Came across this on theebay today. They seem to be the sort of chisels that
Scott is talking about. Nice use of 'chinglish'!
best wishes,
Mike Lynd
*eBay item number:182431970513*
*New 62pcs ASSORTED LOT WOOD CARVING TOOLS, Wood Chisel*
The southern Chinese city of Donyang has been one of the major centers of
wood carving in China since the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907AD). Our cutting
tools come from the best blacksmith in Donyang. He still uses the centuries
old traditional methods with these tools. The larger carving gauges have
conical tangs to keep the handle from splitting when struck with the
traditional iron mallet(socket chisel). The cutting edges are remarkably
durable. The smaller detail carving tools are made of a single layer of
carbon steel (C60) with the harness of (RC 58). The large carving gauges
are made of double layered steel and have a cutting edge whose harness is
over (RC 60). As with Chines tradition, the blade is only coarsely finished
by the blacksmith. Those willing to take the time to hone it to perfection,
will be rewarded with extraordinary life-time carving tool at an unbeatable
price.
*Guide for sharpener knowledge*
For circle sharpener, it should grinding the ora inside first, then the ora
outside. For the plane sharpener, it also should grinding the planear
surface first, then the slant. And for the triangular sharpener, it needn’t
grind a lot, it will be OK to grind the exit by small particles.
To avoid the quality of the knife, I suggest the users had better not grind
the knife by machine.
*Application for the knives*
There are so many kind of gravers, it classified two kinds basically. The
one is cutter blank which looks like a shape of tube. The other one is
dress smooth knife looks like a long drill bits. They all mainly used for
excavation and dress smooth. The widest chisel can be 4-6cm, and the
narrowest only as little as a needlepoint. When choosing the knives for the
beginner of woodcarving, you should learn the purpose of the different
knives, then pruchase them from the manufacturer or the store.
*Circle knife:* mainly used for the rotundity and the dent in the circle,
it also very useful for carving traditional flower, for example , the
circle surface of the flower leaf ,the petal and the limb all need to be
disposed by the circle knife. It can save effort by using the circle knife
landscape orientation,it can adapt it whether for big ups and downs, and
small changes. Otherwise, the lines of the circle knife is not affirm, it
is flexible and easy to use. According to the different purpose, the sizes
of the circle knife can be different, the range of the sizes is between
5cm-0.5cm. When making a people carving, it should grind away the two horns
of the knife, makes it a arc of circle, or else you not only can’t push it
but also can damage the sides of the dent when carving the dents. When
making the relievo, it should retain the two horns, and use them to carve
the corners, thereby you should prepare two kind of knives. There are pros
and cons of a circle knife. The bevel is in the groove, and the knife back
looks straight is called pros circle knife. It can put in the wood deeper,
and to be optimal for making the round sculpture, especially when knockout
or dig the base. The bevel is on the knife back, and the internal groove
looks straight is called cons circle knife. It can put the wood relax and
can gently push and pick the earth, and it is more useful in the relievo.
The shape of the circle knife can be made of bending according to demands,
in order to dig for a deeper corner.
*Plain cutter*: the ora of the knife is straight. It mainly used to cleave,
cut, and razing the concave-convex of the wood to make it flatness. For big
size it also can be made to chisel bigger. If can use it properly, it will
looks like painting, and appears powerful and vivid natural. The acute
angle of the plain knife can reticle, it can eliminate the tool angle or
the imprint pattern when the two knives intersect. The wood carving figures
in Sweden and Russia more used the plain cutter, there is a strong fun of
the wood knife.
*Slant knife:* It assume about 45 angle bevel in the ostium. Mainly used
for dress smooth for the products’ corners and hollow out . When carving
the canthus of a man, the slant knife is more easy used. The slant knife
also classify for backhand and forehand, in order to proper for each
directions.
Impress knife：the ostium of the knife is flat and has pitch for both sides.
The traditional carving consider that the ostium in the middle, and it can
keep the van straight, and can aviod shaking for others. It can also used
for carving clothing and the design of the items.
*Triangle knife:* It is looks like a triangle of the ostium. Because of the
frontal surface on both side, the focus of the tartness is on the neutral
angle. You should choose the proper steel tools when making the triangle
knife(normally we use the round steel for 4-6mm). Mill out a triangle
groove for 55-60 degree, rubdown both waist, wear its end to ostium of the
knife. The big as the degree, the thick of the line will. Whereas, the
thinner. Triangle knife mainly used for carve the hair or the decoration
line. It also was the usual tool for printing and watermark woodcarving art
edition. The knifepoint press on the board when handling, then the wood
crumbs spit out from the triangle groove, finally, it will depict lines at
the part where the knifepoint pressed.
*Arc knife：*common name “the head of a monk” and “chisel of a butterfly”.
The ostium is arc, it is a knife for dress smooth which between the circle
knife and the plain cutter. It classifies for circle arc and slanting arc.
And it can replace the plain knife the circle knife when they can’t be
used. It’s characteristic is quite relax, it’s not that shutter as plain
cutter, and not that concave as the circle knife. It’s properly used on the
concave part.
When choosing these knives, you should be careful with the purpose of the
knifepoints’ thick or thin.
What is called the cutting head, it’s the part of knife when using it. The
thinner it is, the sharpper it is, but the worse for the substance. As this
condition, the cutting head for carving the rough can be thicker properly
in order to bear the kncok of the sinker and the forcibly grub. The knife
for dress smooth should be thinner, and then it can carve the wood smoothly.
Above all, when choose the station of the tools, it must strictly according
to the character of the craftwork, can’t be replaced at discretion. Further
more, it should be guaranteed no matter the quality or the quatity. In the
traditional art carving, the wood carving usually as much as hundreds of
that. It should also has 30 pcs of the normal craftwork. Of course, that is
just a little part of the usually used tools, and it’s been used once in a
while for some of it.
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