Lone Wolf Redux 2 is an interpretation of an Indian with two feathers in his head dress.  He is carved in a three-inch square by ten inches tall block of Butternut. The base is a half inch and the feathers above the head are a half inch tall making the Indian nine inches tall.  He is wearing a buckskin shirt, leggings and a breech clouts. The pose of Lone Wolf has him in a pensive mood looking skyward as if reading the signs in the clouds or perhaps a deep in thought look to an elevated horizon.  Such a pose gives a sense of movement as opposed to a statuary stance. In his left arm and hand, he is cradling a peace pipe as a symbol of his loyality to his heritage and sacred disposition.

This is a “knife only” carving utilizing primarily two knives made by Beckwith Forge that are being put to a carving test.  A V tool was used to form the fringe of the shirt and leggings and a small bladed knife was used for the fine detail carving procedures.  Testing knives is to realize from long experience that if the knife is sharpened properly it will accomplish its carving purpose.  The variable is that each knife has its own slicing/cutting characteristics that is only differentiated by the “feel of the cut” in the carver’s hand.  In other words, one brand or make of a knife does not make it any better that any other knife which boils down to personal preference. The Beckwith Forge knives performed admirably with a pleasure in the “feel of the cut.”

In the photo trail below the two Beckwith Forge knives with their scimitar blade shape are positioned in a variety of slicing cuts.  The scimitar blade shape of a cutting edge in the shape of a quarter moon allows for the cutting edge to be in a slicing mode in every position of its use. The first two photos reveal how the quarter moon shape of the blade fit into the tight area between the back of the head and the front of the standing feathers. One photo has the blade upside down slicing the front of the feathers and the second photo has the blade right side up slicing the back of the head between the feathers and head. Notice has the blade shape fits into the tightly curved area. Photos three and four pictures the belly of the cutting-edge slicing to separate the legging fringe from the side of the leg and separating the inner part of the arm for the chest area. Photos five and six pictures each knife making a paring slicing cut.  Note that the most efficient action of any blade is it slicing action.

The next series of photos will be a visual diary of the progressive shaping of the overall carving of Lone Wolf, carving various areas to basic form and then completing those various area with detailed carving finesse. Follow along this visual tour to see the progress made in the shaping process.

The final galley of photos is of the finished Lone Wolf in a variety of views.

In the end it is novel to go back to the beginning with the block of Butternut and another photo of the completed Lone Wolf and the two Beckwith Forge knives.