Beginning Wood Carving

Learn how to carve a butter spreader/cheese knife and get introduced to the world of wood carving! Humans have been hand-carving functional and artistic forms from wood for thousands of years, with the oldest wooden sculpture dating back 12,500 years! Only decay has kept others from being found.

This is a beginner wood carving course that will teach you the basics of carving using hand tools. In this one-day course, we will focus on learning basic hand-carving techniques using a slöjd carving knife (straight knife).

Throughout this four-hour course, we will explore wood types and selection, navigate wood grain, learn specific wood carving hand tools, and learn the three carving grips necessary to safely and effectively use the slöjd knife. We will also practice carving techniques and transform our pre-axed blanks into refined and functional butter knives, as well as learn and apply different finishing techniques, such as sanding, burnishing, and oil selection. 

Note: The butter spreaders/cheese knives that we will work on will be previously axed out, and each participant will receive one axed-out “blank.” Additional blanks will be available for $5 each. We will not be using the carving axe in this course.  

What You Will Learn:

• Techniques for safely and effectively using a carving knife
• How to select and prepare a wood round for carving
• Wood selection and preparation for carving
• Understanding wood grain and its impact on carving
• Step-by-step instructions on the three knife carving grips
• Tips for finishing and polishing
• Best practices for maintaining tools