An Array of New Crooked and Hook Knives (Part One)

It’s hot and humid and we finally got a few inches of rain the other day.  I’ve had some encounters with rattlesnakes but as long as they’re not around my front porch I leave them alone.  The other night I taught my son, Matthew, the finer points of working with a crooked knife.  We debarked several pieces of wood destined to be various things and then worked two of the pieces down to form handles for take-down bows.  In this post and the post to follow I include photos of some of my latest crooked and hook knives.  I hope you enjoy looking at them.  I still consider these knives my favorite woodcarving tools.

The knife above is guayacan wood mated to a six-inch mill file with the traditional chisel grind.  The thumb perch is exceedingly comfortable on this knife.

The three photos above are of a mesquite handle crooked knife.

This knife is a hybrid between the traditional crooked knife and the hook (or spoon) knife.  The blade is 1095 steel.  Note the sharp curve at the end of the blade for detail woodcarving or spoon making.  Also note the long straight blade section ideal for fine shaving tasks.  The handle is a species of Condalia.

The two photos above feature a detail-working hook knife for making small scoops or delicate woodcarving cuts or shaving.  I have another knife like this I’ve used for years for making coffee scoops.  The wood is lotebush and that’s a hard wood to work with because it tends to crack and check and must be dried very carefully.  The blade is 1095 steel.

In my next post I’ll feature five more knives.