Best BeaverCraft Wood Carving Knives for Beginners
BeaverCraft Wood Carving Knives Overview
If you are new to woodcarving and just started researching the techniques, styles, and tools, you can easily be overwhelmed by the exhaustive types of wood carving knives that are tough to choose from. At the beginning of your first projects, there is so much to think about: what wood would you use (soft or hard), how big of a project would you like to work on (small figures or large scope projects), should you use a carving or a whittling knife, if you need a power carving tool, and so on. In this article, we will cover the basis of which BeaverCraft wood carving knife you should use for different types of projects, overviewing the most popular knives among beginners who are new to this hobby.
There are many different features that make a wood carving knife, whether it’s a palm tool for small-scale projects or mallets for redesigning your furniture. A good carving knife, in general, should have a comfortable handle shape that is easy to grip and which won’t make your hand hurt if you are using it for a longer period of time. Blades of the best carving knives are made of high-carbon steel, while they can vary in shapes: straight, curved, a drop-pint shape, depending on the purpose of the knife. The cutting edge is an essential part of all whittling knives, and having a knife whose cutting edge is durable (needless to sharpen often), and easy to finish with sandpaper or a sharpening stone when the time comes, is of utmost importance. Even as a beginner, you need to have a knife that you can rely on, and not waste your time sharpening it every now and again.
Here at BeaverCraft, we make knives for both wood carving professionals and beginner whittling pioneers. All of the tools from our store are made in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and are promising good quality - the knives you buy come with a lifetime guarantee by the manufacturer. Besides thorough quality control over the blades and knives we produce, we are also here to help you overcome the challenges in your whittling projects. On your BeaverCraftTools Youtube channel, we post regular carving tutorials, explaining step-by-step bird carving or astronaut carving projects, assisting you in how to choose a wood carving knife for each step.
Small spoon C4 Wood Carving Whittling Knife - carving knife for soft and hardwood
What you need to know about this knife
The C4 is a small wood carving knife with a straight blade, designed for removing heavy stock of wood with its rounded point on top. The knife is tested and works well for both softwood (such as pine, cedar), and harder wood types (maple or oak). The comfortable handle of the knife is made from oak wood, covered with natural linseed oil to keep the handle from getting damaged. The symmetry of the handle is specially made to be used by both left-handed and right-handed wood carving craftsmen. The blade of the sloyd knife is made from hardened steel, very resilient, and pre-sharpened for use straight out of the box. The cutting edge is extremely durable and you won’t need to pause your project to sharpen this knife.
The essential features
- Small sloyd knife for palm carving
- Straight blade with a Rounded tip
- Good for both soft and hardwood
- Oak handle covered with natural linseed oil
- Symmetrical handle for left-handed and right-handed craftsmen
Best projects to do with this knife
This small sloyd whittling is designed for spoon carving projects, and besides cutting out spoons, it is good for scoops, walking sticks, slingshots, and many other projects. The razor sharpness of this knife and its rounded tip makes it an essential tool for doing the following projects:
- Coffee Scoop Carving - a wooden scoop made out of basswood for every home.
- Carving a Carve Kuksa with a Bear Head - a traditional Swedish cup for drinking hot beverages during forest fall camping with friends.
Strong C6 Chip Carving Knife - knife for precision detailed wood carving
What you need to know about this knife
C6 is a strong chip carving knife with a blade designed for carving the details and shapes onto the wood surface. It is the best wood carving knife to add to the toolkit you use to make sculptures out of wood, as it is the perfect final step to cut small geometric lines in your piece. The handle is made of ashwood, covered with natural linseed oil, and shaped to allow you a strong grip and great precision for detailed work. High carbon steel is used for the blade, that is hardened and sharpened, with a cutting edge that is very resistant and stays sharp throughout the project. As all the best whittling knives manufacturers, BeaverCraft cares that the knives are made of natural materials and do not harm the environment. This small carving knife is also designed for both left-handed and right-handed folks.
