Dave Lyons, maker of the famous Lyons Knives  is now making two knives using the blade design developed by the WOOD BEE CARVER.  Each blade is fashioned in a beautiful handle distinctive of a Lyons Knife.  The handle fits comfortably in the cradle of the palm of the hand and fingers to allow for long periods of carving activity and can be easily rotated in the hand for guiding the cutting edge with cuts upside down, sideways or right side up.  WBC-1 is the smaller version of a scimitar blade with an extended tang to allow for longer reach of the cutting edge as well as a place for the index finger to wrap around for close up detail carving.  WBC – 2 is a larger scimitar blade with an extended tang for longer reach and use of entire blade.  Both blades are designed for slicing cuts in a push stroke and a pull stroke.

To order for purchase either knife contact Dave either by telephone at 937-426-0085 or by email  dlyonsl@msn.com keeping in mind that each knife is custom made so allow time for each knife to be made.

The smaller version WBC-1 was used to carve a relief Santa head while the larger WBC-2 was used to carve the Santa head ornament.  Both knives were used to carve a six inch tall, two and half inch wide and an inch and half thick Cinderella as in the photos that follow.  Additional photos will show the versatility of each blade for making slicing cuts in the pull or push stroke, getting into tight areas, reaching across wide areas and making dished out or gouge like cuts.

These photos show each blade first in making a pull slicing stroke and then a push slicing stroke.

These photos show each blade with its scimitar shape reaching into tight areas that any other blade shape would be impeded.

These series of photos show how each knife handle fits in the cradle of the carving hand and how it can be rotated for making slicing cuts in different directions.  Then there are examples that in some areas of a carving the blade direction needs to go one way and then the other.

These series of photographs show how the “ice skating slicing cut” is utilized to dish out or gouge out to create wrinkles in clothes, waves in hair and detail of hair.  First the cutting edge stands almost erect as if it was an ice skate.  As the blade is sliced gently forward the knife is twisted downward in a skewed angle to allow a small portion of the cutting edge to begin slicing a shaving that curls up leaving a trough or gouge effect.  This is a tricky cut to get used to doing but with practice a lot of shaping can be accomplished for great effect.  Follow each photo from left to right to imagine the “ice skate slicing cut” as it is being used to create flowing draping of the Cinderella’s skirt.  The photo of the tip end of the cutting edge on the hair illustrates that the same process is used to create the effect of hair.

The first two photos above show how the extended tag allows for a longer reach of the cutting edge part of the blade can carve a wider area without being impeded by the handle.  The remaining photos begin with Cinderella carved to basic form followed by completed detail carving of Cinderella.  Notice the way in which the “ice skating slicing cut” textured the flowing drapery of the skirt  and the fluted waist skirting.  Both WBC-1 and WBC-2 knives were used to carve Cinderella in her entirety.

The WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver who uses knives for carving most hand held projects. The design of the WOOD BEE CARVER blade was developed over a long period of trial and error of reshaping old pocket knives into carving knives.  In that process it was discovered that a curved cutting edge lends itself to slicing cuts which is the most efficient action of a carving knife.  It was also discovered that when the back edge of the blade sloped down towards the tip of the curved up cutting edge at a twelve to fifteen degree angle that this produced a better approach for the cutting edge to begin and complete the slicing action in both the push and pull stroke.  Next came the discovery of extending the tang of the blade coming out of the handle approximately three quarters of an inch before the cutting edge portion of the blade began which would allow for a longer reach of the blade as well as a place to wrap an index finger when choking up on the blade for close up and detail carving cuts.  A final discovery was to utilize the scimitar blade shape into this overall design whereby the concave shape of the back edge mirrors the convex shape of the cutting edge.  The scimitar blade shape allows for slicing cuts in tight areas.

The WOOD BEE CARVER made knives for personal use using this basic design by shaping Persona floor scraper blades, blue spring steel blade material and other high carbon steel into this blade shape.  A simple fat cigar shaped wooden handle four inches long seemed to be most comfortable for long periods of carving as well as being a handle that can be rotated in the carving hand to guide the blade right side up, upside down and sideways slicing cuts in either a push or pull stroke.

Three professional custom knife makers are now making knives with the basic design of the WOOD BEE CARVER blade with slight variations that are characteristic of their knife making skills.  Dave Lyons is the latest to make two knives with this blade shape, which is being featured in this posting.

Helvie Knives makes four knives in the signature series utilizing variations of this blade design along with Bud Murray who also makes four knives in this blade design.  Each of these knife makers make excellent carving knives each with different steel blade material which makes each to have their own unique carving characteristics.  As to which is best, they all are “best” leaving it to the carver’s personal choice of which knife to choose or do like most carvers are prone to do, use all three.

Noet:  permission to make knives using the WOOD BEE CARVER blade design has only been given to Helvie Knives, Bud Murray Knives  and Dave Lyons  who also do the Wood Bee Carver a favor of making knives that can be recommended to other carvers.  John Dunkle  does make a couple of knives that are also recommended but they are of his design.  Before Ralph Long became ill and currently not making knives, his WH8 Scimitar knife was recommended, but is not available at this time.

Each of these knife makers were featured in previous posting which can be reviewed by going to “Blog Map Index” under “Main Menu”  and scroll down to the category “Knives”  and find each posting by name and title.