My name is Lynne. I now wanna be called Oaklyn. Seriously awesome name. I watched a video about a year ago and thought no way. Since then my skill has gone way up by practicing not my friends and family seem to like it. Thank you for making other people happy in this world it seems to take a lot lately
Used the 199 for many years . Many new razor knifes on the market .. Most will not let the blade out to the second notch on the blade for safety .. The 199 holds the blade tight and allows the blade to be extended to the second notch .
This is absolutely fabulous! So many how-to videos utilize hundreds of dollars of equipment that I am unwilling to buy to give it a try. This is something I can try on a shoestring budget. Thanks!
I'm sorry I have to make another comment you are genius. Using the 2 hand method keeps my other hand out of the way and it worked. I just did a letter a and it looks fantastic and it was my first time. Thank you. I feel like saying thank you Obi Won Kenobi. Not drunk i'm just strange.
@Herrick Kimball I tried using the Router to make a sign. I hate Routers. They're powerful, and can be unpredictable. Being a woman I don't feel I have the strength to control the router sometime even though I try to use it. I'm just scared the whole time. Which obviously makes me not want to do projects with it. Then I end up with projects that look terrible. When I would work I act like to use the hand tools over power tools. It just feels better to me. It feels like I'm putting my heart into it. Plus my dad and my grandfather were both master carpenters. Not to mention it's my great grandfather. Who worked at a mill cutting trees. This would have been over a 100 years ago. He was unfortunately killed by a snapback. Not trying to be dramatic I just thought I would tell you that because what a way to go. I'm a paramedic so I can't imagine the mess. It still blows my mind. I still have my great grandfather's saws, and most of his tools. SORRY TMI.
Tip: I get a lot of extra life out of my utility knife blades by occasionally stropping them on corrugated cardboard or scrap wood as I work. Nice demo, thanks for showing this process and what’s possible!
@@bogus_not_methey probably don't want to be bothered with carrying a piece of leather around that you could forget/misplace every now and then especially in the workplace. Just my 2 cents
Excellent tutorial on using a utility knife for letter carving. For absolute beginners I would suggest wearing protective gloves to reduce risk of accidental slips, some of us can be accident prone, myself included. Thanks for sharing.
Good work made to look easy and it can possibly be easy for many due to your video Herrick. With appreciation! One suggestion I would like to add: all letterforms, such as the O, S, U, J, etc, that are curved along the baseline should, for optical reasons, sit slightly below the baseline. Otherwise those letters appear to “float” along the baseline. Thank-you. L. Seastone
People are so amazed when they ask me about chisels and how i made this or that and i tell them "a utility knife." I do use chisels and a dremel for all sorts of things. But the sharpness and ease of a utility knife is so freeing.
You actually did inspire me to get started carving with a Stanley Utility Knife. What a tremendous keepsake to pass on to a grandchild or other family member! Thanks a lot for sharing this video and this wonderful project with us. I am headed over now to the video where you explain and demonstrate how to build the little keepsake stool. If you can't tell, I'm really stoked and excited about this project. Thanks again.
Really useful - I'm just setting out doing some volunteer work for a local nature reserve and am planning to carve the name on a piece of wood that's part of one of the stiles we're repairing... always good to watch someone who looks like they know what they're doing !! All The Best, from Bristol, UK
So much to appreciate in this. Mainly, as mentioned and I'm sure is your point, no cnc router, no lasers. And what a resourceful craftsman can do with a knife. And actually, this is closer to the way sign carvers would approach the craft than chip carving. Two hands on the tool, mostly a carving skew with steep bevels. Maybe gouges and firmers for harder woods. I've done spice cabinet doors in Roman, but could've saved a lot of finicky layout using your elegant method. Above all, a thanks for these excellent, down-to-earth and very useful videos. A breath of fresh air, based on a thoughtful career's worth of experience, and not on something someone else posted last week on UA-cam, having just seen it themselves on someone else's channel, and so forth. Thanks.
thank you a lot for sharing this, im making a gift for my brother and i plan to do some carving but i dont have power tools so a utility knife will help tremendously
What some may or may not have realized, you are using your knife thumb, the one on the board, to pull the blade a very short distance which gives you very good control for where the cut is going cross grain but even more when cutting with the grain since with grain tends to pull the blade along the direction of the strands which may be away from your intended line. A mistake is trying to make one long cut from the beginning to the end of a line when a bunch of short cuts are more accurate. You did make this seem really easy to get started. Thanks for that.
