The Pacific Northwest carvers used bone for hook/ crooked knives until pieces of ship wreck began to hit their shores about 500 yrs ago some believe. Metal off these pieces were fashioned to carve with. Other tools, like adze and skews were made with stone and obsidian. Obsidian holds a deadly edge.
With these tools they created a paradise of art. The Pacific Northwest was a garden of plenty and people flourished. Art flourished at least 5 thousand years. Some believe 10 thousand, others say 60 thousand years.
http://iweb.tntech.edu/cventura/reg.htm
This is Reg Davidson's site. A Haida carver. He is Robert Davidson's brother, the master.
Reg has some good pictures of his process.
Files are ok for hook knives. They will snap unless you differentialy temper them. That means that when your tempering to a pale straw in your oven you want to go back onto the hook to tip with a propane torch, carefully turn that metal into dark straw. It's tricky. If you make a mistake re-harden and try again.
Your local lumber mill has gang saw blades or edge saw blades and 4mm thick band saw blades. That is the steel you want for it's tensile strength. With a well tempered saw blade steel hook knife you can carve apple and keep an edge and not worry about snapping the blade. There is nothing nicer than a fruitwood spoon or bowl. With a good hook one should be able to gouge right into that wood with control and strength.
I've made hundreds of crooked knives. They are expensive but that only reflects the amount of work involved in making them. Note the longer handles, this is for tork, for useing your thumb and both hands. I left a indepth link on how a strong blade is
made in a previous post.
With these tools they created a paradise of art. The Pacific Northwest was a garden of plenty and people flourished. Art flourished at least 5 thousand years. Some believe 10 thousand, others say 60 thousand years.
http://iweb.tntech.edu/cventura/reg.htm
This is Reg Davidson's site. A Haida carver. He is Robert Davidson's brother, the master.
Reg has some good pictures of his process.
Files are ok for hook knives. They will snap unless you differentialy temper them. That means that when your tempering to a pale straw in your oven you want to go back onto the hook to tip with a propane torch, carefully turn that metal into dark straw. It's tricky. If you make a mistake re-harden and try again.
Your local lumber mill has gang saw blades or edge saw blades and 4mm thick band saw blades. That is the steel you want for it's tensile strength. With a well tempered saw blade steel hook knife you can carve apple and keep an edge and not worry about snapping the blade. There is nothing nicer than a fruitwood spoon or bowl. With a good hook one should be able to gouge right into that wood with control and strength.
I've made hundreds of crooked knives. They are expensive but that only reflects the amount of work involved in making them. Note the longer handles, this is for tork, for useing your thumb and both hands. I left a indepth link on how a strong blade is
made in a previous post.
