Losing in the serenity of woods is one way to discover yourself and your creativity. If you’re one such Green Panther, you know what it means to have a good wood carving axe.
But buying the wood carving axe is a bit tricky. We’ve seen our mates getting the wrong one and messing up with the plan to carve out some wonders from wood. Damn!
If you don’t want to regret the way we did, learn from our experience. Take a good look at this article. It aims to help you get an insight into this woodworking tool and help you make the best use of it for different wood chopping and crafting jobs.
What is Wood Carving
It’s a form of woodworking where an object is carved from wood using some tools to create sculpture ornamentation. Sounds too technical?
It’s a trendy hobby cherished for years by woodworking enthusiasts. Have you seen those wooden bowls or spoons that one of your mates curved out from wood?
If you haven’t yet, take some time to see or even craft one! Check out some project ideas here.
What are the Uses of a Wood Carving Axe
One reason you should prefer a wood carving axe over the regular one is its multipurpose use. Getting to know its different uses should be handy for you.
The carving axe isn’t only used for curving out a wooden object, but also for activities like backpacking, camping, bush-crafting, chopping, or axe competition.
Some outdoorsmen also consider it for some serious jobs like taking down trees or branches, splitting wood, self-defense, clearing trail clearing, maintenance, and more.
Why Do You Need a Wood Axe
If you’re wondering what’s wrong with a regular chopping axe, or why can’t you use one for wood carving? You can expect to have some legit reasons for that.
The regular choppers are made to chop away the fibers and split the wood apart. While a wood carving axe slices into the wood allowing you to scoop out big chunks and create wood mouldings for different projects.
What are the Features of an Ideal Wood Carving Axe
The ideal wood carving axe will have the following features:
- Thin head with a slight curve or concave face
- Should allow scooping out big chunks
- Small, slightly curved handle
- Traditional, hand-crafted construction
- Easy to sharpen and customize
- Stays sharp for a longer period
How to Pick a Good Wood Carving Axe
As we’ve already said, it’s not easy to choose the best carving axe. Don’t worry, it’s just a few things that you need to consider.
Concave Face
The carving or hatchets with a concave face should generally be the go-to option. They allow you to scoop out fibres and reshape them.
We love them as they add a spark to your woodcutting jobs!
Handle
The wood carving axe handle comes in a different variety regarding its size and material. You’ll find the traditional wood-handled ones and also the metal ones.
Traditional wood-handled ones look charming and work effectively. While the metal options are safely built and the axehead doesn’t really come off the handle. For us, it’s the traditional axes unless you’re up for any serious job.
Also, consider the size of the handle. We like it as small and lightweight as it offers great maneuverability. Perfect for camping and backpacking.
However, the medium size or longer handle with heavier weight gives you extra balance and comfortability. You’ll feel them cutting steadily, but also slowly!
Sturdiness
The joint of the tool needs to be sturdy and reliable. Because seeing your wood carving axe broken is probably the last thing you want to see!
Be careful and make sure to buy from a trusted seller.
Price
We can’t forget the price factor, at least for a tool like the wood carving axe. This tool is available at two prices range; premium and affordable. But you’ll still find some good yet inexpensive options.
We don’t believe in going for cheap tools, but again you can do decent carving with some mid-range options.
Final Words
Our team thinks you should start with a cheaper version if you’re a newbie. Grow in confidence, master the skill, and switch to a premium axe or hatchet.
Generally, it’s the campers who need the wood carving axe. If you don’t belong to this category then you have all the other options to choose from like the cutting axe or competition axe. For us, it’s the multipurpose carving axe that we find the most suitable option.
What if nothing meets your specifications perfectly? In this case, you can look for options that allow custom orders. Whether you’re a lefty or righty, it’s cool to have a personalized axe! Isn’t it?
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