[Woodcarver] Help again with tools!

[Don Robinson]

Chris,
  My two cents worth.
  When I began carving about a year and a half ago, I was a complete neophyte. Had never carved and  didn't know anyone who had carved.
  I did a lot of research on the web and hung out at the Woodcarving Illustrated Forum where I gleaned a ton of information. I finally sent an email to Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers(http://www.woodcarvers.com) with a tentative order and asked them if they thought  those items appropriate for a novice carver.They were very helpful.
  My order comprised of a Murphy knife, a beginners set of Ramelson palm tools, a carving glove, a thumb guard, a strop and compound.Total investment around $65 as I remember. I have since bought a few different knives since the Murphy knife I found difficult to keep an edge. I really like Bud Murray's knives and I have several.
  Since then, I have carved well over a hundred Hiking Staffs and walking sticks, a lot of Christmas ornaments, Easter bunnies, Easter eggs,Mike Shipleys Country folk , a few spoons and a couple of relief carvings using only those initial tools.
  Hope this helps
  Don
Chris <tooker at rogers.com> wrote:
  Gentle Dripplers :-) Please support our List with a donation: http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html

          Hi Ya Everyone,
  Just wanted to say Hi! Hope all is well in your neck of the woods :)   I think I have mentioned in the past on the Woodcarver Digest that I had bought some carving tools from Ebay.  Well as it turned out when they finally got here, all the people who warned me of this were right?  They finally came and are terrible tools.  It is a set made by Hawk, cheap Chinese junk I believe.  The tools are made of very very rough steel which I have found aren't sharpening very well.  I am back to the beginning again due to the waiting and the very poor tools. So I am wondering if I can get some help again as good tools make good carvings?  If so, What tools should I get to start trying to carve with?      Sharp tools being the key to good carvings.  I am not sure which size of gouges, skews or V tools I will need and possibly a stab knife and chip knife for relief.  I don't think I will be doing any large carvings.  I would like to do some small to medium size relief carvings and some
 "in the round" animal carvings that I have some patterns for that will only be about 5 to 6 inches long and I believe require layering of 3/4" boards of 3 to 4 layers.
      I guess the major problem for me is which sizes of tools to get.  Should I be getting detail tools for the work I want to do for now? 
  Again I am very confused as to where to go now as this debacle from eBay has definitely set me back and have to start all over again. All I have is the very awesome Ron Wells bench knife I got from Jan such a great knife.  I don't have alot of money to spend as I have been off work doing the full time Daddy thing with my son :)
  I hope everyone who helped before will give me pointers once again    
     Hope you can get me started...AGAIN ;)
   
  Chris Huggins
  Collingwood, Canada
   

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