Carving On The Edge 2022

[Brian T]

For centuries, First Nations made their knife blades from what ever steel they found. On the west coast, it was rubbish that came across the Pacific in the Japan Current. Mocotaugan knives were made in eastern communities from 6" files. The forge was an earth-covered trench in the ground. Hot...

[Brian T]

When I retired, I promised myself that mornings would be mine to do as I please.
Seems I'm now quite restless and can't get my feathers smoothed down until maybe 2AM.
Then I need to sleep until maybe 7. Doze in 1 hr pieces until at least 11. Then I can get up.

All my life,...

[Brian T]

Use a pencil. I really enjoy drawing and I'm a creature of habit. For wood carving, I find that my skills and methods require no computer skills whatsoever. I have several mechanical aids such as proportional dividers, pantograph and the usual suite of drafting tools. The banquet roll of 36"...

[Brian T]

I'm quite willing to buy blades to take advantage of the blade smith's skill and experience.
I don't want to pay for a handle of the wrong size and shape for my hands.
I have bought some whole crooked knives from Pacific Northwest makers.
At least, the handles are all big enough that...

[Brian T]

I'm leaning on some Doug Fir firewood in my little avatar picture. No slivers whatsoever from the bark, it's more overlapping cupped scales. That log is full of pitch pockets and despite the size, it is really junk firewood.

Grab a handful of butter. Squeeze until it oozes out between...

[Brian T]

I built sturdy book cases out of 2x6 SPF. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall. My house is completely finished, up and down. So one wall of the downstairs living room became my library.

Music books are usually pretty skinny, one shelf has a measured 36" of music books (guitar, banjo,...

[Brian T]

These are all surface mounts, the nose is canted 15 degrees. Not as hard on the wrist as a result.
The blades are the Haida-style blades from the Lee Valley Catalog, made by Crescent Knife Works, Vancouver, BC.



These are modified farrier's hoof trimming knife blades:...

[Brian T]

I did get the chance to try Doug fir bark after a major roadway clearing. Maybe 4" to 6" thick bark.
Dripping, sticky, gooey, juicy, resin pitch with every cut. Nothing that margarine first then dish washing liquid second could not clean up perfectly.

Go ahead. Try it....

[Brian T]

Sorry, here's a link to what's what:

https://carvingedgefestival.com/...

[Brian T]

The Nuu Chah Nulth First Nations peoples once again are offering their Carving Festival and symposia September 8 - 13, 2022. These are predominately peoples of the south and west coast parts of Vancouver Island, BC.
Looks like a very diverse offering as usual. No mention of any Zoom participation...

[Brian T]

"When, in the rest of my life (I'm 76 now), am I ever going to find the time to play with XYZ tools and toys?"
The correct answer is never.
So last Friday, some friends took away a packed van-load of clothing and dishes for a charity.
The sad thing is you can't see that we...

[Brian T]

Wow. I sure made an old p0st.
Since then, I have made quite a number of knives, mostly with blades that I bought. The last thing I need to do is to become a blade smith. Much of what I'm doing uses the crooked knives ad adzes which are the common wood carving tools of the First Nations people...

[Brian T]

I beat the heat. The local pub kitchen is delivering my supper at 5 PM.

[Brian T]

Folded in half, the 11 x 17 papers become 11 x 8.5 which fit an ordinary file folder. That solves the organization puzzle. The big drawings like story poles might get excess paper trimmed then rolled up and into cardboard map tubes. The butterfly story poles are 64" tall, I guess the paper was...

[Brian T]

It's easier to find discarded good steel than to have to pay up front for a razor....

[Brian T]

Wonderful storage, not like my denim rolls! How do you remember which gouge you put where?
I got as far as 2 categories: BIG and LITTLE and that's about it.

[Brian T]

I use acrylic matte medium (paint with no pigment) first. Then comes one or more layers of acrylic titanium white. Last comes the color. Western red cedar wood color dulls acrylics to a disappointment. To finish, I have a couple of custom knives that I will use to trim obvious sloppy painting. ...

[Brian T]

I've walked with a cane for a few years now. Yours looks like it would be easy under the hand.
Little custom accents always get people talking.

[Brian T]

I have done that a couple of times. Got some very useful big (25mm & 35mm) gouges and had no trouble selling off what I didn't need.

Several years ago, a conversation here in WCI told me of a set of 7 crooked knives, designed in the style of the First Nations carving tools from here...

[Brian T]

I think your Celtic pattern gives every viewer a sense of the time you have invested in the work.
Some are fast, some are tedious and a few never let on the time invested until you get into it, right?
I can guess but would you please tell us the height and diameter?