Getting started with carving

There are two kinds of carving that are great for beginners: Whittling and spoon carving.

Whittling

You need a sloyd knife and a book about whittling. Wood is easily sourced from your property.

A Morakniv 106 is great, and not expensive. I’ve used the same one for about 10 years.

Woodcarving Knife 106 (C) | Wood Carving Knives | Morakniv

Woodcarving Knife 106 (C) is a classic wood carving knife in German carbon steel with a birch handle. Swedish craftsmanship made in Mora.

www.morakniv.com

Books:

Complete Starter Guide to Whittling | Fox Chapel Publishing Co.

Complete Starter Guide to Whittling | You can whittle just about anything—the only limit is your imagination. It’s so easy to get started in this relaxing and rewarding hobby. All you need is a knife, a twig, and this book! We’ve assembled a team …

foxchapelpublishing.com

Whittling Twigs & Branches – 2nd Edition | Fox Chapel Publishing Co.

Whittling Twigs & Branches – 2nd Edition | With little more than a pocket knife, a branch, and a dose of concentration, this book will show you how to whittle unique keepsakes that are fun to make, will be appreciated as gifts, or can be popular i…

foxchapelpublishing.com

CONSCIOUS CRAFTS: Whittling – HamiltonBook.com

Carder reveals the meditative nature of the carving process and its empowering skill set for reclaiming making and mindfulness. Drawing on the traditions of green woodworking, find out how to craft 20 simple, modern makes, ranging from a classic spoon and brush to a pegboard and letter opener.

www.hamiltonbook.com

Spoon Carving

Not terrible different from whittling, but the goal is to make a spoon that you can use. There is a whole spoon carving community out there.

Knives: You’ll need a good sloyd and a hook knife.

Sloyd:

Woodcarving Knife 106 (C) | Wood Carving Knives | Morakniv

Woodcarving Knife 106 (C) is a classic wood carving knife in German carbon steel with a birch handle. Swedish craftsmanship made in Mora.

www.morakniv.com

Hook:

Buy spoon carving hook knife price online – BeaverCraft – BeaverCraft Tools

Our tools are sharpened to a 20° bevel angle, making them ideal for carving soft wood. We do not recommend using them on hard wood, as the fine edge may dull more quickly with tougher materials. The BeaverCraft SK1 Spoon Carving Knife is a hooked tool designed for carving spoons, bowls, kuksas, and round, deep holes in

beavercrafttools.com

There are left-handed versions of the hook knife, too.

If you want a set, this is a great starter set (also has a lefty version):

Spoon carving set of 2 tools starter | knives for wood – BeaverCraft Tools

Basic spoon carving set The blades are made of high-quality carbon steel Ready to use right out of the box Comes with a leather strop and polishing compound Spoon carving tools set is ideal for cutting spoons from a wood. This set includes a whittling knife and wood carving spoon hook knife.

beavercrafttools.com

They also need a hatchet, but you probably already have a couple.

This is a good book for beginners:

Spoon Carving Project Book | Fox Chapel Publishing Co.

Spoon Carving Project Book | Transform a block of wood into a beautiful kitchen utensil! A stunning and complete carving guide to creating functional and aesthetically pleasing wooden spoons, this must-have book features 15 skill-building projects…

foxchapelpublishing.com

If they fall down the rabbit hole, get them this book next year:

Greenwood Spoon Carving – Mortise & Tenon Magazine

* You can purchase this book bundled with the video course at a discounted rate here. Greenwood Spoon Carving By: Emmet Van Driesche Carving a spoon from a piece of freshly harvested wood is a rewarding – and challenging – pastime. Tremendous knowledge about the properties of wood, and grain, and the use of sharp edge

www.mortiseandtenonmag.com

Apron

If you want to carve inside, you’ll need an apron. The ones with kangaroo pouches like this are perfect.

Apron – Leather Front Canvas w/Pouch — Mountain Woodcarvers

Comfortable canvas apron with a protective leather front panel, has a kangaroo pouch that can be deployed to capture your wood carving chips. When standing, undo the velcro pouch and empty in the nearest waste basket. Simply smart! You will love this apron! Comfortable and adjustable, one size fits most. Made in USA

mountainwoodcarvers.com

You can easily sew one yourself!