Does your wood talk to you?

[Cut_Fingers]

Hey All,

Most of you regulars know that I'm a relatively new carver. I haven't gotten to drawing the patterns, yet. Sometimes I look at other peoples carving & go from there. Most times, I just take a small block of wood and let it tell me what it wants to be. Is that crazy or what? Does wood really have the ability to speak to you?

Do any of you hear the wood talking to you?

Just wanted to get your thoughts!

By-the-way, I just started using my Murphy Carving Knife, which was pre-sharpened. It's amazing how nicely its slides thru my Basswood. It does provide a more pleasent carving experience. I guess like all things, when you have the proper tools, things go better.

I do have a question. I have used an exacto set of blades in the past. Now, I realize that they are not really sharp. Can I sharpen them (or strop them) or do I need to get a better set of blades. Sometimes, I need a unique blade style to do the cutting that I need. Any thoughts? maybe the Warren set?

I appreciate & look forward to your thoughts. Especially if your wood talks to you!

Regards,
Jim

Jim,
Yes, my wood does talk to me. I haven't had any time to carve lately; although I have a truckload of Wisconsin Basswood sitting in my shop. I must say, I don't like what it has been saying lately. :-/

[BasketballJones]

Jim,

Razor blades don't sharpen much because they are cut by lasers. The steel is soft and it would take a laser to put that edge on the soft, brittle steel. I wonder how they cut razor blades before lasers.

The wood speaks to certain carvers the way a canvas speaks to an artist or an engine speaks to a mechanic. It has to do with the right side of the brain, the creative thought process. Most people suppress this in their/or daily routines as the analytical, reasoning process is the main focus of the brain and our conscious lives (it's how we get stressed out). In other words they/we only use half their/our brain. Artists, musicians, craftsman, writers are conditioned (some naturally) to involve their creativity with the analytical left side of the brain. This is the basis for teaching our mental health clients art therapy, and in stress management we use music and art/creativity. We try to get the right side of the brain more involved to calm down the left side; to smell the roses so to speak.

So if the wood is talking to you it means your allowing your creative interest (your hobby, interest) to become part of your thinking process. If it's really talking to you, you need to call Dr. Phil. In English, it means you truly enjoy your woodcarving and/or the piece you are working on.

To prove that my psycho mumbo jumbo is true. Before you throw a piece of wood in the fireplace, do you first look at at to see if it is a good carving piece? If you answer yes, then your creative thought process is part of your daily routine.

[AlArchie]

I don't use my exactos much at all any more, but every so often, THEY talk to me and demand to be used......they strop up fine, but like Jones said, they don't hold up very well so will need more service than your good carving knife. I haven't bought any new x acto blades in years..just strp them up or even hit the stone with them. Same with a utility knife..they have throw away blades, too, but will hone up many times before they have to be thrown away. Guess I'm just from a generation that doesn't like to throw servicable items away!

I have several sets of palm and small and micro gouges, all excellent tools, but every so often, I run into a spot where only a #10 x-acto blade will fill the bill. I've also bent a few of those hobby blades into special shapes, re-treated them and they work fine. Let's not denegrate these things too badly. They ain't a Cape Forge, but they are servicable, and fill a niche in the carving world.

Al

[Nancy_G]

No - I've used a whole lot of wood and I've never had a piece speak to me.
However, I've spoken quite sharply to a few pieces.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Yeh, you're 'rotten', you are 'knot' what I expected, if only you 'wood' cooperate and not leave me out on a 'limb', we need to get to the 'root' of the problem and stop 'barking' up the wrong tree! :

[oldbearx2]

Hey Jim don't know if the wood talks to me but it does look at me. Whenever a do a carving in the square, where I just start with a block pf wood, I try to visulize the carving in the wood when I see it looking back I know I can start. Wife says I'm crazy but she's been saying that for 35 years. have fun, carve oldbearx2




Harold

[squbrigg]

Always! It is up to me to listen. If I ignore what it has to tell me about what is inside, then I do so at my peril! So, I've learned to listen.

As to what that says about me...... :-/..........don't know, don't care. An old adage said: 'Man who talks to himself, normal. Man who talks to animals, also normal. Man who has animals talking to him and he listens......not so normal!' I guess that places me square in the last catagory, or worse. But then my dog always made more sense than most people around this neck of the woods.

Bob

[Kenny_S]

Mostly it is just 'OUCH' every time I put the blade to it! :

[colin_partridge]

If you knew me then you would know that everything talks to me especially the wood. I know that everything is connected when it has to do with nature. If you dont believe me take a walk in the woods sometimes. Funny thing about the woods you never feel alone and you never feel scared just that calm that hovers over you. I have been asked many times when I carve my sculptures if the tree tells me where to put the carving. I tell them the same thing every time. Absolutly, without the tree telling me how would I know where it is supposed to go. Also they want to know how I know when the carving is finished. That one is really easy when the tree or the log tells me it is finished. I may be a little excentric but you know I dont care. I think you have to be to be an artist. Besides that if they are saying things about me they are leaving someone else alone.
Colin