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 »
The Drone BEE # 11 of the Wood Bee Carver Signature Series made by Helvie Knives has been redesigned to be a more efficient slicing knife. The Drone BEE is still the wharncliffe blade shape redesigned with the straight cutting edge sloping back and up towards where it comes out of the handle to create a “Reverse Skew” slicing action.
This redesign came about through “Observation Technology” by which this knife carver who emphasizes the “slicing action” observed through trial and error that having the straight cutting edge with a “reverse skew” angle would approach the wood with a slicing action quicker than the regular straight cutting edge. Read the rest of this entry »
Introducing the Murray Knife # 530 recommended by the WOOD BEE CARVER.
The Wood Bee Carver prefers to use a knife that has a curved cutting edge that curves up to the tip and also curved into the extended tang. Bud Murray, who is a well-respected knife maker, makes four knives for me that fit that design. Occasionally there is a need for a knife with a straight cutting edge for making stop cuts. Bud Murray makes a knife whose design was suggested by Elaine Stenman to be used to make deep stop cuts for her style of relief carving. The cutting edge is angled down reminiscent of a chip carving knife. Such a design “skews” the cutting edge angle so that it slices very much like that action of the guillotine blade shape as it slides down its track. In the pull slicing stroke the cutting edge action is like a “reverse skew.” This knife also works quite well as a chip carving knife and can be adapted for some other whittling cuts. Read the rest of this entry »
Rich Smithson who along with his wife Holli and daughter Skylar own and manufacture HELVIE KNIVES makes the Wood Bee Carver Signature Knives for me and is a collector of many of my carvings. As a jesture (that is a jest in a gesture) of good will I carved his “mug on a jug” to show he has aged since his birth. Good friends do things like this just for the fun of it and Rich is a good friend.
Whittle Doodles are fun whimsical carvings that are carved with the prompting of imagination in a free hand manner using only a knife to create the various embellishments in a block of wood. This Whittle Doodle MAX was whittle-carved into a four inch square block of jelutong. The monochrome finish is artist oil paint Raw Sienna mixed with boiled linseed oil with a protective finish of Deft applied after the oil finish has dried. Read the rest of this entry »
HELVIE KNIVES PROUDLY PRESENTS:
A fundraiser for our local Alternatives is a “ONE OF A KIND” woodcarving knife collection! This collection of knives will be at the Eastern Woodland Carvers July Show in Converse, IN on July19-20, 2014. The set will be raffled off on Sunday, July 20th at 3:30pm. (If you are not attending the show but would like to participate, please contact us at 765-675-8811 or zen@tiptontel.com). You do not need to be present to win. Raffle tickets are $1/each or 7 tickets for $5. The collection will consist of 12 total knives from our Signature Series collections as well as a blade cover that was made by each carver. All knives have been personally autographed by these renowned and respected carvers featuring their respective blades and designed handles just for this event. Read the rest of this entry »