The essential features
- Strong carbon steel blade for detail carving
- The best knife for precision work and engraving
- Comfortable ashwood handle for left-handed and right-handed users
- Eco-friendly materials with no chemicals
Best projects to do with this knife
This precision knife works great for carving geometrical elements, both curved and smooth, such as lines, triangles, but also engraving letters, caricature and animal carving, and so much more. The blade is the best for the projects such as:
- Carving an Axe out of Wood - a relief carving project for which curves and delicate parts the C6 knife is needed.
- Carving a Beaver Out of Wood - a charming beginner animal carving project, perfect to introduce you to animal and caricature carving.
- Carving a Wooden Owl - a super easy whittling project that can be completed in no time.
Razor-sharp blade C2 Wood Carving Bench Knife - best for complex wood carving projects
What you need to know about this knife
The C2 small bench knife is a good wood carving knife for all kinds of projects. It is hand-made by our craftsmen in Ukraine, with a blade from hardened high-carbon steel that is very resistant for hardwood such as mahogany and maple. The cutting edge is razor-sharp and it slides right through softwood such as basswood blocks, that are often used for small wood carving and whittling projects. It is easily sharpened with sandpaper, and it doesn’t need to be sharpened often. The handle is comfy, made from ashwood, polished and smooth, covered with natural linseed oil. BeaverCraft's best wood carving knives are designed for both left-handed and right-handed wood masters, and this is the case with the C2 bench knife as well.
The essential features
- A hand-made great quality knife
- Hardened high-carbon steel blade
- Razor-sharp, ideal for basswood projects
- Performs well with hardwood (maple, mahogany) as well
- Durable cutting edge, easy to sharpen
Best projects to do with this knife
The C2 bench knife is a small knife that is performing well for small palm projects. The fact that it can make miracles with both hard and softwood is valuable as you can choose a good-quality wood before you dive into carving and polishing beautiful figures for your collection. This knife is essential for carving an elephant out of wood, and it is easy to do it even if you are a beginner. Check out the BeaverCraft step-by-step tutorial to help you out in this endeavor.
Detailed C8 Small Cutting Knife - top choice for delicate fine projects
What you need to know about this knife
C8 is specially designed to make beautiful projects with smooth surfaces and a lot of details cut and engraved into the wood. It is known to have performed rather well with basswood, pine, and cedar, but also harder wood such as oak and walnut. C8 knife has a thin blade, excellent for small detailed work, and the comfortable ashwood handle allows you great precision. The handle is covered with natural linseed oil, so you can adjust it to your grip and your palms won’t slide. The blade is hardened and sharpened, while the cutting edge is designed to cut out the exact amount of wood you need.
The essential features
- A thin blade for fine detailed work
- Works well with both soft and hardwood
- Comfortable ashwood handle
- The handle and the blade allow great precision work
- Durable cutting edge
Best projects to do with this knife
This small knife is handy for fine art wooden sculptures, but also spoon carving projects. The C8 wood carving knife is designed for cutting small elements in wood, detailing sculptures in the final step of the project, and fine chip carving. Check our the BeaverCraft youtube video on the projects C8 can do, and check out our favorites:
- Wood Spirit Carving Project - wood spirit figures are the favorite 3d caricatures of every woodcarving craftsman. With a BeaverCraft tutorial, it is easy to finish-up even if you are a beginner.
- Carving a Pineapple out of Wood - the exotic pineapple is a fresh wood carving idea and not very common, but it is a lot of fun with this knife.
- Wood Carving a Fairy Tale House - this project is super fun for children, but for grown-ups as well. The house has a lot of details and takes some time an special effort.
