The WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver who also has enjoyed the sideline activity of turning old pocket knives into carving knives. Old junk pocket knives were purchased very cheaply at junk stores, flea markets and garage sales over the years for the purpose of salvaging these once noble instruments of boyhood lore.
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Carved wooden blade covers serve a practical purpose of protecting the blade as well as the carver reaching for a carving knife amid the other knives is the tool tote, bag or box. An instructional posting on how to make a simple blade covers can be found by clicking on KNIFE BLADE COVERS The two photos above are examples of blade covers from a simple wood burned design along with carved faces and a chipped carved cover.
Carving faces on blade covers are an excellent way of practicing the carving of faces as well as letting creative imagination free to carve expressive blade covers unique and functional.
Never miss an opportunity to carve something new and challenging because carving is always a learning experience and the more one carves the better one carves. “Keep carving and carving will keep you carving.” Motto: “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood.”
The four photographs above represent the most recent carvings done for Helvie Knives to add to their collection and their generous charity project.
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The two antique pocket knives in the photo above represent the important role the common pocket knife has played in the journey of wood carving for the Wood Bee Carver. Both knives were made by the Challenge Cutlery Company over one hundred years ago. The top knife is called an “Office Knife” and the second knife is called a “Jack Knife.” It is this Jack Knife that became a “challenge” to begin the serious endeavor of carving. Almost every boy and many girls growing up in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s carried a pocket knife which was occasionally used for whittling activities.
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Making carving knives using blades from old junk pocket knives has been a fascination for the Wood Bee Carver. The four knives in the photo above are the result of rescuing four blades from a well-worn old souvenir knife with “Paris” and the Eiffel Tower etched on the plastic handle cover. The only clue as to its origin was the etching on the master blade of the name “PRADEL” which is a famous cutlery company founded in 1920 in France by Mr. Pierre Dubost. The first photo below depicts what a similar pocket knife looked like in better condition showing it multiple blades while the second photo is the junk knife used to make four carving knives.
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How many knives does a wood carver need is the question and the answer is what the Old Carver sez: “One is dandy, two are handy and three are never enough.” And so, it is for the Wood Bee Carver who is a doodler and tinkerer at heart. Even though the collection has long ago surpassed the “enough” yet the Wood Bee Carver from time to time will dabble in making a few “Other Knives” for personal use. That is what this posting is about with photographs and written description in case anyone else would like to explore this relaxing obsession.
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The knives used for the carving of the Mahogany Relief Carvings were all made by the Wood Bee Carver for his personal use that are called “Other Knives.” Each one is of an experimental blade design that can be variations of some of the Signature Series knives made by Helvie Knives. The photos below will show some of the blade designs being used to make specific slicing cuts in the shaping process.
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The best way to test a knife is to use it almost exclusively in a carving project to experience all the various slicing cuts it can make to shape the block of wood into the envisioned image of the carving project. In this test a six-inch-tall woodworker is holding a saw in one hand and a hand plane in the other hand. The completed carving is seen in the opening photos.
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