Sheridan Tool List

[JD Alan]

I'm wondering what the basic tool needs are for Sheridan carving. I took a Chan Geer class but that wasn't covered. I should have asked, but that was a year ago and I didn't think of it then.

I realize they come in a variety of sizes, so I would be sticking with those that best fit belts and holsters.

I've managed to put together a few Barry King tools; a 3 piece checkered beveler set, leaf liners, couple of mule foots and thumb prints, and a couple of flower centers. I have one BK lifter, but I also have a set of Grey Ghost petal lifters. I have a few sizes of bar grounders, though I'm not at all good with them.

I have good selection of Craftool backgrounds, pear shaders, camos, veiners and bevelers

So what are the must haves?

Thanks guys, I appreciate your experience, JD    

[FEATHERS]

Howdy Pastor,I have the book Sheridan Style Carving by Bill Gardner & Clint Fay,you covered the tools they recommend,although the thumbprints (pear shaders) they use are longer & narrower,this book is really helpful for anyone interested in this style of carving.Feathers

[Slowhand Bob]

I would look for HydeCrafters, best I can remember they actually marketed a set in one of their last catalogs.  They had a small list of stainless tools that were supposedly made for them that were specialty tools for Sheridan carving.  Working from memory here and that was the second thing to go so be forewarned. 

[Dalton Masterson]

Yep, SB is right. Hidecrafters has a set of Stainless Sheridan tools. Problem is, there is no paper catalog anymore, and the online is missing a lot of pictures.
The few tools I have from them seem pretty good though. A step above Craftool, but not BKing. I read somewhere that the tools were designed by some of the big name Sheridan carvers though.

That book is also an excellent book if you dont have it, JD.

DM

[knucklehead]

JD,
i have the basic set that Bobby and Chan Geer suggested to purchase.
i dont have a bar grounder yet. have tried it and not liking what i see at this time. i will get a bar grounder someday but not now.
im still not sure i like the bar grounder for backgrounding.

if you still have barry king catalog in print form you should be able to measure the pics of the tool impressions to see which ones i have.
the thumbprint i have measures just a hair over 5/8 in length by setting the tool on tape measure.
thumbprint has the lines going across the head, instead of smooth.
i started off with a smaller thumbprint but found out it was too small for the flowers that i have been tooling. so i needed to order another size.
center shader is 1/2 in length lines going parell to head.
leaf liner measures 1/2 in length lines going parell to head.
i also purchased a camoflauge(spelling?), veinner, mule foot stamps from barry king. as far as beveling stamps get more than one size you can never have too many tools. dont get rid of the crafttools, just set them up on the workbench as a display but remember to dust them off once in awhile. tools look great on a workbench whether you use them or not.


i sure wish barry king would number his tools on the tool handle.

[Skeeter Lewis]

The bar grounder is tough to use and doesn't even, IMHO, give a good look. I know pards have their reservations about Craftools but Al Stohlman used backgrounder A104 a lot in 'How To Make Holsters'. So I got one, along with A105. (One is straight-edged, the other is curved, but with the same pattern.) FWIW, I swear by them.

[knucklehead]

yea i use the same a104 and a 105 for backgrounding.
barry king has a backgrounder that does the same as a104 i also use that one.
a person in chan geers class uses the pebbler matting tools from hidecrafter for his backgrounding.
i liked the look so i picked up a pebbler set from hidecrafter. i am working on laying out chan geer notepad cover pattern now for my niece for christmas. so i will be using the pebbler set on this project.
also ordered a henley swivel knife. when ordering it they told me could be 2 1/2 months to ship the knife to me.
got a very nice surpriese the day before thanksgiving. henley called me and said they will be shipping the knife out to me on monday. now i cant wait for the mail next week.

[JD Alan]

Howdy guys, thanks very much for the info. I'm sure Chan had as sugggested tool list; I just don't remember it. I wasn't able to attend Chan's class in Portland this year. Feathers, that looks like a good book to own.

Hyde Crafter doesn't show you what the tools look like, which makes it a real challenge to know what to order.

Speaking of bevelers, I was using a Craftool 198 a while ago, which is what Will recommends for the Black Canyon rig, which I'm currently messing with. I also have a Barry King beveler of the same width. I sure would like to find a beveler somewhere in between those two angle wise.

I use the 104 backgrounder a lot. I have a great example of it from WC that I keep referring to back to that reminds me how far I have to go.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate your input, JD