Butternut Splitting Question

[PittsburghTim]

With his eyes looking up, it almost makes me think he just slid off of the roof! Very nice carving/texturing and the painting is top notch.

[PittsburghTim]

Nicely carved and painted, but he does look a little bit grumpy. I think the eyes looking to the side give him a bit of attitude. The cigar fits him well. This must have been how the screamers from the days I played Santa Clause for my company's children's Christmas Party saw me.

[PittsburghTim]

DiLeon, I had a simple bench hook similar to the one in the picture that was inches from me at the time of my mishap. I had some knives and palm gouges on it and did not remove the clutter as I should have. In a way, this was a cheap and relatively harmless reminder as I am using my cut-resistant Kevlar...

Hi Tim, I got the color image only the first time (danged computers!), got both pages this time. Thanks again.

[PittsburghTim]

Yesterday, I was carving a small Santa from a 2 x 2 x 6" block of butternut. This is the first time carving it and I loved the smooth finish left by the knife blade and I was enjoying the afternoon. Then it happened, while making a shaving type of cut down towards a stop cut I had already made,...

Arthur, you inquired about a Shawn Cipa carving pattern for a Madonna and Child carving several months ago. I was finally digging around looking for some Christmas patterns and found the original article in a Woodcarving Illustrated special issue titled Handcarved Holiday Gifts Volume 2. It was published...