10 Best Wood Carving Tools for 2022
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When you are carving wood, tools are everything you need the best wood carving tools available if you want to make sure that the end results are as excellent as they can possibly be. But if you’re just starting out, or have spent a lot of time using a very specific set of tools, it might not be clear which tools are actually worth using for different carving tasks and designs.
It’s not as simple as choosing the best cutting knife and leaving it at that – there are dozens of different tools you could use, ranging from chisels to full-sized steel blades, that all have their own practical purposes and niche uses. Below are ten of the best wood carving tool kits on the market at the moment.
View the Best Wood Carving Tools, Below.
- Gimars 12 Set SK5 Carbon Steel Carving Tools
- SCHAAF Wood Carving Tools Set
- BeaverCraft Wood Carving Hook Knife
- Mikisyo Power Grip Carving Tools
- Xacto X5175 Deluxe Woodcarving Set
- Mudder Wood Handle Carving Chisels Tools
- Flexcut Beginner Palm & Knife Set
- Mikisyo Power Grip Carving Tools
- SIMILKY SK7 Carbon Steel Wood Carving Tool Set
- BeaverCraft S15 Whittling Wood Carving Kit
1. Gimars 12 Set SK5 Carbon Steel Carving Tools
This set of knives contains three different walnut-handled cutting instruments. The hook knife handles round edges, and the chip carving knife allows for precise detail, while the sloyd knife is perfect for whittling down large pieces of wood into finer shapes. Each blade is built into the handle for maximum stability and cutting accuracy, and you also get a small piece of cow leather for cleaning them in a quick, efficient manner. Even better, the kit also contains wax for helping you keep each of the blades sharp, as well as a basic block of wood to practice on. The durable and comfortable designs of the handles make these knives perfect for taking on difficult projects without letting them slip out of your hand or suddenly veer off in an awkward direction.
These knives are stylish, comfortable, and easy to use even as a complete beginner.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. SCHAAF Wood Carving Tools Set
These wood carving tools use a special hardwood ash wood for the handles, providing maximum grip and stability while still letting you handle all kinds of wooden material with the high-quality chromium-vanadium alloy steel blades. The kit actually has twelve different tools inside it, giving you a range of different chisels and gouges that can work well for both beginners and woodworking veterans alike. All of them are packaged in a special Schaaf tool roll made of protective plastic and canvas, and they're designed to be sharpened so that you can always get the best possible performance out of them with only a few small adjustments and maintenance breaks.
If you want a mixture of style, performance, and carving quality, this kit has everything you might need to get started with gouging and chiseling wood into a new shape.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. BeaverCraft Wood Carving Hook Knife
This hook knife set contains not only the hook knife itself but also other useful tools that can come in handy for spoon carving. All of them are made using good quality materials, including linseed oil-coated oak for the ergonomic handles and strong metal blade pieces that can deal with all but the toughest of wood types. They're suitable for both beginner projects and as a product for professionals, offering a high level of performance for delicate cuts, creating recesses in wood or carving out certain shapes without harming the surface too much. The quality of each blade also ensures that they stay sharp for longer periods of time, even after heavy use.
These wood carving tools are ideal for a range of different woodworking techniques and work well both together and as individual products.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. Mikisyo Power Grip Carving Tools
This five-piece set contains unique tools that offer all of the basics a beginner (or a returning professional) might want - a straight chisel, a parting tool, and three other chisel styles, all contained inside a custom storage box. The blades are made with laminated steel, allowing for better cuts and carving while also increasing the tools' collective strengths. The pencil-shaped handles also improve accuracy and precision while trying to handle very careful carving, and their size puts them right in the middle of the standard sizes used for "large" and "small" tools, giving them a niche size that makes them extremely useful for general-purpose wood carving at any scale.
Simplicity is one of the best ways to learn a skill, making this set great for people who want to try wood carving for themselves but don't know what equipment to start with.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. Xacto X5175 Deluxe Woodcarving Set
This simple woodworking and wood carving set contains a great collection of tools that can be used for almost any wood-related job, providing you with multiple gouges, routers, and blades along with a solid metal handle to mount them in. All of the pieces come in a wooden storage chest that's specially designed to hold them all safely, and everything is simple enough to be used by complete beginners while still offering a varied range of tools for handling particular tasks. The thin blade designs also mean that they're perfect for making minor adjustments during wood carving, and aren't just limited to big slices or indents.
