The WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series  knives by Helvie Knives has grown into a “second generation” of knives with a new handle shape, art work designs and new blades sizes and shape.  While maintaining the basic concept of the original blade design, yet with slight variations in size and shape, each knife maintains the high quality associated with Helvie Knives.   The basic concept of the design of the Whittle-Carving Universal Blade is a slicing blade with a curved cutting edge from the tip of blade to notch in the heel of the extended tang of the blade. The blade fits into the shape of a twelve degree slope of the back edge.  The twelve degree slope creates a versatile angle of approach of the blade to begin the slicing action.  The extended tang allows for longer reach as well as a comfortable resting place for the index finger when choking up on the blade for detail carving. The blades with the concaved back edge similar to a scimitar blade shape allows for reaching into tight areas that another blade shape would not fit. All blades lend themselves to a quick roll out of the slicing stroke and are most efficient when using a “slice and roll” action in either the push or pull stroke. Read the rest of this entry »

Perhaps one of the most challenging processes of carving the human face is the carving of eyes. The secret is to PRACTICE carving eyes over and over again to find the method that works best. Read the rest of this entry »

Carving an ear in the Whittle-Carving style of carving only with a knife is presented here using notch cuts and a three cut triangular cut procedure.  Such cuts are ways to open up an area of wood for additional shaping and refining with detail carving. Read the rest of this entry »

Cowboys have always been heroes in the romantic nostalgia of Western lore. In the classic ballad, “The Streets of Laredo,” is the line that says, “I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy.”   It is the outfit that a cowboy wore that made him a “dude” or a “gun fighter” or a “saddle tramp” or a “buckaroo” or a “cowpoke” or quite simply a “cowboy. Read the rest of this entry »

The Farmer was carved using a six inch tall by an inch and half square block of basswood in the Whittle-Carving Style of carving only with a knife.  Carving from a block of wood is much different than carving from a rough out or a sawed out blank.  The biggest difference is that it sets free the creative spirit to develop the overall design while shaping the block of wood into the basic form of the subject being carved. Read the rest of this entry »

HELVIE KNIVES  announces the introduction of the latest edition of the WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Series Knives.  Signature Series # 6 ~ the MINI MERTZ is a true detail knife with a thin handle. The cherry wood handle is wood burned with the art work of Rich Smithson who makes the Helvie Knives along with his wife Holli and daughter Skylar. Read the rest of this entry »