(Part 3) Best wood craft supplies according to redditors

A strop is only for honing (the final step to achieving a razor-sharp edge), while a whetstone could be used for anything from shaping the initial bevel to honing, depending on the grit.

If you do buy some Flexcut knives, which I highly recommend, you will probably only need a strop if you properly maintain them. In fact, they recommend you never use a whetstone and only opt for a Powerstrop if you neglect them for too long.

Many sites will recommend you buy tools one by one so you can get what you need, but as another beginner, I was extremely happy I purchased the Flexcut Deluxe Set. It was probably one more knife and one more palm tool than I needed, but it helped me understand what was out there and how to use them. A good, cheaper alternative might be this set.

No matter what you buy, one of the most important things to do from both a safety and usability (and enjoyment!) factor is to keep your tools as sharp as possible. That way it requires less force to move the tool through the wood, which is a common injury mechanism, and it makes it easier to create fun things. For the weird angles with V and gouge tools, I use another Flexcut invention. It works okay, but you can get the same results with folded sandpaper or other methods. I also bought a fullsize knife strop because it really does make a difference and you can get some with a lot more surface area. I haven't needed to buy a whetstone yet.

Also, I've since supplemented my starter set with Dockyard tools, which also come very sharp and keep their edge well. So far I've only used their micro tools, but I understand they have decent sets as well.

Speaking from unfortunate experience, you should definitely pick up a pair of kevlar gloves. I had a pretty serious hand injury (partially severed tendon) because I was just doing some touchups and wasn't using my gloves and got a bit sloppy. It only takes one single wrong stroke, and I had gotten complacent since I'd been so careful in the past. The gloves let me be more reckless and have definitely saved me from cuts, although they wouldn't protect against a stabbing cut. Thumb guards are also popular, but I don't actually like them very much. The gloves are nice because you can get a great grip on the tools.

When you have a knife or a set, you'll need some wood to practice on. I found ebay to be a great resource...just search for "basswood" and pick a few different sizes. 2x2x6 seems to be a good starting point to me. Make sure it is kiln-dried as well. Here is a good assortment that is pretty cheap. Butternut is another good choice, but for a beginner, I'd stick with basswood from personal experience.

Finally, if you are wanting a good book to introduce you to the subject, I'd recommend the Complete Book of Woodcarving. I've bought a number of books on the subject, but it is definitely the best if you are only buying one and need an overview to the entire craft. Old Time Whittling is only 30 pages, but gave some great examples and was very useful to me as well.

I started with flexcut interchangeable sets. I personally have the 11 pc. and deluxe set . Note that the image on amazon for the deluxe set is wrong, it looks like this. I still use them everyday alongside my more expensive tools and a benefit of the interchangeable blades is you can get an adapter in the future and use it with a powered reciprocating carver. Note also that these sets dont overlap, so if you got both the 11 piece and the deluxe you wont have duplicate chisels. It's a good way to initially round out a wide range of gouges and v tools and then later on you can start buying the more expensive chisels a little at a time. Good brands are Pfeil, Ashley Iles, Two Cherries, Henry Taylor, Auriou, Dastra, Addis (Antique, can find them on Ebay) and there are others that I cant think of atm.

You'll also need a sharpening stone and oil, and a strop. I personally use a soft arkansas stone and the norton oil, I also have a set of soft arkansas slip stones for honing the inside edge of gouges and v tools. And this is the main strop I use. And stropping compound, you can use flexcut gold or some green compound.

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Iv'e also heard good things of ramelson tools, but personally have not used them, so maybe someone else can vouch for them.

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Helvie makes a great knife as well as OCC and Drake. Drake is my first recommendation due to their lifetime satisfaction guarantee and free sharpening. However, the other two mentioned are also top notch. Another option is the Lee Ferguson knives - well made and a little less expensive with free shipping to the U.S.


I suggest a straight blade about 1-1/2" in length to start. This is a general carving blade. Roughout - 2" or so and detail - 3/4" - 1" knives can be purchased later as you feel the need.

Also, palm gouges are great tools for many types of carving 12" or less. While I don't like their knives, Flexcut makes great palm gouges. While I don't usually recommend sets, their basic set is a pretty good start.

As for wood, Basswood is about the best wood for beginners. It has a tight, straight grain and is one of the softer hardwoods. It takes detail very well. However, just about any wood is carvable, just a little more difficult.

You should also pick up a carving (or fillet) glove for the holding hand and a strop and stropping compound (I've heard many suggestions over the years, but I've found any compound I've tried works about as well as the others).

Search for videos on YouTube for sharpening and stropping woodcarving knives videos. Also check out videos by Doug Outside and Gene Messer among others for some great how to videos.

Flexcut makes good stuff. Something like this or this would probably make you happy.

