 65 degrees will make your chips too deep, and the steepness along any ridges might result in many breakouts. Below is a video by my chip carving that shows you how to do it.

Position 2

Hold your hand on the wood like in position 1, and then lift it to loosen the grip on the knife. Now turn the knife in your hand, so the blade faces the opposite direction. Place the thumb directly on the back of the edge of the knife’s handle.

Holding your knife in this position will always assure your cuts are at 65 degrees in either position one or two.

Position 3

The last position is holding a stab or skew knife. This does not remove the wood but is pressed or shoved into the wood. The shape of the blade of a skew chip carving knife allows it to cut wood fibers and separate them leaving a wedge-shaped impression. A stub knife is held just as you would when stabbing something.

Essential Accessories

Sharpening Stones

Ceramic Stones

Compared to traditional sharpening methods, ceramic stones offer several advantages. First, they are known for their durability and long-lasting performance. Unlike other sharpening tools that may wear out quickly, ceramic stones can withstand repeated use without losing their effectiveness. These stones require minimal maintenance, making them convenient and cost-effective.

To effectively sharpen chip carving knives using ceramic stones, follow these steps:

1. Begin by soaking the ceramic stone in water for about 10 minutes.
2. Hold the knife at a 20-degree angle against the stone.
3. Using light pressure, move the blade across the stone in a sweeping motion.
4. Repeat this process on both sides of the blade until you achieve the desired sharpness.
5. Finally, rinse off any residue from the stone and dry it thoroughly before storage.

Arkansas Stone

Arkansas stones are another popular choice for sharpening chip carving knives. They are natural sharpening stones mined from Arkansas and come in different grits to suit various sharpening needs.

The different grits available in Arkansas stones include coarse, medium, fine, and ultra-fine. Coarse grits are ideal for repairing damaged blades or reshaping edges, while finer grits are used for honing and polishing the blade to achieve a razor-sharp finish.

To maintain and store Arkansas stones for prolonged durability, consider these tips:

Practice Boards

In honing chip carving skills, practice boards play a crucial role. These boards provide a dedicated surface for practicing various chip carving techniques without the fear of damaging finished projects.

For beginners, it is essential to start with softwood practice boards, such as basswood or pine. These woods are easier to carve and allow beginners to focus on developing their carving techniques. As carvers advance, they can transition to hardwood practice boards like oak or maple, which offer more resistance and help develop control and precision.

To enhance your chip carving skills using practice boards, consider the following exercises and patterns:

1. Start with simple geometric shapes like squares or triangles.
2. Gradually progress to more intricate designs like leaves or flowers.
3. Experiment with different depths and angles of cuts to create texture and dimension.

Chip Carving Techniques

Geometric Chip Carving

The standard chip carving or geometric chip carving that uses geometric designs is the most universally and widely used chip carving technique. Geometric chip carving is often presented within or as a rosette.

Geometric chip carving is executed using stab cuts directly into the wood to a uniform depth and angle of entry. A few other cuts used include the plunge cut and slicing cuts. The plunge cut goes straight into the wood and is backed out slowly. Slicing cuts include both push cuts and pull cuts. These cuts are frequently used to remove a chip from wood and pop it out neatly.

Free-Form Chip Carving

This chip carving technique is an extension of a chip carver’s artistic talents after mastering geometric chip carving. Free-form chip carving works best using long, curved lines common in floral motifs. However, figures can also be done using free-form where the layout lines do not have to be carved precisely.

In free-form chip carving, the cut changes with depth, while the angle of the blade entry changes from one end of the cut to the other.

The illustration above shows how the depth of the cut changes. The blade entry angle also varies from 45 to 65 degrees as the knife is drawn through the wood from one end to another.

Shallow Chip Carving

Shallow chip carving was developed as chip carvers used denser woods such as elm and pea. In shallow chip carving, the chips are barely a millimeter deep. Using dense wood that does not take a chip carving knife well, use shallow chip carving to decorate it. Shallow chip carving is also less time-consuming because shallow chips are widely spaced.

Old-World-Style Chip Carving

As the name suggests, old-world-style chip carving has been around for a while and can easily be traced back to the late 1800s. Old-world-style usually has longer and larger chips, meaning it takes up more space and less work is involved. This technique is usually faster than geometric chip carving because there are very small chips to be removed.

How to sharpen a Chip Carving knife

You must sharpen your knife before every use. It might seem like a hassle, but it will make cutting through wood easier, safer, and quicker.

Sharpening chip carving knife with a whetstone

Horning is a crucial step in knife sharpening. The sharper your knife is, the more details you can carve. It doesn’t matter what type of metal your carving knives are made from; you must sharpen them all on a stone.

Pros

• The knife is readily available at a reasonable price
• Easy to use, especially for beginners
• The blade is made of good quality

cons

• It has a small grip which is hard to grip for people with large hands
• The grip is slippery, and it requires you to use gloves
• The knife requires resharpening before use

I highly recommend this knife for chip-carving newbies and those who want to spend less on their first whittling knife.

If a two-cherry long knife differs from the knife you’re looking for, here are our runners-up.

S55 Chip Carving Set for Beginners

Runners up$39.95

The set is of high quality, as expected from the Bevercraft company, which produces some of the best woodworking tools on the market. This kit was created to provide an exceptional wood carving experience for people of all skill levels. The kit includes three knives that are ideal for chip carving and roughing out the workpiece. All of the tools perform admirably and are razor-sharp right out of the box.

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Detailed review

If you’re starting with chip carving, you need a knife that is both safe and easy to use. This S55 chip carving knife is perfect for the job.

When I first bought this chip carving set, which has three knives, I was so impressed by its sharp blades, all made from carbon steel. These blades are better than I thought, especially at this price point. Even after a few cuts, the blade maintained its sharp edges. I was also impressed by the leather pouch it comes with, as it helped me keep my blade safe and secure when I was not using it.