Need Recommendation for carving/inletting knives

[Torfinn]

My old set of carving knives just are not satisfactory anymore so I am looking for new ones. Would like to have some recommendations from some of you fine gentlemen, if you would please.

Thank You.

[Bill Raby]

Go with Pfeil

[Torfinn]

Those Pfeil knives are nice but they are are currently out of my budget.  (Does make me drool though.)

The set I have now is a 40 year 0ld Stanley 6 piece supplemented with exacto knives and a few other odd unknown brand knives. They have worked well for me but are now getting a little long (or I should say short ) in the tooth. so it is time to retire them. I expect that a decent set won't be cheap but I do need to be a little closer to my budget.

[Clark Badgett]

Ya gets whacha pays for.

[HSmithTX]

Schaaf are made with good steel but the carving set I bought required re-shaping and then sharpening to be usable. Being new to carving I wasn't willing to undertake shaping them, I thought it would be hard enough to learn carving without fighting a potentially misshaped tool. If you are capable of shaping and sharpening the price is excellent. I kept the chisel set by Schaaf and it has been excellent, but I have the skill and I was able to flatten and sharpen them with the equipment I have and they needed it. Zero complaints on the tool and quality of the steel, it took about 3.5-4 hours to make them truly square and flat, frighteningly sharp as well.

You can buy the Schaaf carving set sharpened and it is said to fix the shape and sharpness issue I had with the factory set but I have no experience with it. I bought Pfeil after sending the standard Schaaf back, buying 2-3 that you use isn't too expensive vs a set that contains several you don't and probably won't use. 

[Hungry Horse]

 My grandfather was a trained violin maker from Austria who immigrated to the U.S. in 1910 when my dad was five years old. I inherited some of grandpa’s carving tools. Knowing what craftsmen considered fine tools in my grandpa’s time compared to what’s being discussed here is laughable. In grandpa’s time I seriously doubt many surgeons had cutting tools of the price, and quality, seen in some of the carving tools that many hobbyist gun builders consider a have to purchase, for gun building.
 The bottom line is get what you can afford. If you have to sharpen it more often, get some good stones, and a good strop, and sharpen your tools more often. Unless you are in danger of drowning in disposable income, or are an undiscovered woodworking artist, you might want to lower the bar a click or two.

Hungry Horse

[reddogge]

As a decoy carver, I use Knotts knives exclusively and some Pfeil V chisels and unidentified gouges. I also use a couple of drawknives, one an antique and the other German made for close work. A common Stanley 151 works well for a spokeshave.  But I generally use chisels and plain old Stanley chisels from the hardware store for gun work, 1/2",1/4", and 1/8". I sharpen them constantly with a leather strop and compound, never a stone.

[smallpatch]

Reddogge, eventually, you will need stones.  With constant stropping, your angles will soften and will have to be brought back with stones or diamond plates.


Inletting and relief carving requires a little different kind of blades. For inletting Exacto knives for outlining, small gouges for relieving the borders, various chisels for removing inside the inlet.
For relief carving, various gouges (stabbing in), flat and skew chisels for removing background, scrapers, rifflers, etc. to even it out.
Hope this helps.

[Kansas Volunteer]

Go to ebay and look up Beaver Craft. They make some interesting carving tools. I recently bought a unique carving knife from them I think could be the only tool needed to do all the relife carving on a stock. Thier tools are simply constructed, but I consider them excellent quality. They are made in Ukraine. I've bought several items made in Ukraine, including some custom made knives, and I can''t complainlain about the quality of any of my buys.

[flatsguide]

There is/was an online store in Canada where I bought a number of Pfiel tools at around 30% less than US prices.
Cheers Richard

[Torfinn]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I think that I will as suggested buy just a couple of good ones that I use all the time and then get a less expensive set as a general replacement. I can live with sharpening more frequently. I will then upgrade other pieces as needed and budget allows.

[Mike Brooks]

In 44 years of gunmaking I never used knives.

[Jakob]

There is/was an online store in Canada where I bought a number of Pfiel tools at around 30% less than US prices.
Cheers Richard

On that note, KMS is having a sale on Pfiels
https://www.kmstools.com/shop.html?q=v-parting+tool

I just picked up a v-parting tool and it's by far the sharpest tool I've had out of the box. Enough that I have to revisit my sharpening technique again!

[J Shingler]

Woodworker Specialities in Canada is about $10 cheaper than us prices. If you order $100 it's free shipping. I ordered on Monday and got my five on Friday.

[PHolder]

Woodworker Specialities in Canada is about $10 cheaper than us prices. If you order $100 it's free shipping. I ordered on Monday and got my five on Friday.

I have bought from Woodwooker Specialties several times.  Between the exchange rate and the fact they don't have exclusive rights like WoodCraft does in the US, you can save a lot of money.  I think it worked out to getting a free chisel for every three you buy.  At least that's how I justified it.  :-)

[c deperro]

If cost is an issue contact Tom Snyder in Michigan , get his narrow and wide stab in tools for stabbing in the carving . get swiss made /phiel flat chisel in size 1/3 and 1/5 . Ron Scott makes a small detail tool which is excellent for getting into small areas. You can carve a rifle with these tools.

[Torfinn]

If cost is an issue contact Tom Snyder in Michigan , get his narrow and wide stab in tools for stabbing in the carving . get swiss made /phiel flat chisel in size 1/3 and 1/5 . Ron Scott makes a small detail tool which is excellent for getting into small areas. You can carve a rifle with these tools.

Wasn't Able to find any of those. I can find Pfiel but not in those sizes. don't know where to find Tom Snyder or Ron Scott.

[ScottH]

https://ronaldscottflintlock.com/RonScott/Welcome.html

[Torfinn]

finally found the Pfiel where I can get them single and not in a set.