I used a starter set of carving chisels [like these] (http://www.amazon.com/Starter-Set-of-5-Tools/dp/B001UYQPNG/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1411898341&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=starter+carving+chisel+blades) but not those exact ones, and then this [Xacto carving set] (http://www.amazon.com/Xacto-X5175-Deluxe-Woodcarving-Set/dp/B00004Z2UD) when I got to the finer details.

I love my foredom rotary tool. Mine is much, much older than the current model, but still going strong.


As for drills, Makita's blue line lasts approximately forever, but any rechargable drill will suffer from battery decay. If you're looking for a plug in drill, find some old beast from the 50's or 60's, the ones that are still around will last forever.

Exactly. This is a starter set for whittling/carving. I don't know if it's any good, but that's what wood carving knives look like. Just be very careful when you work with these. Always keep your fingers away from the blade, expect it to slip, and always push away from your body. You can also get a protective glove that is blade resistant (usually a steel mesh)

Definitely would like to get a nice knife in the near future, but I ordered this set of carving knives off Amazon and sharpened them up pretty well.

Option 1... if those are truly the only options.

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Option 2 is waaay overpriced. Amazon sells it for $22, or better yet drill in the eye bolt yourself for even less. Wood is extremely smooth too, so not great for training.

Option 3, not great for pinch, but at least it's not bare wood. Atomik brand holds are cheaper, grippier, and you can get bigger sizes.

Might i suggest Option 4: make everything yourself for less than the cost of those elephant balls.

> Also, what can I do for wrist training like supination, pronation, ulnar and radial deviation

Sledge levering. Hammers come in all sizes. Or you could make a similar lever device.

I bought a set of these 3-inch wooden balls from Amazon, went to Home Depot and bought a pair of #0 size Eye Bolts similar to these and screwed them into the wooden balls. Total cost, roughly $20.

Then I simply hang them from a short nylon runner and a mini biner and do hangs off them. If you hang directly underneath and keep your fingers below the center line, you'll work your pinch grip pretty hard

Also, you can pick up a 3-4" PCV pipe and run a rope or chain through it and hang underneath. Like in this video.

There are lots of different tool makers, here's a couple of detail knives that are decent price.

R. Murphy Detail Knife

Flexcut Detail Knife

I'd recommend staying away from the Mora knives. They tend to be longer and a little unwieldy. I think the blade is close to 2 1/4 inches whereas the Flexcut and Murphy knives I listed above are 1 1/2 inches.

For gouges, v-tools, and chisels, Flexcut Craft Carver Set (5pc) is a decent price as well. It's an interchangeable blade set, I started carving with it and still use it to this day.

Another thing you'll want to invest in is a strop and compound. Stropping your blade blade regularly will keep it sharp. Amazon has them if you search for "strop block" or "strop paddle". The sharpening compound I use is a chromium oxide bar or Flexcut Gold.

To add to this, if you have some time for arts and crafts you can make some pretty legit looking tokens for ~20-30 cents per token.

I bought 1 inch wooden discs similar to these. You can find them at arts and crafts stores, but are usually a little more expensive and come in smaller packs. Either make your own or grab the sweet tokens WordUpGangster made and print them out. If you don't have a printer (like me) I just used a copy shop and printed them on either cardstock or medium thickness paper. A single sheet of paper can fit like 80 tokens and costs anywhere from 10-50 cents depending on the quality of paper.

Next, I bought a 10$ 1 hole punch to save time on cutting all the tokens out. Get some glue, almost any gluestick will do, and glue the tokens to the wooden discs. They look pretty sweet and I've made literally hundreds for ~50$ all said and done.

The only issue is making tokens for anything bigger than 1 inch can be a problem. I haven't found any wood discs that are reliably 2x2 inches (or bigger for that matter). For 2x2 creatures I've used metal washers to give them some weight, but that can go upwards of 1$ per token, and can be hard to find anything above 2x2.

Anyway, I hope this helps!

The case is actually acrylic not glass, and is just a custom built retail display case from ebay. The red box is a pin case from amazon.

Here's the pin case:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6AR2RI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nKjJDbPVX4N6M

I ordered the basswood grab box and this is what came in it pretty satisfied with it. Maybe some of you without a local wood supplier find this useful

Sorry, I missed your post before making mine, wasn't trying to steal any thunder. I'd never collected any pins before, but I found this display case after the first pins came out. It was really satisfying to finish putting together.

I'm fond of the Flexcut palm tools such as the link below. Make sure you also get a carving glove and thumb guards too! and good luck

http://amzn.com/B001UXXTTK

Peep these

I got him this single knife and this set here . They are good enough to get you started.

