palm carving vs. straight chisel carving

[Tom Jones III]

I would like to try a little low relief carving but I am not sure what the difference is between these two styles of carving tools. Obviously the palm tools cannot be hit with a mallet, but is that much of an issue with low relief carving? What are the other differences?

Note, I am not asking about the relative value of the brands pictured, the pictures are only so that I can explain the two different styles of tools that I am asking about.

[Mike Henderson]

I think the choice of tool is just personal preference. I prefer the longer carving tools but that's what I learned on. The palm tools just never felt comfortable in my hand.

If you're just getting started, there's been some earlier threads that listed different people's preferences for a starting set of carving tools. The one comment I'll make is that I find I use narrow gouges much more than wide gouges.

Mike

[Steve Wargo]

FWIW, I've never struck any of my "carving" tools with a mallet. All just hand pressure. If it needs to be hit with a mallet then I use a chisel. Save the gouges and v's and the likes for your hand pressure and you'll be sharpening much, much less. I like the longer handled ones as well. Probably have a couple dozen of the Pfeil's and they are a great tool.

[Louis Bois]

Tom...it's not unusual to be loved...er...hang on a minute...wrong Tom Jones!!!:D Sorry for that!

As the others in this thread have opined, mallets are rarely used in relief carving from my experience...especially in areas where precise control is required. If you've been following my rocking horse project, you'll notice that I've only used a mallet in one area because it was a difficult grain situation and access was limited. Most of the time, one hand pushes the tool while the other rests on the workpiece or table and guides the blade.

I use both types of tools, depending on the application. I love Auriou tools...they hold an edge tremendously well...and I use a set of Henry Taylor palm tools (received them as a gift) for finer detail. I find I get better control with these in tight spaces (ie, a marionette's face).

Trundle down to a Woodcraft or such and see if you can actually manipulate the tools before you buy. The palm sets are relatively inexpensive...but the long-handled types can get pricey!

Hope this helps.

Louis

[Pam Niedermayer]

You really need to be careful to avoid carpal tunnel when using palm tools, don't want to try bashing things with your palm.

Pam