Wood Art - Carving Tools And Materials

Carving wood is different from whittling. While whittling only requires the use of one knife, with carving an array of different tools are used.






Knives, gauges, chisels, V-tools and veiners can all be found in a carver's tool kit.








One other thing, that a carver needs is..., you guessed it, wood. There are different types of wood, that are easy to work with. Most commonly used are Basswood and Tupelo.

Some other good woods to work with are Chestnut, American walnut, mahogany and teak. If you like to make a very detailed work of art, the Italian walnut, sycamore maple, apple, pear or plum, are recommended.

Pinewood is more suited and advised to use, when your carving is going to be painted, or the carving is of a more rougher design.


One of the tips I came across, while reading up on carving was, to define the grain of the wood, before you start. Fine and intricate details come out better and are easier to carve, going with the grain.
You may want to keep that in mind and save yourself some aggravation and frustration.

Try to keep the wood as dry as possible. Even while you are working with it, moisture can cause some expansion and may ruin the detailed work. It could result in cracks and all your labor would be in vain.

I hope that will not happen. Let's knock on wood! :-)