carving gloves

[Tom Sontag]

For the first time I just spent an entire afternoon carving on a piece. What an awesome way to spend shop time!

I was simply removing chips from a cherry piece - nothing too challenging from a shaping standpoint - and managed to beat up my left hand enough to make me wonder if a glove would have helped. I was using my left hand to guide the gouge and the ring finger rubbing on the wood abraded enough to bleed on the work. No big deal - I always sign my work this way - but probably avoidable. I also got an abrasion/blister on my thumb where the gouge handle rammed into it repeatedly.

So I do not need a Kevlar glove because I am stabbing at myself, but perhaps there is some protection you can recommend. Or will these problems go away with experience/skill?

[Mike Pounders]

You will build up callouses the more you carve! But you shouldn't need a kevlar glove if you aren't holding your work in one hand and carving with the other, as long as the other hand isn't in front of the sharp end! You could wear a leather glove, but you might try wrapping your hand in tape or a bandage. A lot of carvers use veterinary wrap to protect thumbs and fingers. You can buy a large roll pretty cheap at Tractor Supply Company or other places that carry livestock stuff. If I'm carving all day, I like to wrap the base of my index finger on my hand holding the knife. The extra cushioning keeps it from getting too sore.

[Mark Yundt]

+1
give it time. Tape can help until skills develop and you aren't beating yourself up. And if you carve often enough , and long enough callouses do show up. I have what looks like a growth on some fingers.
Doesn't take long.
I tend to think a glove would hinder the dexterity and feel needed for carving effectively.
Just curious, do you happen to be using palm type chisels?

[John McClanahan]

I don't carve, but if I ever do I have a meat cutter's glove. :D:D


John

[Tom Sontag]

...Just curious, do you happen to be using palm type chisels?

Nope, standard Pfeil chisels.

Thanks all. I've got three more pieces so I'll probably wrap a finger with tape until I earn my calluses.

[terry mccammon]

Just a word. I carve small objects that I hold in my hand, so I wear a glove and a thumb guard on the tool hand. I reinforced my thumb guard with the Vet's tape mentioned on this thread. Of course I went out to get the cheapest I could find. It turns out that the color from the tape rubs off on my work. So if you get tape and if you handle the work with the taped fingers, make sure you don't mess up your work with your tape.