The WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives by Helvie Knives has grown into a “second generation” of knives with a new handle shape, art work designs and new blades sizes and shape. While maintaining the basic concept of the original blade design, yet with slight variations in size and shape, each knife maintains the high quality associated with Helvie Knives. The basic concept of the design of the Whittle-Carving Universal Blade is a slicing blade with a curved cutting edge from the tip of blade to notch in the heel of the extended tang of the blade. The blade fits into the shape of a twelve degree slope of the back edge. The twelve degree slope creates a versatile angle of approach of the blade to begin the slicing action. The extended tang allows for longer reach as well as a comfortable resting place for the index finger when choking up on the blade for detail carving. The blades with the concaved back edge similar to a scimitar blade shape allows for reaching into tight areas that another blade shape would not fit. All blades lend themselves to a quick roll out of the slicing stroke and are most efficient when using a “slice and roll” action in either the push or pull stroke. Read the rest of this entry »
HELVIE KNIVES announces the introduction of the latest edition of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series Knives. Signature Series # 6 ~ the MINI MERTZ is a true detail knife with a thin handle. The cherry wood handle is wood burned with the art work of Rich Smithson who makes the Helvie Knives along with his wife Holli and daughter Skylar. Read the rest of this entry »
HELVIE KNIVES announces the introduction of the latest edition of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series Knives. The STINGER BEE Knife is a marriage or combination of the Series # 1 and Series # 2 in its design as a slicing carving knife. While the # 1 and # 2 have a thicker bevel, the new # 5, STINGER BEE has a thinner bevel that lends itself to a flat plane slicing cut. Read the rest of this entry »
Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson, owners and manufacturers of Helvie Knives are passionate about the Kokomo Humane Society and have created a “One of a Kind” knife collection as a prize for a raffle fund raiser. The photographs and written description invites all who would like to participate in this fund raiser by purchasing a raffle ticket. Read the rest of this entry »
Breaking the tip on a carving knife is inevitable. It happens because the tip is the thinnest and narrowest part of the blade and takes the most stress and pressure when it is used for making entry stop cuts and for carving in a circular motion. It can be slowed down by always remembering to begin the slicing action before twisting the point of the blade to make a circular cut. If the tip bends over or breaks do not panic or blame the knife maker. Simply follow the tip to reshaping the tip of a carving knife described below with a photo tutorial for a cutting edge that curves up at tip. Read the rest of this entry »
The Rest of the Story can now be told about the Block Heads that were posted on February 17, 2013 in that the Bock Heads were a companion to a special knife made by Rich Smithson for the twenty fifth anniversary of the Eastern Woodland Carving Club (Converse, IN). The photos are provided by Rich and Holli Smithson along with their daughter Skylar. (Click on each photo to enlarge then use back arrow to returns to posting) Read the rest of this entry »
In March Rich and Holli Smithson of HELVIE KNIVES sponsored a knife handle carving contest that was judged at the Renegade Seminar by judge Mark Akers. Four winners were recognized with the announced prizes but in reality all who submitted a carved knife handle was a winner just by participating. In the photo display below it will become quite apparent what a great variety of top notch ideas were carved into these knife handles. Congratulations to all who entered and Thanks to HELVIE KNIVES. Read the rest of this entry »
The WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver who has developed a style of carving called “Whittle-Carving” to imply carving using only a knife. The most efficient use of a carving knife is to utilize a slicing cut as often as possible. A slicing cut is similar to slicing bread, slicing steak or the action of the guillotine’s skewed blade slicing as it slides down the track of the guillotine. The cutting edge of a knife is made up of very small cutting teeth similar to teeth on a hand saw and it is these teeth when used in the slicing action that separates the wood fibers for a clean cut. Using the knife blade with a wedge cut crushes fibers before the edge cuts the fibers resulting in a fuzzy and cloudy surface. A slicing cut creates a clean and slick surface. The scimitar blade shape with its curved cutting edge slices in both the push and pull stroke. It can also make slicing cuts upside down and sideways as well as right side up. The concave shape of the back of the scimitar blade allows for reaching into tight areas where another blade shape would be impaired. Read the rest of this entry »