Carving knives are specialized knives used to pare, cut and smooth wood. Woodcarvers use them, along with other carving tools, to complete a carving or sculpture project. There are many kinds of carving knives that can be used according to a woodcarving project’s specific needs. Use a straight knife for basic cutting, shaving and rounding over the edges. A sloyd knife is a layout tool that uses its point to carve deeper onto the wood. A detail knife allows the creation of more intricate designs on the wood.
A chisel is a carving tool with a characteristically-shaped flat cutting edge. Its blade works well for carving or cutting hardwood by forcing itself into the material. Using either manual force or a mallet or hammer to apply more force, the woodcarver digs deep enough into the wood to shape it accordingly. Woodworking chisels vary in size, range, cutting edge, shape and hardness of blade. Some are meant for specific purposes like straight cutting, removing big sections of wood, creating lines and shapes and cleaning up flat surfaces.
A gouge is a carving tool with a curved cutting edge, similar to a chisel. The full length of its blade can either be slightly, rounded for C-curve gouges, or tightly rounded, for U-curve gouges. Unlike a carving knife (which tapers to a point), a gouge has a blunt end. As a gouge can remove large quantities of wood at a time, woodcarvers commonly use them for the initial rough cutting and carving of wood.
A V-parting tool is used for outlining and making decorative cuts. It is also referred to as a “carver’s pencil,” as it uses its V-shaped blade to part or emphasize lines and create various strokes and shapes. V-parting tools come in different angles, from a 90-degree to a 35-degree angle, to allow a variety of cuts on the wood. These tools can have a sharp V-tip, for more forceful cuts, or a rounded V-tip for softer cuts.