Wow that's awesome - both in quality you are achieving and fact that you are using an inexpensive tool. I'm definitely going to try the same for my 8 grandkids!
Thank you for the video! I'm getting my first workshop and making a sign to go on it. This really helped! I just started carving, so I need all the help I can get.😁
You make this look so easy!! - its not! It takes some skill to carve on its own let alone just with a stanley knife. This is insane craftsmanship and a talent! Keep up the good work mate. From london uk. 💪🏼👏🏼🙏🏻
I bought a second knife that had extra blades in it, before I spent the money which was triple the cost of the knife on refills. My point is practice with your knife. See if you actually like it. Haveing extra blades for me calms me down. So keep the blades that you discard and then you can use those on other things that don't need precision.
Thank you. You have inspired me to try and make my two granddaughters a stool each with their names carved with this technique. Diolch yn fawr or in English thank you very much from Wales a small country part of the UK.
Thanks for sharing this. I have tried this carving long time ago and it turned out pretty good. But now that I have seen your version, I think I will try it again. If I remember, I was free handing my letters. I didn't use a template. Thanks, I will subscribe!
Thanks. I make dovetail boxes all hand cut and my cousin wants the letter T in the front of a box. I thought about asking a friend with a CNc machine to carve it but it didn't seem right. I'm going to try this.
After viewing and being first comment on your most recent video (this morning) on the mutually beloved early Stanley 10-499. I was (mock)shocked to see the thumbnail with a fixed knife. I always felt that 10-499 came pretty close to a fixed knife for blade holding. I see you applying lateral pressure (English) with your other hand to take out the remaining slop of even this ancient knife model. 10-499 doesn’t need a sheath for a safe carry. Utility knives like pencils need to be scattered around every workspace unless your into wearing a bulky tool belt.
Hi Peter, I started carving with the 10-499 years ago, and it worked well for this. It can be done. But the fixed blade, and the higher-quality blade, does seem to work better. Thanks for the comment. 👍
you just save me a lot of money my friend; I just have to develop the skill of angles, depth, etc. This will give my projects a more custom appeal.........thankx a ton.
That looks fun to do, very relaxing. I had used this method more simply when I hadn't got a pencil to hand to mark where I wanted to cut and the pieces to cut off. Birdy
One comment about blades - I have learned that utility knives are made for specific blades - the notch pattern AND blade thickness are both important! A thinner blade will move around in the handle if it's made for a thicker blade. Lenox blades are 0.2 inches thick and that's why they might fit better in that handle. Or perhaps use some self stick gause to hold the blade. I have a similar utility knife made for a thinner blade that does NOT wiggle around. Blades have two cutting points, and I've found a source of thinner blades that are so inexpensive I just throw it out and use a new one. 10 blades for less than Amazon's price for 5 and free shipping...
Thanks for sharing this video and showing us your letter carving skills. It was a joy to watch it and to listen to the background music. After watching the video I went through all the comments in order to find out if there was any information about the species of wood you used. I'm glad I found out that you use pine. I need to give this a try. Your video is very inspiring. Do you have any tips how not to cut in your finger?
PDF specifications for making this stool can be found at this link: www.planetwhizbang.com/heirloomstepstoolplans The specifications package also includes the exact letter-carving font (at full size) that I used in this video.
Now .. do you have a video on stinceling letters etc? I have a stool i carved flowers on all of the legs. Now i am carving Lela on the seat. I did some measurements but i mostly freehanded the cursive. But i wouldnt mind seeing some professional stencil work
Great video, made me want to give it a try. I thought I might like to fill in the letters with coloured resin and wondered if you had ever done this and if it worked out ok. Cheers from UK.