These wood carving tools are ideal for a huge range of different projects and hobby jobs, making them an excellent choice for people who need a general set of tools they can rely on.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. Mudder Wood Handle Carving Chisels Tools
This 17-piece wood carver tool kit contains a huge range of differently-sized tools, allowing them to be used by people of any age and skill level. They're designed to take on more than just wood, handling materials like cork and clay fairly well to make them a versatile part of your tool chest. The kit also comes with four whetstones for sharpening and polishing the tools, and each one has its own pen-style wooden handle that improves precision and accuracy while carving. Keeping the entire set contained is the EVA storage case, made with durable and protective materials to improve the lifespan of your tools.
If you're often trying to carve through more than just wood, this kit contains exactly what you might need to get through similar materials with almost no loss in performance, safety, precision, or quality.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. Flexcut Beginner Palm & Knife Set
This beginner's kit contains four specially-designed tools that use very convenient, easy-to-hold handle designs. You get two knives, one for cutting and one for adding detail to the wood, as well as a 1 sweet gouge and a V tool for more specific types of carving and slicing. You can also get a free tool roll, allowing you to keep them bundled up and ready to use while you're on the move. Each tool's blade is made with carbon steel, improving durability and carving quality while also giving you a razor-sharp slicing instrument for cutting off bits of wood altogether.
The basics are always reliable, and this small kit is ideal for anybody who wants great tools for straightforward wood carving tasks (or a similar DIY project) without needing to buy a large set of every possible tool they may or may not need.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. Mikisyo Power Grip Carving Tools
This wood carving tool collection contains seven individual tools that are perfect for different types of woodworking, including gouges, skews, and straight chisels. Each one is made at a different length for handling different tasks and thicknesses of wood. The laminated steel tips improve cutting and chiseling strength without forcing you to strike the surfaces harder than normal, and the ergonomic handle design allows for better comfort and reliability while you're working on an awkward project. The shape is similar to a classic pencil, making them much more familiar and precise than a straight flat handle.
These tools may look small, but they're very versatile and easy to use for a range of different project types, regardless of whether you're a basic beginner or a seasoned professional who needs to make very precise changes to a wooden design.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. SIMILKY SK7 Carbon Steel Wood Carving Tool Set
This carbon-steel carving set contains a dozen different wood carving tools, each with their own purpose and specific shape. They're all designed using protective plastic covers that minimize the chance of accidental injury or damage to nearby objects, and their wooden handles are designed to be as lightweight and ergonomic as possible to make long, slow carving jobs easier to manage, as well as protecting your hand from accidental slips or cuts. Alongside this, they also use very professional razor-sharp blades to provide a maximum cut and carving quality in nearly any situation, regardless of the type of wood you're working with.
This set is designed to take on almost all types of wood without issue, making it a great option for nearly any woodworking project. The extra protection also makes mistakes far less risky for beginners who are still learning the trade/hobby.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. BeaverCraft S15 Whittling Wood Carving Kit
This set of wood carving tools is built specifically for whittling, but it also doubles as a great set of carving tools regardless. The ergonomic handles provide consistent hand protection and comfort while you're busy working on the wood, and it combines detail knives, cutting knives, and roughing knives into a single three-part set for extra convenience. Each one is perfect for a wide range of different wood types, and they can all easily be cleaned with the included leather and polishing compound mixture. The durable designs are able to keep carving well even after heavy use, and they're made with tough carbon-steel to ensure that nothing can easily damage them.
Each of the tools in this set is perfect for a different task, making them an incredibly useful group to have together for nearly any wood carving style.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Wood Carving Tools Buyer’s Guide
Buying wood carving tools isn’t just like buying a regular knife: even if you’re just a beginner, you’ll want to have a proper understanding of what makes the biggest difference while you’re carving through wood, especially if you’re hoping for high-quality results that you can sell as a finished product.
Tool Types
There isn’t just a single type of wood carving tool on the market, and not all of them do the same thing. Each tool can have different uses, some more specific than others. A big example is gouges: gouges are designed to scoop out wood through the curved chisel blade they use, which is often used to create bowls, cups, and other intended or curved objects. On the other hand, a straight chisel is meant more for creating direct bashes and holes in a surface, or for cracking it in half.
