Chip carving

Chip carving is done on a flat board with a single short knife. The pattern is drawn or transferred onto the wood, and each chip is removed with two or three cuts. The standard grip locks the knife at about 65 degrees to the board, with the thumb of the knife hand resting on the wood so the angle stays the same from cut to cut.

The basic unit is the three-cut triangle. Push the blade in along one side, turn the board, cut the second side, turn again and cut the third. When all three cuts meet at the same point under the surface, the chip pops out by itself. If it does not, recut: never pry a chip out with the tip. How to chip carve shows the grips and the first borders.

Basswood is the standard board, usually 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick, and butternut is the common second choice: see best wood for chip carving. Begin on a small grid, because a slightly larger triangle removes far more wood per chip. The free practice patterns start with rows of triangles, and the chip carving knife guide covers the tool.

Ready to move on when: Chips come out whole, with flat walls and a crisp line where the cuts meet, and no fuzz at the bottom.