For the core, ya I am putting something...interesting in it. My buddy and I are trying to figure out an easy way of hollowing out the middle of our "branches" without damaging the integrity too much. That same buddy has a magnificent red beard, beautifully manicured, so we are going to be pulling some of those off, braiding them, and coring the wand with that. If any material we muggles have contains magical properties, it's that beard.

Thank you! there's the amazon link, tho they seem to be out of stock at the moment http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Carving-Tools-Set-Professional/dp/B01DVKK8XE

i'm not very good at explaining but here i go. i drew a a series of spirals then started carving them out, the first cuts were with a V shaped tool on each side, the rest was done with the blade in the pic. I just kept carving the channel deeper and deeper till the it met in the center. when i get home i'll take a some more photos, that'll probably give you a better idea

Vape station/Entertainment center

Lighting: USB Powered LED Light Strips

Took a quick look through amazon, any of these products would significantly upscale my production/ quality of work.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009ZD6D1I/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367855793&sr=8-22&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002U9LBES/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367855905&sr=8-55&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001NI4KC2/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367856228&sr=8-72&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002IXNK4/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367856398&sr=8-84&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002IXNPE/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367856583&sr=8-123&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0032Z1EFA/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367856889&sr=8-2&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0032Z0XQ6/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367857001&sr=8-16&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0012XP6NU/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367857131&sr=8-20&pi=SL75

Mora make awesome carving knives.

Not really dirt cheap like most of their knives but worth it.

/u/AuntChiladas of course!

You should get her these, because I'm so damn curious what these are for.

Plus she's lovely <3

One of the better purchases I've made was round wooden tokens. I've bought two sizes, 1.5" and 1". These get used all the time for monster tokens, NPC tokens, to mark important map items, etc. Whatever we want to write on them. I also made a bunch of spell tokens so my younger players could track their spell usage easier. This has been a huge improvement.

Woodpeckers® 100 Wooden Circles 1.5 Inch

Miniatures can get expensive, you'll only be able to get a few dozen high-quality minis in your budget.

I use peg people for my monsters

https://www.amazon.com/Hygloss-Assorted-Decorated-Wooden-People/dp/B0044S1CRE/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1473240398&sr=1-3

In my opinion, the only important miniatures are the ones for your players, otherwise you'll be buying dozens of goblins and skeletons and who knows what. I leave it up to them to acquire minis for their characters, and be sure to warn them that they might die, especially at low level (I wouldnt recommend a player buying a mini until at least level 3, then even if they die later at least it will be a keepsake for the memories. a level 1 death doesn't create many memories)

Another budget idea is to use binder clips and print out pictures of your monsters, like in this picture I found off google http://imgur.com/gallery/gLF1m


I would recommend an erasable battle-grid like

https://www.amazon.com/Chessex-96246-Reversible-Battlemat-1/dp/B00IVF4W0U

for your maps, then you can use wet-erase markers to draw your maps.

I'm not sure amazon is available in your area, but if not hopefully you can find some sort of vynl or plastic mat that you can draw on and make your own grid with a permanent marker.

You mentioned you bought books - that's good, but don't forget about dice! Ideally you want at least one set per player and the DM.

I had a few chances to use it. Honestly, it was a waste of money. It was extremely dull when it came in. I’d suggest buying individual knives after having experienced both. I ended up buying a mora 120 and a mora 164 and I am very happy with them. You’re better off buying high quality knives. It’ll save you money in the long run.

I'm sorry for leading you down this rabbit hole... It's a great hobby but it's a really niche one that's massively popular, so every Instagrammer has a book. My favorite book is The Artful Wooden Spoon as it's really cheap for a craft book, has beautiful designs and photography, and it goes over every possible method to carve, whether traditional hook knives and wet wood, or dried wood and power tools. Spon is another great book but I haven't gotten a copy yet so...I don't know if I could honestly recommend it.

I got started in my summer before first semester of college, so I went the cheap way which is following many instagram accounts, youtube videos, and buying Mora knives off Amazon rather than having a hand-forged one made for me. (The price point and waiting list of blacksmiths is insane). This is my knife, not the best for spooncarving as it has softer steel and is more meant for rough bushcraft, but it was given to me when I turned 16 and is now on my hip whenever possible: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/ref=twister_B07H1138CR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This one comes more highly recommended by the pros: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-3-2-Inch/dp/B005IW5YN8?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_6501052011

Then you'll need a hook knife: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Stainless-0-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B01N4FNUX4/ref=pd_sbs_468_2/130-9218892-1730051?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01N4FNUX4&pd_rd_r=8d8fce0c-2c9d-11e9-8a86-1d7479451c7c&pd_rd_w=cqTt0&pd_rd_wg=78jDF&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT&psc=1&refRID=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT

