PDA

View Full Version : Wood Carver's Supply



Bill Keehn
02-07-2009, 12:32 PM
I'm pretty new to carving. I've been getting a catalog from Wood Carver's Supply. Some of the stuff looks pretty interesting, but most of what they have are brands I'm not familiar with. Anybody here bought from them?

They carry Lamp brand carving gouges. Again, they look like decent tools, but I'm not familiar with them. Anybody use them?

David Keller NC
02-08-2009, 11:19 AM
Bill - I've never even heard of "lamp" brand, and I know a lot of carvers. If they're exceptionally cheap (around $15 a tool), there may be a reason. I'd recommend buying one or two only, then check them out in the shop. You may find them to be a decent tool, then again, you may find that they're not up to snuff.

David Keller NC
02-08-2009, 11:23 AM
Bill - Took a look at Woodcarver's site - now I know why I've never heard of them, the site states that they're made to WoodCarver's specifications. My thought is that these may be made by Hirsch or one of the other big German companies, with a different ferrule and handle wood that is otherwise supplied with the name-brand.

German steel has a pretty good reputation, but I'll note that these tools are sold at a fair premium over Pfiel. Pfiel enjoys a very good reputation for steel (which I think is accurate), so I think I'd have to have a powerful reason to want these tools over the Pfiels. Generally, if I wanted premium carving tools I'd choose Ashley Isles, which are hand-forged.

William Lewis
02-08-2009, 3:08 PM
Your best bet before buying any carving tools is to see them in person. Florida in the winter time has a lot of carving shows. That way you can pick up a tool and hold it in your hand, try on a piece of wood, a lot of vendors encurage that. Hope this helps, otherwise for a newbie you could buy a lot of knives and hand tools you don,t like or are uncorfortable. Also check to see if any Woodcarving clubs in your area.

Good luck
Bill Lewis

Robert Rozaieski
02-08-2009, 9:56 PM
Bill,

I have heard of Lamp tools but I have not personally used them. I believe they are German manufactured and they are supposed to be a good tool, similar in quality to Dastra, Two Cherries, Ashley Isles, Henry Taylor or any of the other popular carving tools from what I've read. But again I've not actually used them so I cannot speak from experience. They also carry the Acorn tools from Henry Taylor which are the tools I use and I like them a lot.

Christopher Harris
02-10-2009, 8:26 AM
I've used them and they are good tools. Made by a company right down the street from Carl Heidtmann Tools. My carving instuctor has several and they seem to work just fine.

Chris Harris

Bill Keehn
02-11-2009, 12:00 PM
Thanks for the input. Yes, they say they are made in Germany and have a rockwell hardness of rc61-63.

I have a modest set of Pfeil gouges right now. The Lamp are priced similaryly but with a couple of features that might be better. Handles are hornbeam instead of the ash that Pfeil uses. The tang end has a little more shoulder and seems to rest on the ferrule. This make it seem more like a socket, which seems like a pretty sound idea.

I may do as Dave suggested and order one or two and see how they are.