Wood carving is the decoration and shaping of wood through cutting. Throughout time, wood carvings have surfaced in every culture where wood and carving tools were present. Wood carvings range from sculptures, to signs, to architectural details.
An artisan creates wood carvings with traditional tools that have remained
virtually the same for centuries:
The carving knife has a short rounded blade, and is used for cutting, paring and smoothing wood.
The carving chisel is also known as a carving gouge. The chisel is a straight tool with a curved cutting edge, that is forced into the wood with a
mallet. The chisel is used for making initial cuts, removing substantial sections of wood, carving rounds, hallows and sweeping curves.
The V-tool is used to cut v-shaped channels and to part lines.
To keep the wood stationary, the wood carver uses a vice to fasten the piece to the workbench.
Many secondary manual wood carving tools and variations of the fundamental tools are also employed. To smooth the surface of wood, sandpapers ranging from fine to rough grain are used. The ancient Greeks used
mathematical methods and measurement tools to achieve accurate dimensions when creating wood carvings that required precision,
symmetry, and balance.
Certain types of wood are considered ideal for different wood carvings. Oak, a strong and durable species, is most frequently used to create wood carvings and has been a favorite since early
English craftsmen made it a traditional modern material. Pine is considered ideal for painting. Other popular carving woods are walnut, teak and mahogany.
Wood carvings bring style and function into the modern home. Throughout time, wood has been a fundamental building material with warm textural
characteristics unlike any other. Man has always had an inclination towards art, decoration and ornamentation, and the development of intricate carving tools fueled this interest, created the age-old profession of wood carving, one that would eventually fuse decoration and art with architecture.
Traditional styles of wood carving generally reflect the era in which the style saw its highest point of popularity. Some examples include Greek Revival architecture, where the wood column was symbolic of stateliness, the Victorian era, where elaborate wood mouldings, medallions and details were
prevalent, and the Southern Colonial architectural style, where the white plantation shutter came to symbolize the style itself.
It is also true that wood carvings for the home are only limited to the imagination of the carver. A wide selection of modern designs makes it possible for the homeowner to find the perfect wood accents for their next improvement project.
We have a wide selection of wood carvings, everything from large columns and fireplace mantles, to the smallest wood carving details, like
appliqués, brackets, carved cabinet knobs and drawer pulls, all completed with a natural finish that reveals the unique beauty of wood grain.
We offer wood carvings created by master craftsmen, making use of today’s best wood working technologies to insure consistency and quality. Our wood carvings are constructed of the finest woods for both structural support and ornamentation, which insures that the best wood for the job is always used.
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