A hatchet is of course also necessary, but those are very common to find. Almost any will do. Sharpening is the most important part, regardless if you have a hook knife made by a blacksmith who makes his own charcoal for his forge and only uses recycled steel, or if you use a knife forged in Mora and bought from Amazon. Especially with the odd shapes of hook knives, sandpaper is the best way to go- try googling the "Scary Sharp Method"- but it basically comes down to working the bevels and steel with progressively finer grit. Autobody shops will have the wet/dry sandpaper in the grits you'll need, from 100grit for rough work and customizing your blades, to 6000 grit when you're finishing up.

https://www.instagram.com/michigansloyd/ is one of my favorite spooncarvers to follow on instagram, he's a professional and can create a beautiful spatula in less time than it takes me to split a branch. https://www.instagram.com/klipnockywoods/ is another good one.

http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/ this is probably one of the best blogs, there is a scroll on the side with links to posts for beginners, from what knives are the best to what oil to use.

https://www.emmetvandriesche.com/blog/how-i-carve-wooden-spoons is another good blog.

I'll try to stop now, but there's just so much going on in this niche.

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Things like this are your best bet. I purchased a grab box for around $30 and I'm still carving with it all a year later.

my group has been using these: http://www.amazon.com/Hygloss-Assorted-Decorated-Wooden-People/dp/B0044S1CRE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463784205&sr=8-1&keywords=wooden+people

I have a similar set. I really enjoy how compact this set is since there is only one handle. I didn't get the 11 piece, mine was a beginners kit with some wood and booklet and honing kit, but you can buy more gouges as you need them.

That's not the set I have but they look like they're pretty much the same tools with different handles (I got a this set). I think they will be fine. I actually do prefer the longer handles.

In my experience they really did come 'sharp and ready to go' in that you don't necessarily have to take a stone to them to make them functional, but I would also get him some generic green chromium oxide stropping compound and an old belt. That takes them from 'sharp' to sharp. He will certainly want to have stones eventually but he will probably be able to just open them, strop them, and have them be ready to go.

One knock is that the tools are really quite small. Like if I would be unhappy if I had to carve a normal-sized spoon without something bigger for the roughing out.

It really depends on what kind of carving you want to do. I mostly do low relief carving (which is carving an image less than an inch or so into a board), and to get started with that kind of carving you want a gouge or two, a v-parting tool, and maybe a knife. Ramelson makes cheap but reliable tools, and this is a good set: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I40CC6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_fC4HzbSYX6WBY - The problem with buying sets, though, is that you'll end up always using the two or three tools you love, and the rest will just sit there.

If it were me though, I would buy one good gouge and a knife, start carving with those to find out what you like, and then build your collection from there (once you get a feel for carving you'll start thinking "boy, I really need a tool to do this one specific cut", then you go and find that tool). Pfiel is my go to brand and I've always been very happy with them. If you're going this route then buy this gouge - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032YV9LU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_lU4Hzb1AZGTFX - or this gouge - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032YZ7IQ/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_L54HzbA1GKG75 - (the only difference between the two is the type of handle) and a knife.

If you think you'll want to carve "in the round" (wood sculptures) then maybe just get started with a good knife and build a collection from there based on what you need.

If you're thinking of carving spoons (which I don't do much so the other guys will be able to offer better advice) then maybe a bent gouge like this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008GMUZO/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_204HzbXFABDN4 - or a spoon knife like this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ALUTDP6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_k24HzbHWKGPE9 - and, again, maybe a regular knife.

And most of all GOOD LUCK WITH RECOVERY! Carving might just be a great hobby to help because it keeps you focused, especially if you're doing detailed work. Feel free to PM me if you need anything.

Edit: Oh, and don't worry too much about sharpening right now. Sharpening can be tough to master, and if you buy a good quality tool then you won't need to sharpen for a while. You'll need a strop of some sort though to hone the edge from time to time, and this is what I've been using for a long time now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FX9MHIG/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_uA5Hzb9WTMR7J

Get a Foredom flex-shaft tool.

> the top 2 light wood colored handle devices are for cleaning horse hooves of debris..

Nope, those two are just wood carving knives used when you want to make spoons and small bowls.
Proof.

This is the one I bought. I want it to look similar. Also, does adding polyurethane change the thud/sting of it?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00N0DLX0K/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1465957331&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Texas+Paddle&dpPl=1&dpID=31gCQr75tiL&ref=plSrch

This is a great wooden paddle from Amazon for $10.

This crop from Amazon for about $6. Absolutely not something that will last forever, but it's been working great on my ass after a little bit of leather moisturizer (one of the things that came in my Doc Martens care kit). I've had it for 3 months, and IMO it's already paid for itself. Works just fine till I can get a "good" one. :-)

Here are some 1.5" ones from Amazon. The same company also makes 1" ones too.