New to chip carving - struggling with hand fatigue and wondering about skew knives
I just started chip carving and this is everything I’ve done so far, using only the knife in the picture and basswood from Loess Hills (much better than some samples I bought from Amazon). If relevant for suggestions, I am left handed.
I like very simple geometric designs made of small triangles, repeated arches.
One thing I’m struggling with is hand fatigue, caused by having to "pull" when carving.
After a while my hand gets tired, and I’m wondering what the issue is.
I don't secure the piece, and I rotate it as needed, holding it in my hand or partially resting it on a surface. I'm still trying to figure out what order the cuts need to be made.
Would a skew knife or another style of chip carving knife make these cuts easier or more ergonomic? If so, I’d really appreciate any recommendations.
I’ve also only sharpened the knife by stropping, using the very cheap leather strop in the photo. I suspect I may be doing it incorrectly, because the knife doesn’t always feel as effortless as people describe sharp chip carving knives to be.
I’m very interested in simple geometric chip carving, especially repetitive triangle based designs, so if anyone has suggestions for styles, books, practice exercises, or carvers to study, I’d love those too.
