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What is Chip Carving?

Chip carving is a style of carving in which knives or chisels are used to remove small chips of the material from a flat surface in a single piece. It is a traditional craft based on a series of shallow cuts, which when conbine produce decorative patterns. Samples of work can be seen to the right.
 
Chip Carving Knives: Chip Carving Knives come in a variety of shapes ad sizes. However, two knives in particular are predominantly used; a cutting knife and a stab knife.
The cutting knife has a straight edge for removing chips while the stab knife  has a sharpened skewed end which is used to make decorative indentations
 
Key Principles of Chip Carving:
Firstly it is very important to understand the correct method of holding the Chip Carving Knives. The video beneath explains the correct method to get you on your way to developing your skills:
Correctly holding the Cutting Knife Position:
 
  1. Initially take the knife and position it in the palm of your writing hand.
  2. Secondly, wrap 3 fingers around handle, followed by bringing the index finger around and positioning it along the edge of the handle.
  3. Turning your wrist, lock your thumb against the opposite side of the handle. 
 
 Correctly holding the Cutting Knife Position 2
  1. Initially take the knife and position it in the palm of your writing hand.
  2. Secondly, wrap 3 fingers around handle, followed by bringing the index finger around and positioning it along the edge of the handle.
  3. Turn your wrist and lock your thumb against the back of the handle.
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When forming both of these grips a "Stable Tripod" should be formed between the thumb, the knuckle of the index finger and the tip of the blade.
 

 

Correctly holding the Stab Knife:
  1. Initially take the knife and position it in the palm of your writing hand.
  2. Secondly, wrap fingers around handle. 
  3. Holding the knife in an upright position place your thumb on the top of the handle. 
 
This Knife merely indents and displaces the fibres of the wood rather than removing them.
This is a similar grip to how you might click the top of a retractable pen. The Stab Knife can be held in both inward and outward positions. 
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Checklist:

  • Poplar Dimension (170mmx170mmx10mm)​

  • Downloaded Chip Carving Pattern

  • Chip Carving Knifes

  • Carbon Paper

  • Masking Tape

  • Pencil

  • Clamps x2

  • Sand paper

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