The ultimate best carving knife for wood carving projects - C15 Detail Wood Carving Knife
What you need to know about this knife
This is the knife you can use in almost any palm carving project. It is the best knife for whittling caricature and animal projects. The C15 detailed wood carving knife has a fine point and it is the best at making narrow cuts. The knife is made with a flexible blade enabling great precision. It is designed for making delicate cuts, for engraving letters and curved shapes into the wood, definitely a good choice if you are a perfectionist. The blade is made of steel that holds an edge for razor cutting straight out of the box. The handle is made of ashwood, designed ergonomically to support your palm and prevent your hand from getting tired. The blade is very sharp and easy to sharpen with a sharpening stone when you use out the cutting edge. Once you start carving, you will use this knife for every whittling endeavor.
The essential features
- A detailed carving knife with a fine point for precision carving
- The flexible blade that holds an edge for a long time
- Razor-sharp cutting edge easy to sharpen when necessary
- Ergonomic ashwood handle for long-duration projects
Best projects to do with this knife
C15 is used in most of the projects whose tutorials you can find on BeaverCraft youtube channel. It is a wood whittling knife that is essential to any toolkit, and very easy to use, that will make you want to enjoy additional carving projects. With C15 every wooden caricature becomes possible and easy to make. Here are our favorite wood carving projects that include a C15 detailed knife:
- Carving an Axe out of Wood - a fun and simple whittling project for beginners, with delicate parts for which C15 finds great use.
- Wood Carving Little People - a challenging detailed carving project that involves a lot of skills, becomes much easier once you use wood carving patterns from BeaverCraft.
- Carving a Wooden Bird Project - you don’t need many tools to perform carving a wood out of a basswood block, but C15 detailed knife helps with the feather lines and a beak.
C16 Big Roughing Knife - General-purpose knife for every wood carving project
What you need to know about this knife
This big knife is shaped by removing big stocks of wood to create the initial shape of your animal or caricature figure. Its straight blade with a rounded tip is an excellent starting point for your wood carving project, but also for large-scope projects such as re-doing your furniture to design a fresh interior. The C16 knife is the ultimate general-purpose knife for wood carving and a great friend to beginners. The blade is extremely sharp, with a cutting edge that is very durable, cutting easily through soft and hardwood. The handle is made of ashwood, strong and easy to hold a grip, enabling a lot of control over the knife blade. Its ergonomic design allows you to use this knife for hours before getting tired.
The essential features
- Big roughing knife for removing big stocks of wood
- Straight blade with an extremely sharp cutting edge
- Rounded tip for removing hardwood and softwood
- Ergonomically designed ashwood handle for durable use
Best projects to do with this knife
Since C16 is a big knife for roughing, it goes with almost any toolkit, as a valuable asset to get your project started. Whether you are choosing basswood, pine, cedar blocks, or something harder and firmer such as walnut, alder, mahogany, maple, or oak, the sharp edge of this knife will cut through anything in no time. The longitude of the blade allows great control enabling you to cut out just the wood you wanted, leaving you with the primary shape of your sculpture ready for a spoon and detailed carving. Even as a beginner, you can get started with intriguing projects such as:
- Carving a Bunny out of Wood - the rabbit animal carving is the cutest project we ever made a tutorial for in BeaverCraft. With C16 and a detailed knife in your toolset, and a step-by-step video in front of you, you will learn how to carve this fluffy animal with ease.
- Christmas Tree Wood Carving - now with holidays coming, there is no better timing to try out the beginner style of wood carving and make yourself a Christmas tree out of basswood. This is a great project to learn how to use C16 carving knives for wood.
