Stropping by hand on a leather strop impregnated with an abrasive compound of choice is all that is needed to keep any of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series knives made by HELVIE KNIVES tuned up and ready to carve. Read the rest of this entry »

Nine members of the East Fork Carvers gathered at the Clermont Seniors Center in the Union Township Civic Center, Batavia, Ohio for a two day Whittle-Carving class, August 7 and 8.  Those in the photograph are (first row left to right) Ann Olsen, John Dotson, C. G. Uebel and Gwen Provin (second row left to right) Ed Handy, Pablo Gonzalez, Bill Wright, Mickey Huston and Hugh Cooley.

These Survivor Students learned about the efficiency of making slicing cuts with the knife’s cutting edge while making the opening up cuts of a notch cut (ditch or trough) as well as the three cut triangular cuts to create another kind of opening. These opening cuts begin the process of shaping the carving in its various stair stepped levels with the realization that “one cut is not the end to all cuts, rather it is just a beginning for making further cuts”. Following the exercises in making the notch and triangular cuts, each student chose a six inch, five inch or three inch figure as a go – by to guide in carving a figure under the guidance and demonstration of the instructor. Carving subjects chosen included a Gabby Hayes cowboy, hillbilly with jug wizard, cowboy with rifle, ogre, hobbit, sea captain with pipe, sea captain and hillbilly with jug.

Each carving project served as a “learning piece” that became evident as each student progressed throughout the two days of shaping the carving to the basic form in order to have a good foundation to apply the detail carving features. Whittle by whittle each carving began to take shape while being refined in the overall design. The purpose of a carving class is to learn and each student learned new ways of approaching a carving project. To supplement the continued learning process, each student was given a folder of a variety of instructional material that included three learning projects along with necessary blocks of wood in order to learn on their own at a time of their choosing.

With good humor, good eats, good conversation and the opportunity to carve together, these nine Survivor Students survived to carve another day and many more days ahead with the encouragement to do a “twenty minute a day workout” to keep the creative juices flowing. We all learn to carve by carving and the more one carves the better one carves.  These East Fork Carvers are becoming better carvers and are good friends as well ~ and that is what was experienced ~  good friends carving together.

The see what Survivor Students receive a part of their instructions, go to CATEGORIES and click on “To-Tor-Plus”  ~ then “Tutorials” and also, all the postings in the BEE HIVE located in the middle of the right column on the home page.

Skylar Smithson and Don Mertz stand behind the presentation box of 21 Wood Bee Carver Signature Knives made by HELVIE KNIVES  and a Whittle Doodle carved by Don Mertz that was awarded to Farley Baker of Morrow, Ohio in the raffle drawing at the Eastern Woodland Carving Club Show, July 19, 2015 in Converse, IN.  Even thought there were hundreds of raffle tickets purchased for this fund raiser for Childhood Diabetes Research, yet only one ticket could win the box of knives.  However, everyone who purchased a ticket is a winner in that each donation will provide necessary funds for the research for helping children with diabetes.  Thanks to Rich and Holli Smithson for their generous donation of the twenty one knives and beautifully wood burned lid of the presentation box.  Together, all who participated in this project is a winner.  THANK YOU!!!!

21 Whittle Dwarfs recently carved and ready for public parade. Carved out of an inch square by inch and half block of basswood using only a knife to carve these whimsical characters.

The purpose of a Whittle Doodle is to demonstrate what can be carved using only a knife in Whittle-Carving style. Doodling with a knife is an adventure of imagination shaping a block of wood with a variety of carving themes and subjects.

Two WHITTLE DOODLES are showcased here. Read the rest of this entry »

During the International Woodcarving Congress in Maquoketa, Iowa, eleven students survived a five day class of Whittle-Carving using only a knife to learn the ABC’s of Face Carving. The Survivor Students in the photo above are [ left to right – front row] Gen Kreylin; Kathryn Overcash; Diane Guntzel; Linda Medhus; Don Mertz (WOOD BEE CARVER) [second row –  left to right] Tim Johnson; Tom Kreylin; Jim Pinkerton; Ron Gumm; Fred Doern; Hugh Babcock and Marc Featherly. Read the rest of this entry »