The year was 2011 and a patron requested a commission carving of Harriet Tubman. Such an iconic historical figure whose contribution to freedom and consciousness to the moral character of our nation’s greater good is a humbling charge to memorialize in a wood carving. To add to the pressure of accomplishing such an endeavor is to understand the love, honor and respect the patron had for Harriet as a hero to her people as well as all she accomplished for her race and for women’s suffrage. A daunting task that required study and research by the carver to come to know Harriet Tubman as one who lives on through her humanitarian acts of bravery to lead many of her people to freedom from slavery by way of the Underground Railroad and moral leadership as an abolitionist and suffragist. The U.S. Treasury on April 20, 2016 honored her memory with the announcement that Harriet Tubman will be the new face on the twenty dollar bill by 2020. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by: woodbeecarver in Knives
The VIPER III is the third and smallest version of the VIPER series of the Wood Bee Carver Signature Series. The design of the curved cutting edge and the downward angle of the snaking shape of the blade allows it to snake its slicing action into areas difficult to reach. Even though the one inch small blade has all the appearance of a “detail knife” yet it is an “all purpose” carving knife. The small radius of the curved cutting edge slices smaller chip removal than a larger radius blade while still being capable to removing a lot of wood in the shaping process in a small package. It is very versatile when carving small carving projects as well as being functional for taking small cuts in the shaping of a larger carving project. Once the carving project is carved to its basic form, the VIPER III continues to carve in the details with precise slicing cuts. The accompanying photos are examples of VIPER III used to carve each completely using only this one knife. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by: woodbeecarver in Knives
The knives pictured above are left to right: VIPER II, VIPER, DRAGON, SIDE WINDER and SIDE KICK.
The WOOD BEE CARVER has been primarily a knife carver for over forty years and during this journey knife blades and handles have been developed through experimentation of trial and error discoveries of what carved the best. A curved cutting edge produces a slicing cut and is the most efficient in reaching into areas that a straight cutting edge cannot reach. Read the rest of this entry »
Ten Students of the Miami Valley Wood Carving club participated in a three day class entitled “The A-B-C’s of Face Carving” on March 2, 3 and 4, 2016. The students pictured in the photo above are (first row ~ left to right) Doug Claugherty, Teresa Balsbaugh, Joyce Stewart, Bob Caughron, Wayne Young and (second row ~ left to right) Andy Zinsmeister, Mike Lawson, Andy Calinger, Don Ward, Jim Wander and Don Mertz ~ the WOOD BEE CARVER. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by: woodbeecarver in Knives
HELVIE KNIVES introduces the latest addition to the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series of knives. VIPER (#22) , VIPER II (#23) and VIPER III (#24)are the latest innovation in the basic design concept of the WOOD BEE CARVERS Signature Series of knives. VIPER blade is two and half inches long , VIPER II blade is one and five eighths inches long and VIPER III is an inch long. HELVIE KNIVES has added a detail knife to the VIPER Series of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series of knives and can be ordered by calling 765-675-8811 (soon to be added to their web site) Rich Smithson is a very accomplished knife maker and all his knives are good choices for carving knives.
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Posted by: woodbeecarver in General
FACE BLOCK carved with four faces in a segment for a walking stick raffle for the Miami Valley Woodcarving Show ~ March 5 and 6 in Middletown, Ohio. Basswood block measures two inches by three inches and the coloration is a stain of Raw Sienna mixed with boiled linseed oil. Faces were carved using only a knife is the Whittle-Carving style of the WOOD BEE CARVER.
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Posted by: woodbeecarver in General