DK1S Drawknife With Oak Handle in Leather Sheath - Strong carbon steel blade with dual handles for shaving projects
What you need to know about this knife
The BeaverCraft DK1S Drawknife features dual oak wood handles and a razor-sharp durable high carbon steel blade. The blade is made of hardened steel, pre-sharpened to be used straight from the box, and easy to sharpen with a sharpening stone or sandpaper. The cutting edge is extremely durable, while the oak wood handles are covered with natural linseed oil, comfortable for a carving project of two or more hours straight. The blade steel itself is very hard and stays sharp for a long, allowing you great control over the knife. This DK1S drawknife comes with a soft leather sheath to protect you from getting cut while taking out the knife from the toolkit box.<
The essential features
- Dual oak wood handles with a carbon steel blade knife
- Hardened high carbon steel with a razor-sharp edge
- Sharpened to be used straight upon delivery, and easy to sharpen again
- Strong blade and comfortable handles allowing great control over the knife
- Leather sheath to protect you from getting cut when storing the knife
Best projects to do with this knife
A drawknife is also known as the drawing knife, draw shave, or a shaving knife. The main purpose of these knives is to shape big wooden blocks by removing shavings from their surface. This is a great tool for removing small shallow slices of wood for a flat wooden outer shape. This particular knife is designed to slice the tiny parts or shape small circles. The blade is extremely thin (2mm in total), to enable delicate work when finishing-up your projects. The DK1S drawknife can be very useful for shaving a horse within a Horse Wood Carving project, and similar caricature and animal carving endeavors in softwood.
When you are just beginning your wood carving adventure and are wondering where to buy wood carving knives for your first projects as the emerging whittling craftsman, check out our BeaverCraft offer of the best knives for whittling. All the knives on our list are easy to use and get used to, and even if your projects aren’t going as well as you hoped, you can always check out our Youtube channel for step-by-step tutorials to follow while carving interesting new designs. We will help you choose the type of wood to use for each project style, as well as the selection of the toolkit needed to achieve a great final wooden sculpture. Once you get used to different wood carving and whittling styles, you can experiment on your own and create variations to the patterns you have mastered with BeaverCraft.
Whittle Away with BeaverCraft
If you are feeling insecure to begin working on your first sculpture wood carving project and don’t know where to start - we’ve got you covered! Our articles will take you through the selection of the BeaverCraft wood carving knife you need for your beginner’s projects, and the wood carving knives you will need to assist you in roughing and detailed work. Once your hand gets used to the whittling knife, you will feel the liberating pleasure of creating objects out of wood with your bare hands, and enjoy the relief of carving animal projects whenever you feel under stress or you wish to relax in your workshop or outdoors.
Start your wood carving adventure and join our community of BeaverCraft craftsmen today!
FAQ about carving knives
What is a wood carving knife, and what is it used for?
A wood carving knife is a specialized tool used for carving and shaping wood. It typically has a sharp, pointed blade with a curved or straight edge, and a comfortable handle for gripping. Wood carving knives are used for carving intricate designs and details into wood, as well as for roughing out and shaping larger pieces of wood.
What are the different types of wood carving knives?
There are several types of wood carving knives available, including:
- Straight knife: A knife with a straight blade, used for making straight cuts and shaping wood.
- Hook knife: A knife with a curved blade, used for carving concave shapes and hollows.
- Chip carving knife: A knife with a short, straight blade, used for making intricate cuts and designs.
- Detail knife: A knife with a small, pointed blade, used for fine detail work.
What should I look for when buying a wood carving knife?
When buying a wood carving knife, look for a blade made of high-quality steel that holds a sharp edge. The handle should be comfortable to grip and easy to control. Consider the size and shape of the blade based on the type of carving you plan to do. A good wood carving knife should feel well-balanced in your hand and allow you to make precise cuts.
How do I care for my wood carving knife?
To keep your wood carving knife in good condition, clean and dry it after each use. Sharpen the blade regularly using a sharpening stone or honing rod. Store the knife in a sheath or protective cover to prevent damage to the blade. Avoid using your wood carving knife for other purposes besides carving wood, as this can cause the blade to become dull or damaged.
Author:
Roman Law
Wood carving guru
From a childhood enchanted by nature, my passion for wood carving guided me on a path of creativity. With a pocket knife, I uncovered the transformative power of my hands, breathing life into driftwood and forging a lifelong connection with the medium.