Bellow are two short videos demonstrating the use of the medium sized Abegglen Detail Knife while carving in butternut wood. I used this versatile carving tool when roughing out the carving shown in the earlier post, Pearl of Great Price. This carving knife makes quick work of the butternut wood, and creates a lovely sounds as well – be sure to turn up the volume!
The double-sided Abegglen knife takes a little careful practice to get used to using it, especially if you are in the habit of pushing on the backside of the blade when using a regular carving knife. The stout handle is designed to be held like a palm handled carving tools, and almost all of the control of the blade comes from the hand holding the handle. I use only a little pressure to guide the blade with my free hand, and am always careful to keep well up the shaft of the tool. This knife needs to be razor sharp on both sides to ease through the wood in this way, and to prevent having to use too much pressure guiding the blade, which could otherwise easily lead to accidents. Each time I begin using this tool I always spend a few minute on a scrap of wood familiarizing myself with how it works, that way I can do some practice cuts without focusing on what I am carving, and can instead get the feel of the position of my hands.
This third video shows the completed carving, to give a sense of how the rough cuts laid out in the earlier videos were resolved, using a combination of the Abegglen knife, sloyd knife, and other carving gouges. Although I found this knife a little intimidating when I first tried it out, it has quickly become a favorite for working the initial shape of my carvings.
There is an additional video of the Abegglen detail knife in action on an earlier blog post HERE.
(I do not receive any compensation for making these recommendations.)
