What is more useful for carving on gunstocks, full size chisels, or palm size?

[RaiderSix]

What is more useful for carving on gunstocks, full size chisels, or palm size tools?

[martin9]

Full size for me mostly although I use a palm sized fishtail chisel for background reduction a lot  . Lots of different ways to go about carving. Took me awhile and a lot of chisel buying til I found what works best for me.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Full sized chisels are the best choice for roughing out carving and removing background.  They also work well for details.  They are better because you can tap them with a mallet or use your hand pressure.  Carve hard maple and you will appreciate a full sized chisel tapped with a mallet. That said, I use palm chisels a lot for carving.  In fact, more than full length chisels but that is because my hands were damaged neurologically from severe frostbite three times and I struggle to place the tip of a full length chisel accurately on the wood.  I can do it but it takes more time than huddling over a short palm chisel. My hands are very strong so I can push through hard wood with control but I still often have to resort to full length chisels and a mallet.

dave 

[J. Talbert]

Full size.
More room for both hands, for more control and force. Can also be driven with a mallet as Dave said.

Jeff

[RaiderSix]

Okay, well that actually works out in my favor. I had some palm chisels a few years ago and sold them. I have maybe a dozen full size carving tools that I kept. I ordered Jim Kibler’s carving book and plaster cast carving kit so I can get acquainted with what is involved.

[P.Bigham]

Full

[Sidelock]

Another vote for the full sized gouges and chisels - quality tools are gonna set you back a bit, they don't give 'em away.  I use a number of palm sized carving tools that are down right tiny, but I make all of these myself.  I grind these out of old engraving blanks and even allen wrenches.  Attached to a palm style handle, these make excellent detail carving tools.   

[DavidC]

Handleless (full size if you have the handle)

Simply buy flexcut to get the best of both worlds then lose/break a handle or be too lazy to keep changing them. But if you have strong fingers they do work surprisingly well and are easy to maneuver.

Narex fullsize for shaping or straight lines.

Dave, what's the story with all that frostbite? Three times almost suggests a hatred of gloves. Sorry to hear about the damage, rheumatoid arthritis runs in my family and I can empathize.

[Mike Brooks]

I use both.

[Clowdis]

Guess I'm a little different but I like the palm chisels for doing the more detailed work. But I do still use both, depending mainly on what has to be done.

[kutter]

Short chisels with palm friendly handles. Cut with one hand and the off hand is the control/blocking hand using your thumbs if needed on long deep cuts.
Any chisel with a larger/long handle on it is for hammer work in the inletting process.

[BOB HILL]

I use both.
Bob

[oldtravler61]

  To me their is a place for both. I like the palm chisel because like others have said. To me they are easy to guide.
  But with either one you can have oh s@#t moment's....
  Oldtravler

[Craig Wilcox]

I'm with most of the guys - both.

And due to a lot of nerve damage, both are a bit of a problem - I shake like a
Model T most of the time.  Still have a lot of hand strength though.

[thecapgunkid]

Don't discount either type, especially per the advice of so many talented people as voiced here. The key words, though, are patience trial and error, practice and SHARP