What each carving tool does — knives, chisels, gouges, V-tools and veiners — is explained in wood carving tools, and rasps and rifflers for shaping in rasps and files. This guide is about choosing among them.
Match the tools to the carving
| Carving | Start with | Add later |
|---|---|---|
| Whittling: small figures in the hand | One carving knife | A second knife with a shorter or longer blade |
| Chip carving | A carving knife with a short, pointed blade | A second knife for different chip sizes |
| Relief panels | A V-tool, a shallow and a medium gouge, a flat chisel | Deeper gouges and wider widths as designs need |
| Figures in the round | A knife, with a V-tool and a gouge or two | Gouges sized to the work |
| Bowls, spoons, cups | A hook knife (Morakniv) | Not covered by these pages |
Matched to the work as Flexcut and Morakniv describe their tools. Not a ranking.
Choosing a knife
For a beginner wood carving knife, Morakniv's guidance comes down to three things: a short, thin, narrow blade for detail or a longer, slightly thicker one for heavier cuts and general work; a steel whose upkeep you will keep up; and a grip that fills the hand, preferably with a finger guard. Its makers' published figures show how much knives differ.
| Knife | Blade length | Thickness and steel | Maker's description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morakniv 120 (C) | 62 mm (product page); 60 mm (a kit page's size table) | 2.5 mm; C100S carbon steel | Short, pointed, for fine carving and detail |
| Morakniv 106 | 85 mm | Not stated in the guide | Versatile entry-level knife, long narrow blade |
| Morakniv 105 | 84 mm | Not stated in the guide | Listed in Morakniv's knife guide |
| Flexcut KN12 | 1-1/4 in blade bevel length | Not stated on its page | General-purpose; a great beginner's knife |
Each figure as its maker publishes it; where a maker's pages disagree, both are shown. 'Not stated' means the source cited gives no figure. Not a ranking, and no prices.
| Steel | Edge | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | Easy to sharpen, great edge performance | Rusts if not cared for |
| Laminated carbon (LC) | Good edge retention and toughness | Needs rust prevention |
| Stainless (S) | A good-quality steel | Low maintenance; Morakniv's suggestion for beginners |
Morakniv's descriptions of its own steels. Not a ranking.
Equipment notePaid link
Carving cutting knife
Flexcut KN12
The Flexcut KN12 in the table above: a general-purpose knife with a 1-1/4 in blade bevel, described by Flexcut as a beginner's knife.
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Choosing gouges and chisels
Gouges are sold by sweep and width — a Swiss 7/14 is sweep 7, 14 mm wide — but each maker numbers its sweeps in its own system, and an English 7 may not match a Swiss 7. So when choosing the best wood carving gouges or chisels for a design, compare the maker's full-size profile chart with the curves in the design, not the number with another maker's. Flexcut divides its tools into palm tools, short and controlled with one hand while the other holds the work, and mallet tools, longer and made to be struck for large work, which needs a stable surface and clamping. Its advice for most beginners is palm tools.
Checking a set or kit
Flexcut calls sets the most economical way to buy and suggests a beginner choose one based on the size of the work. A wood carving kit or whittling kit may also bundle a strop, compound or gloves. These are the points to read on the box:
| Specification | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Tools included | A set should match the carving, not just add up to a number | A knife for whittling; a V-tool and gouges for relief |
| Palm or mallet tools | Palm tools suit hand-held and small work; mallet tools need clamped work | Palm tools for a first set (Flexcut) |
| Profiles and widths | Sweep numbers differ between makers | A profile chart from the maker of the set |
| Steel | Carbon rusts without care; stainless needs less | The steel named on the knife or set |
| Grip | Control, and a guard against sliding onto the blade | A handle that fills the hand; a finger guard (Morakniv) |
| Upkeep | Edges need routine stropping | A strop and polishing compound, or plan to buy one |
| Hand protection | Gloves stop slicing cuts, not punctures | A carving glove and a thumb guard, if included |
What each specification decides, from Flexcut's and Morakniv's guidance. Not a ranking.
Why power carvers are not compared
Rotary tools, flexible-shaft carvers and angle grinder attachments are also sold for carving. This guide does not compare them: their speeds, and the speed each bit or disc may run at, are set by each tool's and accessory's own manual. One kind of accessory is a regulator's concern — the UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards reported a chain-type wood carving disc for angle grinders as a serious risk of injury or death, not designed for use with an angle grinder, with injuries from kickback.
Safety— Sharp, and away from the holding hand
Morakniv calls a carving-sharp edge safer; a dull one needs force and slips. Keep the holding hand out of the edge's path, use a glove and a thumb guard for knife work, and clamp relief work. See wood carving for beginners and woodworking safety rules.
Before buying carving tools
- The kind of carving you will do first: whittling, chip carving or relief
- A knife with a blade length that suits it, and a grip that fills the hand
- Gouges judged by the maker's profile chart, not another maker's number
- A steel whose upkeep you will keep up
- A strop and compound, and a glove and thumb guard
Sources
Specification-based: knife figures are Morakniv's and Flexcut's for their own knives, from their own pages; Morakniv's two figures for the 120 (C) are both shown. Set advice is Flexcut's. Sweep numbers are not compared between makers because they are not a shared standard. Rotary tools and angle grinder carving accessories are not compared. Nothing was tested and none is ranked; no prices are given.
- 1.
Find the right wood carving knife. Morakniv.
Used for: Short, thin, narrow blades for detail and longer, slightly thicker blades for powerful cuts; hook knives for bowls, spoons and cups; laminated and plain carbon steel with good edges but needing rust prevention, stainless low in upkeep and good for beginners; a larger grip with a finger guard for beginners; a carving-sharp edge safer; 105 (84 mm), 106 (85 mm, a versatile entry-level knife) and 120 (62 mm).
- 2.
Woodcarving Knife 120 (C). Morakniv.
Used for: The 120 (C): 62 mm pointed blade, 2.5 mm thick, C100S carbon steel, for fine carving and detail; 170 mm long.
- 3.
Woodcarving Kit Chopsticks (C). Morakniv.
Used for: The 120 (C) listed at 60 mm in the kit page's size table and 62 mm in its text.
- 4.
KN12 Cutting Knife. Flexcut Tool Company.
Used for: A general-purpose carving knife with a 1-1/4 in blade bevel length, called a great beginner's knife.
- 5.
Selecting Your Flexcut Tools. Flexcut Tool Company.
Used for: Sets the most economical way to buy; beginners starting with a set based on the size of their work, palm tools a good starting point; palm tools with wider profiles carving work up to 12 to 15 in; mallet tools for architectural and furniture work, needing a stable surface and clamping; specialty tools for very specific cuts.
- 6.
Sharpening Your Tools. Flexcut Tool Company.
Used for: Routine upkeep by stropping with a polishing compound, not stones; the inside and outside of the edge.
- 7.
Peter Follansbee. Carving gouges. Peter Follansbee, Joiner's Notes, 2025.
Used for: Swiss sweep/width numbering such as 7/14; one maker's sweep numbers not lining up with another's.
- 8.
Staff of Woodcarving Illustrated. Comparing Carving Gloves. Woodcarving Illustrated, 2026.
Used for: A glove on the holding hand stops slicing cuts but not punctures; thumb guards for paring cuts.
- 9.
Product Safety Report: 2pcs 4 Inch Grinder Chain Disc (2103-0278). Office for Product Safety and Standards (UK), 2022.
Used for: A chain-type carving disc for angle grinders reported by the UK regulator as a serious risk, not designed for angle grinders, with kickback injuries reported.
About this buying guide
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