Whittle Folk Trolls have been an exploration in carving three-inch-tall characters that have bushy hair, beards and mustaches, long muscular arms and bare feet. Each one is a learning carving project and practice carving to learn to make each one a little different with facial characteristics and subtle changes in appearance.
It has been said that there are three ways people learn, that is, they learn by observation, by reading and by touching the wet paint. The same can be said about learning to carve as it is beneficial to be observant, to read and to touch the carving knife to the wood to experience leaning to carve by carving.
The TURNIP Blade is an abbreviation of “Turn Up Tip” of a curved cutting-edge knife blade. The tip end of a curved cutting edge normally comes to a sharp and narrow point. The TURNIP Blade intentionally and abruptly “turns up the tip” of the front end of the blade to create a curved skew tip to the cutting edge. The TURNIP blade creates a secondary slicing area of the longer curved cutting-edge making it a multipurpose and multi function slicing tool. The front end of the TURNIP blade can reach into areas where the longer curve of the cutting edge cannot reach and between the longer portion of the blade and the front end turned up tip the sharp radius curve creates another unique slicing area of the blade. These functions are discovered while putting this blade to the test in making various slicing cuts.
The “OTHER KNIVES” made by the WOOD BEE CARVER as experimental prototype knives for personal use and for designing Signature Series Knives for Helvie Knives to consider to put into production. Handles are made of butternut, hand whittled while the blade material is either old pocket knives reshaped or a variety of carbon steel blade material shaped into a blade design designed for slicing action and versatility in the Whittle-Carving process. Blade covers at the base of the handles are made by laminating two strips of wood glued together with a mortised blade slot carved before gluing.
More information on OTHER KNIVES and Knife Blade Covers from previous blog postings can be reviewed by clicking on each of these hot links ~ The OTHER KNIVES ~ KNIFE BLADE COVERS ~ KNIFE BLADE COVERS II ~ CARVED BLADE COVERS.
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Trolls are imaginary characters who came into existence through the imagination of ancient story tellers. The visual likeness of trolls is based upon the verbal descriptions in these old stories. WHITTLE FOLK TROLLS are a carver’s imagination carved into a three-inch-tall by inch and a half square block of basswood and are carved using only carving knives.
A carving of an Ohio High School Athletic Association umpire was commissioned to be given as a birthday gift to the umpire as a surprise. The only personal reference was a photograph of the person that was enhanced by further search of umpire images on the internet. All through the carving stages the one photograph was a central part of the creative balance between a two-dimensional reference and the carving of a three-dimensional representation of the photographic image.
Rich Smithson of HELVIE KNIVES commissioned a carving of an old-time football player who wore the marks on his face of a rough game. Notice his left eye is almost swollen shut, black and blue around the eye as well as on his broken nose and a tooth has been knocked out. The strap on his leather helmet has been torn during the game and yet he now stands with a stoic stance holding on to the football. The name “HELVIE” is on the back of his jersey and the number “3” is on his chest.
Be warned, “the Old Geezers are coming, the Old Geezers are coming, the Old Geezers are coming ~ it is an Old Geezer Apocalypse.” Old Geezers are all around us. They may go by other names like grumpy old men, old coots, curmudgeons, codgers, old soldier, old fogy, fuddy-duddy, Gramps or old timer. One way or another we all are inching our way to becoming an Old Geezer.
This six inch tall carving of an Old Geezer is an example of a mental image of such a delightful and fun loving Old Timer who could tell us wonderful tales, some true, some exaggerated and many repeated. He is a solemn reminder of who we may become, so beware. One final thought, Old Geezers are fond of whittling as well as spinning yarns. Join the Old Geezer Apocalypse.