Hey friend, I saw a video where someone used melted crayons and a heat gun to fill in cracks on a project they were working on. Try that first before buying something expensive. I believe they used polyurathea as a finish.
Love the project thank you very much for sharing! Would it be possible to share the measurements and angle for those of us that cannot make things from looking at an item. Would appreciate it so much. Thanks
This is great! Thanks for the full demonstration, letter by letter, mentioning using both hands when necessary and often. I see you saved the curved letter O for last. About the gold edge blades - How many did you go through for this one project/name? I see these at the store snd didn't know if they were really worth the investment, but I trust you, so we'll give it a whirl ✌️ All the Best! Edit to add, do you do any sanding on the inside lettering? I have issues with splintering & debris that a brush won't remove, making it look a little *_too_* rustic 😀 Guess just sharp and exact cuts, no second guessing. 🎉
I used the same blade to carve all four names. They last a long time, especially if carving pine. I do not do any sanding on the lettering. Thanks for the questions.
Good evening Mr Kimball. Would you Kindly let me know, just what type of wood you use? Such a remarkably wonderful video. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn R.S.V.P
My name is Lynne. I now wanna be called Oaklyn. Seriously awesome name.
I watched a video about a year ago and thought no way. Since then my skill has gone way up by practicing not my friends and family seem to like it.
Thank you for making other people happy in this world it seems to take a lot lately
Used the 199 for many years . Many new razor knifes on the market .. Most will not let the blade out to the second notch on the blade for safety .. The 199 holds the blade tight and allows the blade to be extended to the second notch .
This is absolutely fabulous! So many how-to videos utilize hundreds of dollars of equipment that I am unwilling to buy to give it a try. This is something I can try on a shoestring budget. Thanks!
Thank you sir!
I'm sorry I have to make another comment you are genius. Using the 2 hand method keeps my other hand out of the way and it worked. I just did a letter a and it looks fantastic and it was my first time. Thank you. I feel like saying thank you Obi Won Kenobi.
Not drunk i'm just strange.
Excellent. I'm delighted to know you gave it a try, and that it worked! 👍
@Herrick Kimball I tried using the
Router to make a sign. I hate Routers. They're powerful, and can be unpredictable.
Being a woman I don't feel I have the strength to control the router sometime even though I try to use it. I'm just scared the whole time. Which obviously makes me not want to do projects with it.
Then I end up with projects that look terrible.
When I would work I act like to use the hand tools over power tools.
It just feels better to me. It feels like I'm putting my heart into it.
Plus my dad and my grandfather were both master carpenters. Not to mention it's my great grandfather. Who worked at a mill cutting trees. This would have been over a 100 years ago. He was unfortunately killed by a snapback.
Not trying to be dramatic I just thought I would tell you that because what a way to go. I'm a paramedic so I can't imagine the mess. It still blows my mind.
I still have my great grandfather's saws, and most of his tools. SORRY TMI.
Tip: I get a lot of extra life out of my utility knife blades by occasionally stropping them on corrugated cardboard or scrap wood as I work. Nice demo, thanks for showing this process and what’s possible!
Why don't you just use an inexpensive piece of leather strop? I have two that are great, used them for going on 6 years now...
@@bogus_not_methey probably don't want to be bothered with carrying a piece of leather around that you could forget/misplace every now and then especially in the workplace. Just my 2 cents
Good video. I am making a sign for my wife's garden, using an offcut of oak. Oak is a lot harder to carve, but with patience I am getting there!
Excellent tutorial on using a utility knife for letter carving.
For absolute beginners I would suggest wearing protective gloves to reduce risk of accidental slips, some of us can be accident prone, myself included. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the heads up!
Good work made to look easy and it can possibly be easy for many due to your video Herrick. With appreciation!
