Finger Carving

[hidepounder]

Go to google image search and paste in:

Victorian Calligraphy

Now you should have some more pattern options :-)

Tina....that is a great tip for anyone who wants to find images to practice using their swivel knife. I often google "Line Art" to find images for inspiration but the "Victorian Calligraphy" search is even better! Another source of inspiration for these types of patterns can be found on many of the gun engraving sites. It's a lot more fun to practice cutting some of these images than to just practice the same old cuts over and over....although sometimes making repeatitive cuts is what is necessary to master a particular manuever.

[hidepounder]

Hey Ed,

I had seen Bob's work before but was having trouble finding the examples I was thinking of since it's usually part of a bigger picture. Yours was the most recent picture I saw and stand by my comment of it being a very nice example.

Spinner.....I would like to echo your sentiments about Ed's finger carving. He does a beautiful job....comparable to the very best.

Bobby

Edited November 11, 2010 by hidepounder

[reddevil76]

Just found this old thread. I'm curious, there are some very broad cuts in finger carving, after trying out straight hollow ground, angled, angled hollow ground, straight blades, I still could not get the cuts like what i see??

Also, the lines I cut does not have the deep brown colour like those in the pictures. I assume after finger cutting, the masters doesn't use hi-lites to darken the cuts?

[TwinOaks]

The width of the cut can be varied by the depth of the cut, AND by drawing the blade at a slight angle.......think of cars "drifting" around curves. And you are correct- the cuts are either hi-lited or antiqued to darken them.

[hidepounder]

Also, the lines I cut does not have the deep brown colour like those in the pictures. I assume after finger cutting, the masters doesn't use hi-lites to darken the cuts?

Mike is right, the examples that you are looking at have been antiqued or Hi-Lited or at a minimum finished with NeatLac (at least the examples of my work are). That is why they look dark.

With regard to the depth of cut there are a couple of things to look at. First, the leather needs to properly cased to aid in keeping the cuts open. Secondly you swivel knife must be sharp. That is the biggest problem that I see over and over again. The leather worker thinks their knife is sharp when it isn't. Lastly the thickness of the swivel knife blade makes a difference as does the angle at which the blade is ground. A thin blade or a blade sharpened at a steep angle will not lay the cut open like a thick blade or a blade sharpened at a flat angle.

Hope this helps....

Bobby

[reddevil76]

Thank you, Bobby and Mike.