HELVIE KNIVES announces the introduction of the BUZZ BEE and BUSY BEE knives into the Signature Series Knives designed by the WOOD BEE CARVER.  The prototype design of each knife was extensively put to the test as described in the three-previous posting on this blog ~ “TROLL BROTHERS” ~ “WHITTLE DOODLE – Buzz Bee and Busy Bee Knives” ~ and “BUZZ BEE and BUSY BEE Knives”

The latest test was the carving of a six-inch-tall by inch and half square cowpoke using only these two knives.  The photographs below show three views of the in-progress carving and three views of the completed carving of the cowpoke

The name “Buzz Bee” implies the slicing action of this knife’s design as being like the “buzz” of a bee going from flower to flower by flitting around with different approaches. The Buzz Bee knife is used for most of the sculpting and carving the basic form of the figure utilizing the various faces of the cutting edge.  The other knife named “Busy Bee” is used for the detail portion of the carving process using the finesse of slicing cuts.  It has a long and narrow curved blade that approaches a variety of cutting actions.

The “A” portion is a curved blade from its heel to the half circle curve of portion “B”. The “C” portion is curved from “B” to where it meets the back edge.  The BUZZ BEE is to be used in the “roughing out” stage of the carving process with some utilization in the “detail carving” phase.

The combination of slicing cuts varies by which portion of the blade is used.  Sometimes the A slicing cut will be made using just the curved portion of the “A” part of the blade.  Sometimes a combination of “A” and “B” will be used in a slicing cut.  Sometimes the “C” portion of the blade will be used along with a combination of “C” and “B” at the same time. Sometimes the “B” portion will be used for a shallow gouge type of slicing cut.  As a carver discovers the various slicing cuts that can be made it will become an automatic and second nature to maneuver the blade to make necessary cuts. The blade can approach the wood right side up, upside down, sideways and even on the edge of the cutting edge as if it was an ice skate.  Using a “slice and roll” action can result in shaping (sculpting) the wood in pleasing results.  As it is with any new knife or carving tool, the carver should doodle with making a variety of cuts on a practice block of wood in order to discover what all the new tool can do. Illustrations of the use of the BUZZ BEE can be viewed by clicking on the “Troll Brothers” posting and the “WHITTLE DOODLE ~ Buzz Bee and Busy Bee Knives”

It needs to be said that there is not one knife that will do every kind of cut a carver would like to accomplish.  That is why carvers accumulate a variety of knives and tools.  The BUZZ BEE can be very versatile but it also needs the BUSY BEE companion knife to complete the desired results in the carving process. The combination of the BUZZ BEE and the BUSY BEE offers a “one-two punch” for whittle-carving.  They are the “heads and tails” of the same carving coin or the “bread and butter” of the carving sandwich.

This is where the BUSY BEE comes in handy with its very narrow and curved blade with an extended tang to allow for the entire cutting edge (A-B-C in photo illustration) to be usable for making precise and delicate slicing cuts along with regular and longer slicing cuts.  As a scimitar blade shape with the back edge being a mirror image of the cutting edge, ­­­­the narrow blade will fit into very narrow places in those hard to reach places (illustration A in photo).  The narrow scimitar shaped blade on its extended tang allows for the entire curve of the cutting edge to be used if necessary without being impeded by the end of the handle.  Doing a “slice and roll” action with the cutting edge positioned like the blade of an ice skate will produce a “dished out” or gouge effect on the surface of the wood.  Such an “ice skating cut” will put waves in hair and beard as well as wrinkles and folds in fabric. In the photo illustration above, “A” represents the portion of blade used for precise and delicate detail slicing cuts while the portion of the blade between “A” and “B” is the area most used in the push or pull slicing action and “C” is portion of blade used in a pull slicing action.

The photographs that follow show various positions of each of these knives in the carving of various parts of the cowpoke.

BUZZ BEE and BUSY BEE may be ordered from HELVIE KNIVES 765-675-8811.