One suggestion I would like to add: all letterforms, such as the O, S, U, J, etc, that are curved along the baseline should, for optical reasons, sit slightly below the baseline. Otherwise those letters appear to “float” along the baseline. Thank-you. L. Seastone
People are so amazed when they ask me about chisels and how i made this or that and i tell them "a utility knife." I do use chisels and a dremel for all sorts of things. But the sharpness and ease of a utility knife is so freeing.
You actually did inspire me to get started carving with a Stanley Utility Knife. What a tremendous keepsake to pass on to a grandchild or other family member! Thanks a lot for sharing this video and this wonderful project with us. I am headed over now to the video where you explain and demonstrate how to build the little keepsake stool. If you can't tell, I'm really stoked and excited about this project. Thanks again.
Excellent! Technique and description. Thx!
Really useful - I'm just setting out doing some volunteer work for a local nature reserve and am planning to carve the name on a piece of wood that's part of one of the stiles we're repairing... always good to watch someone who looks like they know what they're doing !! All The Best, from Bristol, UK
So much to appreciate in this. Mainly, as mentioned and I'm sure is your point, no cnc router, no lasers. And what a resourceful craftsman can do with a knife.
And actually, this is closer to the way sign carvers would approach the craft than chip carving. Two hands on the tool, mostly a carving skew with steep bevels. Maybe gouges and firmers for harder woods. I've done spice cabinet doors in Roman, but could've saved a lot of finicky layout using your elegant method.
Above all, a thanks for these excellent, down-to-earth and very useful videos. A breath of fresh air, based on a thoughtful career's worth of experience, and not on something someone else posted last week on UA-cam, having just seen it themselves on someone else's channel, and so forth.
Thanks.
thank you a lot for sharing this, im making a gift for my brother and i plan to do some carving but i dont have power tools so a utility knife will help tremendously
What some may or may not have realized, you are using your knife thumb, the one on the board, to pull the blade a very short distance which gives you very good control for where the cut is going cross grain but even more when cutting with the grain since with grain tends to pull the blade along the direction of the strands which may be away from your intended line. A mistake is trying to make one long cut from the beginning to the end of a line when a bunch of short cuts are more accurate. You did make this seem really easy to get started. Thanks for that.
Wow that's awesome - both in quality you are achieving and fact that you are using an inexpensive tool. I'm definitely going to try the same for my 8 grandkids!
Thank you for the video! I'm getting my first workshop and making a sign to go on it. This really helped! I just started carving, so I need all the help I can get.😁
Nice video. I started carving signs with a palm router, and I found people like to see their names carved in wood.
You make this look so easy!! - its not! It takes some skill to carve on its own let alone just with a stanley knife. This is insane craftsmanship and a talent! Keep up the good work mate. From london uk. 💪🏼👏🏼🙏🏻
Thanks for the tip. Truely.
I bought a second knife that had extra blades in it, before I spent the money which was triple the cost of the knife on refills.
My point is practice with your knife. See if you actually like it. Haveing extra blades for me calms me down. So keep the blades that you discard and then you can use those on other things that don't need precision.
A tip is to carve with hands positioned on the _inside_ of curved lines. That way, turning of our hands, tends to follow the curve.
Dude that looks so cool! Im gonna have to try my hand at that for sure
thank you so much for making this video! I am going to use this to carve me and my boyfriend's name on wood
Its cool reallly cool i like it 😊
Was watching with my little girl and she wanted to comment. She was very pleased you liked it! (I thought it was cool too 😊)
Super video. That’s the way I started. Occasional tremors have slowed me a bit.👍👍👍👍
Thank you. You have inspired me to try and make my two granddaughters a stool each with their names carved with this technique. Diolch yn fawr or in English thank you very much from Wales a small country part of the UK.
Wonderful job. Thank you for teaching.
I have my first grandchild on the way. Perfect time to learn a new skill.
This is Chip Carving. Look into this ancient art form - it is fabluous what you can do with the right kind of knife and wood.
Thanks for sharing this. I have tried this carving long time ago and it turned out pretty good. But now that I have seen your version, I think I will try it again. If I remember, I was free handing my letters. I didn't use a template. Thanks, I will subscribe!
