The SIDE KICK Signature Series Knives were designed to be a combination slicing knife in three sizes for roughing out the basic form of a carving subject.  Since the WOOD BEE CARVER carves using a block of wood rather than a sawed out blank or machined rough out, a multiple purpose carving knife is very versatile in shaping the basic form. The subject used in this illustration is of Joseph, the carpenter carved in a block of basswood nine inches tall, three inches wide and two inches thick. The photo on the top right shows the completed carving beside the basswood block to be carved in the roughing out stage using the larger SIDE KICK.

In the next series of photos, the first photo shows the SIDE KICK with its large blade being used to slice off the rough surface using the curved tip section between the A and B cutting edges in a push – slicing action.  The second photo illustrates the B section of the blade or the side cutting edge in a pull stroke. In other words, cutting edge A, cutting edge B and the curved edge in between A and B can be used alternatively as necessary to shape the wood in a slicing action.

Once the rough surface is sliced away the next stage is to slice away the corners at the top of the block to carve a dowel shaped area as a foundation for the head.  Most of the slicing cuts use the side cutting edge of the SIDE KICK along with the occasional use of the rest of the cutting edge as needed. The larger blade can remove large slices but because of the width of the blade cannot make a tight radius slice which requires the use of SIDE KICK III with its narrow width blade to make those tighter radius slices.

It should be noted at this time that one knife will not do everything a carver may need to have done making it necessary to have additional knives to complete the desired results.  Even though all three sizes of the SIDE KICK series can shape the basic form, yet other knives are used to continue the shaping process.  An example of this is the next series of four photographs that introduce to use of the BUMBLE BEE # 13 Signature Series knife.  It has a scimitar shaped cutting edge at the end of an extended tang that allows for a tighter radius slicing cuts as is illustrated in the shaping of the dowel shape for the head and the top of each shoulder on either side of the head.

The final two photographs illustrate the result of using the SIDE KICK II (medium width) and SIDE KICK III (narrow width) to carve to the basic form of the carpenter as it is prepared for the detail carving that will use additional knives of various size and shape to be explained in a follow up posting.  The emphasis of this posting is to demonstrate again the versatility of the SIDE KICK series as each are used for the rough shaping of a carving.  Earlier postings that highlight the SIDE KICK series may be visited by clicking on SIDE KICK and SIDE KICK KNIVES.

The WOOD BEE CARVER has always recommended that a carver should do a twenty minute a day exercise using one tool to see what all it can do in the carving process. That way the carver will become very familiar with what each tool will do while discovering uses never tried before but will have applications in the carving process. The SIDE KICK knives have multiple uses that can only be discovered by carving with the various cutting edges built into their design.  Of course the WOOD BEE CARVER is partial to carving only with knives and with any of the knives designed by this carver there are many uses in the unique designs.  For a complete listing of such knives visit HELVIE KNIVES and click on “Signature Series Knives” and then click on the signature name of “Donald K. Mertz” and knives may be ordered directly from HELVIE KNIVES 765-675-8811.