Gandalf , the wizard of Lord of the Rings  fame, was carved using a Signature Series knife made by Helvie Knives   as per my design.  This particular knife is called a Universal Scimitar or U-2 in the Helvie Signature Series  catalog of knives (click on “Helvie Knives” under “Cool Links” to get to their web site catalog).  It is called “Universal” in that it can be used for all types of “Whittle-Carving” as both a roughing out blade (full length of blade)  and a detail blade (quarter inch of tip of blade).   The convex curve of the cutting edge allows for a slicing cut as it is pushed or pulled through the wood.  The concave shape of the back of the blade in the Scimitar blade shape allows for reaching in areas where other blade shapes cannot reach as well as provide an easy roll out of slicing cuts. The handle is a fat cigar shape that fits the palm of the hand comfortably allowing for the knife to be rotated easily so that the blade can cut upside down, right side up, sideways and in any direction needed to make a slicing cut.  The tang portion of the blade between the handle and where the cutting edge begins is extended to allow for reaching across a large area without being impeded by the end of the handle.  Also this design allows for the index finger to wrap around the tang portion of the blade when choking up on the blade for precise slicing and detail cuts. Read the rest of this entry »