HELVIE WHITTLE-DOODLE composite photograph that shows a panoramic view of the Whittle Doodle carved for the Helvie Fund Raiser.  The Whittle Doodle is two inches square and eight inches tall carved using all of the Wood Bee Carver Signature Series knives designed by Don Mertz and made by Helvie Knives with Rich Smithson doing the wood burning art on cherry wood handles.

Bud Murray  ~ budmurray9@gmail.com ~ is well known for his quality carving knives and tools that he has been making for many years. It has been my pleasure to recommend his knives that he has made according to my design because each knife is a great carving tool. Each knife is made one at a time by the hand and creative eye of Bud who puts pride in each tool he makes as if he was making it for himself. If fact that is how it all began with making tools for his own use and after others tried his own personal knife, the orders for custom made knives grew into a custom knife making business one knife at a time.

Recently Bud has been experimenting with new tool steel that will hold a sharp cutting edge for a long, long time. He made a knife for me out of the new steel to field test for him which was used in carving the hillbilly figure in the photos. From start to finish the new steel preformed with extreme sharpness and remained so throughout the entire carving project. This new Premium Knife is the real deal. Even though his original knives and gouges remain super carving tools, yet the new Premium Knife is well worth the extra cost for any carver who would like a knife to retains its sharpness over a long period of use before requiring the use of a strop.

The new Premium Knife as well as other Bud Murray tools can be ordered through his catalog printed below with information on how to contact him. NOTE: Email has changed to: budmurray9@gmail.com  Read the rest of this entry »

The SIDE WINDER and SIDE WINDER II were put to the test to do a small relief carving in a quilt square block measuring four inches by four inches and three eights inch thick. The relief is of a log cabin with a tree to one side and grass and bushes in front. The photograph visual tutorial will show each Side Winder blade positioned on the completed carving to simulate the part of the blade making a particular cut on that portion of the relief picture. Read the rest of this entry »

The photograph of the WHITTLE DOODLE is presented here as an introduction to a special contribution by HELVIE KNIVES. Each year Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson of Helvie Knives make a significant contribution to a charity raffle by providing a presentation box of Helvie knives as the raffle prize.

This year, 2015, they will donate all the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Knives made by HELVIE KNIVES in a cherry presentation box decorated with the art work of Don Stephenson that is wood burned by Rich Smithson. The WOOD BEE CARVER has carved a commemorative Whittle Doodle to be included with all the knives in the presentation box. In the very near future an official announcement will be made about the recipient of the charity gift as well as information of how to purchase raffle tickets and the date of the raffle drawing.

Thanks to the Smithson family for their generosity of love and compassion in this very unique way of sharing the heart and soul behind their knife making business. HELVIE KNIVES.

[Photo composition by Carole Williams ~ webmaster of www.daytoncarvers.com]

HELVIE KNIVES announces the latest in the WOOD BEE CARVER ~ Signature Series are now available to order by visiting their website http://www.helvieknives.com/ or by calling 765-675-8811. Read the rest of this entry »

SIDEWINDER II is put to the test carving a puppy in a sock that measures three and half inches by and inch and half sawed out blank.  A series of photographs will show the knife blade making a variety of cuts to shape the basic form of the puppy and the sock as well as making cuts that will set up the carving of the details of the carving.  The position of the knife blade will indicate which part of the dog legged SIDEWINDER II blade is being used to accomplish that particular cut.  It will help to view these first three photos of the completed carving to compare with the carving in progress photos. Read the rest of this entry »

HELVIE KNIVES announces the introduction of the SIDE WINDER and SIDE WINDER II of the WOOD BEE CARVER ~ Signature Series Knives.

The SIDE WINDER and SIDE WINDER II blades have three cutting edges: “A” represents a longer cutting edge with a reverse skew angle used for general slicing cuts. “B” represents a curved cutting edge that can be used as a mini bull nose gouge as well as for making controlled stop cuts. “C” represents a curved skew cutting edge to be used for getting into tight areas and mini slicing actions. Read the rest of this entry »