Keep it affordable and go for the clipper/companion Mora and one of their crook knives. With a little fettling their crook knives can be made very nice and the knives work as well as stuff 20 times the cost. Especially the Mora 106, such a great little knife and only £17.
You can always use a carpenters gouge chisel to hollow out bowls if you don't want a crook knife and they can be had for a few quid on auction sites. They are longer but can still be used in the hand without a table or vice etc. And you can cut one down and just glue it into a wooden handle if you wanted to!
Saying that, I've got loooads of stuff for carving, even one of those fancy flex cut sets and yet keeping it simple like 1 knife and 1 hollowing tool is my favourite way to make a mess. If you're stuck beyond what you can find here as for advice I can show you a few tools I have to trade that may be of use. But I honestly still think keeping it affordable and simple is the best and most enjoyable way to go.
No pictures in this thread.. time to fix that!
Mora 106. Great little knfie as I said, laminated steel that stays sharp and cuts really clean.
Random gouges. I have dozens and buy them from buckets at markets and in tool lots online. Cheap as chips and work great, just don't cut a vintage Marples one in half cuz you'll make the collectors cry lol
flex cut. Expensive but nice for sitting at a table and getting a range of shapes done.
Ben Orford crook knife and simple opinel. Crook knife is good, plenty other makers out there for the same or similar price that are as good, better, worse and all that, I just went for what looked good! Opinels cut like a mother in laws hiss, cheap as a date in Weston super mare too.