James sure picked some trendy names for his kids
Poor oaklyn. She (or is it he?) Is gonna be spelling her name for the rest of her life. "Now serving Oakland." "Oakland, your order is ready." 😂
Looks easy, how ever I think will take sometime to master. Great demonstration.
Thanks. I make dovetail boxes all hand cut and my cousin wants the letter T in the front of a box. I thought about asking a friend with a CNc machine to carve it but it didn't seem right. I'm going to try this.
Yes as all have said this Video is great and exceptionally presented I can’t wait to have a go. I bet it’s not quite as simple as you make it seem. 😊
You are an amazing woodworker! Thank you
After viewing and being first comment on your most recent video (this morning) on the mutually beloved early Stanley 10-499. I was (mock)shocked to see the thumbnail with a fixed knife. I always felt that 10-499 came pretty close to a fixed knife for blade holding. I see you applying lateral pressure (English) with your other hand to take out the remaining slop of even this ancient knife model. 10-499 doesn’t need a sheath for a safe carry. Utility knives like pencils need to be scattered around every workspace unless your into wearing a bulky tool belt.
Hi Peter,
I started carving with the 10-499 years ago, and it worked well for this. It can be done. But the fixed blade, and the higher-quality blade, does seem to work better. Thanks for the comment. 👍
Great technique - really enjoyed your video on a rainy day in London... off to my work shed now to find some wood! Thanks again!
Great little video. Very clear explanation. This idea has helped me a lot with what I had planned. Cheers.
you just save me a lot of money my friend; I just have to develop the skill of angles, depth, etc. This will give my projects a more custom appeal.........thankx a ton.
The skill is not difficult to develop. You'll discover that with a little practice. Thanks for the comment. 👍
Very nice!! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Herrick for the excellent video
Quite possibly the world's best grandpa
That looks fun to do, very relaxing. I had used this method more simply when I hadn't got a pencil to hand to mark where I wanted to cut and the pieces to cut off.
Birdy
Nice job. And a thoughtful keepsake for the kids.
Very inspiring thanks for sharing great job
One comment about blades - I have learned that utility knives are made for specific blades - the notch pattern AND blade thickness are both important! A thinner blade will move around in the handle if it's made for a thicker blade. Lenox blades are 0.2 inches thick and that's why they might fit better in that handle. Or perhaps use some self stick gause to hold the blade.
I have a similar utility knife made for a thinner blade that does NOT wiggle around. Blades have two cutting points, and I've found a source of thinner blades that are so inexpensive I just throw it out and use a new one. 10 blades for less than Amazon's price for 5 and free shipping...
Thanks for sharing this video and showing us your letter carving skills. It was a joy to watch it and to listen to the background music. After watching the video I went through all the comments in order to find out if there was any information about the species of wood you used. I'm glad I found out that you use pine. I need to give this a try. Your video is very inspiring.
Do you have any tips how not to cut in your finger?
I'll get back to you in 35 years. I'm sure I will be able to do it by then
Excellent video! great!! camera work and no blocking viewer point of view POV!!
Thanks for the carving lesson,and guitar backing tracks.
I am inspired! 👍Never done it before and I’ll try it .
Very cool! I will try this. Thanks for showing us your amazing skill.
I have used utility knives before but always broke the tips. I will have to give those Lennox blades a try. Thanks.
Amazing!!!😳🤩
Very well done! Thanks for the inspiration!👍🏾
PDF specifications for making this stool can be found at this link: www.planetwhizbang.com/heirloomstepstoolplans The specifications package also includes the exact letter-carving font (at full size) that I used in this video.
Thank you for sharing these skills.
You can tell when the project is truly handmade versus a cnc produced piece. There is more sentimental value to real handmade pieces.
Impressive. Thank you sir.
Great results--thanks for sharing your technique.
Beautiful. Thank you for showing this.
Thank you for sharing this technique I'll try this on the toolbox I just made for my daughter. You deserve way more views my friend !!
Amazing thanks for sharing your talent.