There are also carving knives – carving knives are exactly what you expect: carving knives, which can be used to slice up and carve into thicker pieces of wood or create detailing on a surface. A spoon is another useful tool, but they’re often purely meant for creating bowls and other curved surfaces by scooping out wood.
Choosing the right product for the job is always important – even if a carving knife can do the same thing a chisel or spoon can, it won’t do them as effectively. For example, a detailing knife can make accurate details on a surface, whereas a regular wood carving knife is more useful for slicing up the wood instead. However, a smaller wood carving knife might only be meant for thinner surfaces, which means that it can still be used for detailing on thicker types of wood.
The same goes for a spoon or a chisel. Not only are they designed for different things, but chisels specifically are meant for a lot of brute force work directly into the surface, while a chisel spoon goes at an angle instead. Using chisels in the wrong way can actually damage them quite dramatically if you aren’t careful with how you use the product.
Some carving jobs are harder than others, but you don’t always need specific tools for them. For example, spoon carving generally always needs a spoon. However, chip carving can be a lot easier, and might only require a regular chisel.
Quality and Price
A good product is one that pays for itself in the long run, and there are two major things that influence this. The first is the price of the product: remember, many of these carving tools are coming as part of kits or sets, so a customer will purchase more than one at once – the price is technically split between each item.
The other factor is quality. This can be quite a personal thing since no two people will see every product in the same way. Every set of tools you buy might be more or less useful than another set, but you can’t possibly buy every set just to find the one you want. Because of this, you’ll have to settle for whatever quality you get – if it’s not up to your standards, then hopefully that set was at least cheaper than others.
Remember that quality can also affect the quality of whatever you create with your tools. If you’re planning on selling your creations for real money, the initial investment might be worth a slightly higher price.
Advertising and Reviews
Advertising is one of the biggest benefits and drawbacks of buying things from sites like Amazon, but only if you don’t do any research. Each set of tools, and each individual model of tool within them, are going to be reviewed by each buyer differently, which can affect how they appear in a search and whether or not other people might recommend them to you.
Keep in mind that some people will work with Amazon (or companies selling on Amazon) to earn advertising fees by promoting certain products. When they earn advertising fees this way, it can result in certain items getting better reviews, which can skew things slightly. Don’t just rely on reviews alone – do your own independent research as often as possible, even if it’s for something as simple as a set of hand chisels.
What are the Best wood Carving Tools for Beginners?
Beginners will generally want to use the simplest carvers possible – in many cases, these are chisels. Chisels have the same cut style as a knife when used properly, and can work well for most woodworking tasks, but don’t have the same level of physical risk associated with them: it’s almost impossible to cut your hand accidentally. Even better, you can buy them in a set to save time, which can be the best way to get a variety of useful chisels without having to hunt down, price, and research all of the chisels individually.
What are the Different Types of wood Carving Tools?
Aside from chisels, there are dozens of wood carving tools available, either as part of a set or individually. These range from knives, spoons, gouges, chip carving chisels, and even entirely unique tools that are made for very specific purposes, like V separators. This isn’t even counting the wood carving tools made by companies that are designed to sharpen, finish, or care for completely wooden designs, too.
Who makes the Best wood Carving Knives?
The best wood carving set when it comes to knives will be whichever wood carving set contains the most useful options for a good price. It’s as simple as that – price dictates whether a set of tools is worth the cost, so a wood carving set with one or two good knives for a relatively low price can be extremely useful.
What is the Best tool for Carving Pumpkins?
While most wood carving set tools are meant for wood, as the name suggests, they can also be useful when it’s time to carve something else. With pumpkins, you might think that a knife is the best choice, but spoons are often more useful: they’re better at scooping the insides of the pumpkin out, rather than just making holes. You could just use a regular spoon, but if you want it to look professional, there’s no reason not to use one of your carving tools instead.
Did You Know?
Almost every wood carving set will contain a standard chisel, so don’t worry too much about having to find one – they’re abundant and very easy to get hold of.
Expert Tip
The wood you’re using can change the kind of set you’ll want to get. Harder wood needs stronger tools, but softer woods can be cut through with barely any effort, even if the edge of your chisel is nearly flat or your knife is blunt.