When it comes to wood carving, like many other crafts, it’s important to properly care for your tools. The way you store them, clean them, and sharpen them makes a significant difference in how long they will last and how well they will perform. Learning the tricks of the trade isn’t just about carving technique; it’s also about consistent and concise tool maintenance. Check out some common carving tool FAQs below to brush up on care and maintenance for your wood-carving tools. How Do You Store Wood-Carving Tools? The first step in proper tool maintenance is knowing how to store your knives, chisels, gouges, and other tools correctly. If you have been keeping all your tools together in a box...
When using chisels and gouges, the mallet you choose is a critical part of getting the cuts you want. Learn more about how to choose the best wood carving mallet in our article here.
Wood carving is a skill that artists of all ages can acquire, as long you are willing to put in the practice and exercise a little patience. To get started, you just need a few tools... including a few good blocks of soft carving wood!
Schaaf Tools Community Spotlights feature a new wood carver every week. Learn about your carving community, pick up beginner wood carving tips, and get Inspired! This week, read about Mark Hammers, and how wood carving has helped him heal. Learn more about your wood carving community today! This Schaaf Tools Community Spotlight is particularly special to me because of what Mark has meant to our company. Mark introduced us to master carver Joe Dillett back in 2018, after participating in a carving class taught by Joe through the 21st Century Heroes program for combat veterans. Joe has gone on to play a huge role in the development of our business and our tools. To this day, Schaaf Tools is proud...
Not all chisel blades are created equal. Any wood carver who has experience using a professional quality gouge versus a "Harbor Freight" alternative knows that. So what's the difference? Or more specifically, why do the two cut and feel so different? The steel holds the answer. In this article, we explore how professionals Joe Dillett and Dick Belcher test the metal of their wood carving tools (literally), as they demonstrate on Schaaf Tools gouges. The Spark Test When Wood Carving Illustrated first got their hands on our 12 piece beginner carving chisels, they sent the set to Dick Belcher, of Belcher Carving Supply, to test the steel quality. I remember hearing the chisels passed the spark test, and Dick was...