Now
.. do you have a video on stinceling letters etc? I have a stool i carved flowers on all of the legs. Now i am carving Lela on the seat. I did some measurements but i mostly freehanded the cursive. But i wouldnt mind seeing some professional stencil work
Great video. You are a fantastic teacher!
Nicely executed and presented thank you.
Maybe I missed it but, what wood did you use? I’m thinking soft white pine but not sure.
Yes, it's soft pine.
you could use an outline font and print onto tracing paper. might make it easier
That sounds like an idea worth trying. Thank you.
Great video, made me want to give it a try. I thought I might like to fill in the letters with coloured resin and wondered if you had ever done this and if it worked out ok. Cheers from UK.
Hey friend, I saw a video where someone used melted crayons and a heat gun to fill in cracks on a project they were working on. Try that first before buying something expensive. I believe they used polyurathea as a finish.
This was really helpful
Fantastic, thank you.
That's clever and awesome!
Brilliant technique. You have earned yourself a new subscriber. What type of wood are you using and is there any type of wood you recommend?
Pine. Poplar. Basswood. The softer woods. I've used pine mostly. It's relatively inexpensive and readily available. 👍
Love the project thank you very much for sharing!
Would it be possible to share the measurements and angle for those of us that cannot make things from looking at an item.
Would appreciate it so much.
Thanks
www.planetwhizbang.com/heirloomstepstoolplans
Thank you so much good video
You're an EXEMPLARY Granddad, dude! I'm more than a little JELLO!!!
Makes me glad I have a short name.
Nice one, well explained. Thank u. 👍
Great vid!
Thank-you - very nice.
Nice work!
great video. nicely done!
Can you sell/share the patter for the stool also? Great job, you’ve inspired me! Thanks!
www.planetwhizbang.com/heirloomstepstoolplans
Very nice.
Thank you Sir. Very nice. Can you please let me know which wood do you use. Since it's seems very soft to cut.thanks again.
Pine.
I did it. Thank you, but now I'm stuck with the frays at the corners and bottom. Any advice
What type of wood would you recommend especially for beginners?
Pine. Common pine from lumberyard. It what I’m using in the video.
This is great! Thanks for the full demonstration, letter by letter, mentioning using both hands when necessary and often. I see you saved the curved letter O for last. About the gold edge blades - How many did you go through for this one project/name? I see these at the store snd didn't know if they were really worth the investment, but I trust you, so we'll give it a whirl ✌️ All the Best! Edit to add, do you do any sanding on the inside lettering? I have issues with splintering & debris that a brush won't remove, making it look a little *_too_* rustic 😀 Guess just sharp and exact cuts, no second guessing. 🎉
I used the same blade to carve all four names. They last a long time, especially if carving pine. I do not do any sanding on the lettering. Thanks for the questions.
@@herrickkimball very nice 👍 thank you for the reply! ✌️
Awasome video sir gonna give this a try ty very much
Ty sir u are a gentleman showing these tips I love you're videos
Wonderful!! Thank you. Source for the wood? Clear pine 1x?
Yes. Clear pine from my local lumberyard. Inexpensive and perfectly adequate. 👍
Love it. Thank you
Good evening Mr Kimball. Would you Kindly let me know, just what type of wood you use? Such a remarkably wonderful video. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn R.S.V.P
It’s common pine. Purchased at my local lumberyard. Inexpensive and very adequate. Thank you for the positive feedback. 👍
Maine craftsman!
Many thanks
Very nice work. have you ever had problems doing this with hardwoods ?
I have not tried carving hardwoods with a utility knife. I’m sure it would be much more difficult and disappointing.
Great video 👍
Thank you.
Thanks. I love this technique. Which wood is this?
common pine
Very much enjoyed your video, quite inspiring. Only one question, was there any sanding required inside the lettering?
Good question. No sanding inside the letters. I tried that years ago and it ended up looking worse, not better. 🫤
@@herrickkimball thank you
awesome, thanks so much for sharing it 🙏
Herrick, would you please provide a link for the font you used? Much appreciated.
What wood are you using for these demonstrations?
Great work!
soft pine from the local lumberyard.