Internal or external bevel crooked knife!

[Stanleythecat]

Hi all

I was about to buy a crooked knife from Ben Orford which I pressumed would have an external bevel... he then asked whether I wanted an internal or external bevel! I assumed as a carver than an external bevel tool is for gouging out material (working in to a concave like a bowl) where as the opposite would apply to an internal bevel; it is for use on convex surfaces... I want mine for working on the insde of bowls and kuksas.

Can anyone give me some advice please!

Many thanks

 

[Muddypaws]

I would use external bevel for bowl carving. I used to use a spoon bent gouge (external bevel) so when I made my own hook knife I basically copied the bevel.
However, I'm no expert, and others may have their own preferences, but I know what I like.

 

[Stanleythecat]

Sort of as I thought! but intrigued as to whether I'm missing a trick with the internal bevel now!

Thanks

 

[robin wood]

Ben like most english folk call a croked knife the native american mocataugan. This is held in a palm up grip and works best at carving thinks like canoe paddles. Bevel inside is good for planing lage flat areas and is most common on mocataugans. You can carve bowls with it but depending on the exact curve they can be awkward inside a small thing like a kuksa. I prefer what Ben calls a hook knife, the scandinavian inspired hook which is held mostly palm down.

Tell Ben what you want it for and ask his advice.