Carving chisel recommendations

[Nordnecker]

A sale flyer has Pfeil chisels on sale but I don't have a master catalogue to refer to.
I have a veiner and a Vee chisel but neither are right for longrifle work. I'd like to get one of each. I had made a note of what someone (maybe Acer) liked but wife tossed it. I think it might be a small 90 degree Vee with a sweep shape. The veiner I would like for very narrow incised lines.
Help me out, Please.

[ltdann]

I bought a few Pfiel chisels, a V-tool and fishtail gouge from this outfit. http://www.chippingaway.com/basics/understanding-tools/

They do a good job of explaining the size, shape and purpose for each kind of Pfiel tool available...and they have pretty good price's as well.

Those chisels are without a doubt the sharpest tool I've ever held in my hand.

[David Rase]

A veiner is a "U" shaped gouge and is not the right tool for incised lines.  It is used for cutting veins in leafs etc.  You want a small "V" parting tool for incised carving.

I have a Pfeil 12 -1 v parting tool.  A lot of guys like the Pfeil 16-1  v tool.  I find the 60 degree tool to my liking and the smaller size width (1 or 2 or 3) allows you to see your work and where the tool is going.  Either one will work fine but they are kind of like engraving tools.  The wider the V the more careful you have to be with depth of cut, the shallower the V the more forgiving depth control is in relation to line width.  Line width is important more so in engraving than wood carving as it impacts light reflection which is directly related to the visual effect of the cut.  I think the same is relevant in wood carving but to a lesser extent.  You don't have light reflection but you have end grain which absorbs stain different than face grain which is the carvers equivalent to light reflection in engraving.

David

[Nordnecker]

Thanks for the specifics. I found the master catalogue. Wow, 1mm is a tiny tool. I misunderstood "sweep" for "bend". With a V tool that small, I probably don't need a veiner.

[PPatch]

Fourth tool from the right is a 16/1mm "V" shaped parting tool. It is great for cutting around the outside of a carving or cutting just inside the line when doing inlays. I always use a one-pound wooden mallet to drive it which makes for good control of the tool.

dave

[Mark Elliott]

There are some incised cuts that are probably easier to accomplish using a "V" tool, but most incised carving should be done with different sweep gouges just like you do raised carving of the same design.   You get smoother curves using incremental sweeps.   Also the cuts don't tend to be as wide as with a "V" tool.    I do use a "V" tool for cuts for which I don't have the right sweep gouges , but I have also used it where I wish I had tried harder to do it with matching gouges.    The main reason being that that cuts ended up wider than I would have liked.