Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson own and manufacture HELVIE KNIVES that have become very popular and well respected within the carving community.  They make a wide range of carving knives with various handle material and shapes along with blade shapes and sizes.  In their Signature Series they make several knives with blades designed by the WOOD BEE CARVER.  Rich does the wood burning art work on the handles which gives a very distinctive look to excellent carving knives.

HELVIE KNIVES announces additions to the Series # 3 of the Signature Knives with two additional blade shapes to join the original # 3 detail blade..  Series # 3 – 1 is a detail version of the larger Series # 1 Signature knife.  Series # 3 – 2 is a detail version of the larger series # 2 Signature knife with a scimitar blade shape.

A detail knife blade is intended to be used for close and quick maneuverability in making detail and finishing cuts in a carving project.  While any detail knife can be used to carve a small hand help project its main purpose is to carve small and precise cuts.  A larger bladed knife is more functional in shaping larger carving projects by the size and strength of the blade.  In both cases a slicing cut is the most efficient way to use a carving knife.  A curved cutting edge lends itself to making a slicing cut in either  the push or pull stroke along with rolling out of a cut in a slicing action.  Always begin the slicing action before twisting the tip of the blade when going around a circle kind of cut to eliminate breaking or bending the tip.

All of the blade designs of the WOOD BEE CARVER have the back edge of the blade sloping down at a twelve to fifteen degree angle to meet the tip of the curving up cutting edge.  This sloping angle helps to position the approach of the cutting edge into the wood at an angle for efficient slicing cuts.  This angle of approach was developed over years of trial and error for a blade shape that worked best for the WOOD BEE CARVER.   The back edge of Series # 1 and Series # 3-1 is straight at approximated twelve degrees.  The scimitar shape of the back edge of Series # 2, Series # 3, Series # 3 – 2 and Series # 4 all have a concaved reversed arch that fits within the twelve degree angle.  The scimitar blade shape allows for maneuverability into tight areas and approaches in hard to reach places in a carving project.

The original Series # 3 detail knife with its flexible and thin blade makes quick and precise detail cuts primarily at the tip or front portion of the blade.  Detail knife Series # 3 – 1 is a smaller mirror image of the larger Series # 1 Universal Whittle-Carving knife.  As a smaller version of this versatile blade shape this detail knife makes quick and precise cuts with a slightly different approach than the Original # 3.  Detail knife Series # 3 – 2 is a smaller mirror image of the larger Series # 2 Scimitar knife.  This detail knife reaches into tight areas as well as making very precise slicing cuts.  Each of the detail knives lend themselves to the slice and roll cut in shaping the wood surface with soft lines and texture.

Finally Series # 4, while being a smaller version of the # 2 Scimitar Knife, yet it is not a detail knife in that it is a stouter blade in thickness making it a “work horse” in shaping an entire carving project and finish up with detail kinds of cuts.

Each of the blades, except for # 3 Original Detail knife, have extended tangs.  The extended tang allows a place for the index finger to wrap around the blade while choking up on the knife for detail carving.  The extended tang also allows for a longer reach of the cutting edge across a large area so that the handle does not impede the cut.  The cutting edge curves from the tip back into the notch of the tang which allows for a slicing cut in the push and pull stroke.  With the shape of the curving blade going from the tip into the tang notch there is the semblance of a skew cut in a push slicing stroke of the tip end of blade and a skew cut in the pull slicing stroke of the tang end of the blade.

The fat cigar shape of the handle fits comfortably in the carving hand for long periods of carving.  With the handle being rounded, it can easily be rotated in the carving hand while guiding the blade to cut upside down, right side up, sideways or in any direction to reach into awkward and difficult areas of the carving project.  The cherry wood handles are beautifully enhanced with Rich’s wood burning art as each knife has its own unique handle design.

HELVIE KNIVES  come sharp and ready to carve so the only maintenance needed is to strop by hand on a leather strop.  Buffing on a motorized buffing wheel will round the cutting edge very rapidly.  Hand stropping is recommended by the WOOD BEE CARVER  from experience.  Keep the side of the blade flat on the leather strop while stropping with the cutting edge always trailing the stropping action.

For more information or for ordering call HELVIE KNIVES  at 765-675-8811 to talk with Holli or Rich who will be happy to help in any way possible.