Woodcarvers Tool Totes

I really like the look of these woodcarvers tool totes. I think I will have to put one on my wish list. I'm not yet sure which size I prefer.

43rd International Wood Carvers Congress

If you can make it to Bettendorf, Iowa on June 25-28 2009, be sure to check out the 43rd International Wood Carvers Congress. The quality of carvings at this show is always excellent. There are some examples from prior shows on The Affiliated Wood Carvers site.

I wish I could make it.

Another Wood Spirit

Shortly after carving the stick for my son, I carved a wood spirit as a gift to his class. This was also carved with the Flexcut Carvin' Jack. I just had a chance to get a picture of it.

Carvin' Jack

I was recently in the woods with my son. He handed me a stick he had been carrying while he went to play a game with some other kids. I happened to have my Flexcut Carvin' Jack with me, so I decided to pass the time by carving a face in his stick. This was my first real opportunity to use the Carvin' Jack and I thought I would share some thoughts about it.

The Carvin' Jack turned out to be quite a nice little tool for this kind of ad-hock carving. It is fairly light and easy to carry with the included leather carrying case. There are three blades with different profiles on each side. All of blades lock securely in place when opened. Because of the design of the blades, the Carvin' Jack is sold in either right or left handed models.

I did find it a little difficult to open the blades since they tend to drag other blades open with them. When opening the knife blade, the V-tool and chisel blades would start to come out as well and I would have to push them closed before cutting with the knife. But this seems a small price to pay for having all these blades in such a small tool.

Even though this particular carving could have been completed with a simple knife, it went much faster with the addition of some of the special blades. The hair went very quickly with the help of the V-tool. Overall, I enjoyed carving with this tool. It's a bit expensive, but I received this one as a gift from my lovely wife. If you do a lot of whittling, you could probably justify the price with the added speed some of these blades could provide.

If you have any questions about the Carvin' Jack, let me know. Below are a few pictures of the tool.

Doyle's Mirror Frame

Doyle sent me a few pictures of the mirror frame he recently completed. The pictures do not do justice to the depth and richness of the finish. It has layered colors with gilding and an antique finish.

Check out www.doyleterry.com to see some of the custom wall finishes that Doyle specializes in.

Ricky's Calla Lily Relief

Thought I would let you all see a Calla Lily relief carving that Ricky did. It is based on a design from "Floral Wood Carving" by Mack Sutter.

Carv-Fest '09

A couple of people (including Doug) sent me links to the website for Carv-Fest '09 in Faribault, Minnesota. I don't think I'll be able to make it this year, but I especially enjoyed the videos they have featuring the various instructors. If you can make it to Carv-Fest, I'm sure it will be a great experience.