When it comes to wood carving, similar to many other crafts, it’s important to properly care for your collection of tools. The way you care for them has a significant impact on how long they last and how well they perform when using them for your wood carving projects.
At Ramelson, we are a leading manufacturer of USA-made wood carving knives and tools . While our products are manufactured with high-quality materials and designed to last, proper tool maintenance and care will help extend longevity, enhance performance, and ensure quality results. Below, our experts share some helpful wood carving tool care tips.
Keep Your Carving Knives and Tools Sharp
It is important that the wood carving knives and tools you use for your projects are sharp. You should always sharpen knives, chisels, gouges, and other carving tools before using them for the first time and regularly after that. A wood carving sharpening stone is an excellent investment to make as it will help prevent your tools from getting dull.
Use a Leather Strop
In addition to using a sharpening stone, using a leather knife strop will help keep your knife blades razor sharp. Stropping is an essential way to maintain the factory edge of a tool. The best leather strops are two-sided. One side is rough, and the other is smoother for high-sheen and razor-sharp finishes. It is recommended to use a polishing compound with carving strops to help remove hardened steels.
Store Properly
Storing your carving tools properly plays an important role in determining how long they will last. Due to the extreme sharpness of some of the tools, they should never be tossed into a box drawer just rolling loosely around. Keeping all of your tools together in a box or drawer makes them prone to becoming damaged and dull. A leather tool roll is great for safe storage, but if you have a lot, consider using a tool rack specifically designed for wood carving tools.
Keep Them Clean
Keeping your carving knives and tools clean will help them last longer. If they start to develop some rust or get dirty, make sure that they are cleaned before sharpening or using them. There are special oils that can be used to clean the tools, but they must be rinsed and dried thoroughly. Leaving tools wet and sitting out will lead to rusting that could make tools unusable.
Proper care and maintenance
Proper care and maintenance is a great way to keep your carving knives and tools protected and performing their best. At Ramelson, we offer a wide selection of some of the best wood carving tools available. We also carry the supplies you need to keep tools sharp, clean, and durable. Shop our collection of products today.