Rich Smithson of HELVIE KNIVES pulled a fast one on two of his Signature Knife friends by asking each one to carve a block of basswood into a knife blade holder for the other friend without telling us that we were each doing it for one another. 

The CAROLINA CARVER carved a hillbilly bending over to pick up a bee hive containing honey while the WOOD BEE CARVER carved the four likenesses of Duck People.  While that was going on, Rich was making a knife for each of us using his creative artistic art in wood burning a special commemorative knife to go into each knife blade holder. The result is depicted in the photo journey. (Click on each photo to enlarge.)

Carving of the Duck People was done in a three inch square block of basswood using the four HELVIE  KNIVES in the first photo.which are (clock wise from bottom) Mini Mertz II # 6-2, Sweet BEE # 3-1, Hornet BEE # 10 and Honey BEE # 7. The second photo is one face being opened  for beginning of carving the face while the third photo is the face carved.

Thanks to Rich and Carolina Carver for a treasured gift representing friendship among knife carvers and knife maker.