Regardless if you are an absolute beginner or a professional wood carver, the one thing you will need are quality made wood carving tools. There are dozens of companies that claim to have the “best carving tools” but only a few companies actually produce quality tools that last.
I have compiled a list of my absolute favorite wood carving tool brands that are worth every penny. All of these tools have been tested side by side with the majority of the other tools on the market for a definitive list of wood carving brands to look into buying, regardless if you are a beginner or a seasoned expert.
All of the brands will have the types of tools they offer listed, steel hardness measured in Rockwell Hardness (HRC), and if they are for professionals, intermediate, or beginners just starting their wood carving journey.
Pfeil
| Types of Tools Offered | Chisels, Gouges, and V-Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 60 – 62 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Intermediate to Expert |
Just about everyone has heard about Pfeil tools, and with good reason. Pfeil is one of the best quality mass produced carving tools on the market and is used by most of the carvers I personally know. The company is located in Switzerland and makes their own tools in house, which keeps the quality high as there is only one source the tools come from.
– Who are Pfeil Tools For?
Because of their wide availability and large tool selection, Pfeil tools are perfect for the every day wood carver from a hobbyist to professionals. You can go to just about any wood carving store and find these tools available for purchase.
The only downside I see with the brand are the carving knives themselves don’t come from the manufacture anywhere near as sharp as their chisels and gouges. So if you are looking for a knife, I would look elsewhere.
– Pfeil Steel Quality
Pfeil uses a custom steel blend using chromium and vanadium for their chisels and gouges that are hardened to 60 – 62 HRC. This provides the tools with great corrosion resistance and allows for a properly hardened edge for edge retention.
Their knives are on the softer side, with only 58 to 60 HRC. But if you can put a good edge on them they will get the job done.
– Key Traits
Pfeil has been producing their own tools for 100 years and have experience behind ever tool. They make a large variety of tools with different lengths to fit just about every need, so if you are looking for that “one tool” Pfeil will probably have it.
They have everything from full length chisels to small palm tools for just about every carving need for any level of wood carver.
– Where to find Pfeil Tools
Pfeil tools are available from just about any wood carving supplier, but if you want the easiest and cheapest place to buy from Amazon will be the best choice. If you are looking for your first carving set, check out this amazing 12 piece set to get you started: https://amzn.to/3mhRiOC
Two Cherries
| Types of Tools Offered | Chisels, Gouges, and V-Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 60 – 62 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Intermediate to Expert |
A direct competitor to Pfeil that I personally like and highly recommend is Two Cherries (also known as Kirschen outside of the US). Two Cherries tools fit in with any wood carving toolbox and directly complements any other quality made tools available today.
– Who are Two Cherries Tools For?
Just like Pfeil, these tools are very easily found and have a wide selection of different types of tools available. Many times when I go to a wood working store and they don’t have Pfeil in the size I need, they will have a Two Cherries option available instead.
These tools are perfect for intermediate to professional wood carvers looking for quality made tools and in any style they are looking for.
– Two Cherries Steel Quality
Two Cherries uses high carbon steel hardened to about 61 HRC. In my experiences, the tools are sometimes a little harder when compared to Pfeil but the difference is negligible. They harden their steel in a briny solution that hardens the blades evenly.
– Key Traits
One of the first things you will see when handling these tools for the first time is the polished steel and razor sharp edges. Not only that, the kits themselves come in really nice wooden cases to organize and protect your valuable tools!
Their handles are octagonal shaped and prevent the tool from rotating in your hand while you are hitting them with a mallet, which is important for keeping track of the cutting edge.
Just like Pfeil, their knives aren’t honed razor sharp like their chisels and gouges. However, their handles are much more comfortable in the hand as they are more rounded and refined compared to Pfeil.
– Where to Find Two Cherries Tools?
You can typically find Two Cherries tools (or Kirschen tools if your outside the US) in any place that sells wood carving tools. Amazon has a great selection that usually has a large inventory. My favorite Two Cherries set that I own is the 11 Piece kit on Amazon as it comes with a nice wooden case and all the tools I will need for most of my carvings: https://amzn.to/3IZnKip
Stubai Tools
| Types of Tools Offered | Chisels, Gouges, and V-Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 58 – 60 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Intermediate |
For those of you outside of the US who are looking for a quality tool manufacture, the Austrian company Stubai makes wonderful tools at a great price.
– Who are Stubai Tools for?
Stubai tools are perfect for wood carvers looking for good quality carving tool that at a more affordable price than those listed above. They are available in just about any shape and size you can think of and are made to last.
– Stubai Tools Steel Quality
Stubai uses their own high quality alloy steel hardened to a nice 58 to 60 HRC, making them perfect for wood carving.
When picking Stubai tools, you need to pay attention to the series number to have a better idea of what you are buying. The biggest difference between Stubai’s Series 52 and Series 55 tools are how they are finished. The Series 55 tools are polished to a nice shine while the Series 52 are not.
– Key Traits
While Stubai’s tool steel is slightly softer than that of Pfeil and Two Cherries, it is plenty hard enough to hold a good cutting edge while carving for a long period of time. The tools also have an internal steel ferrule to increase durability and longevity of the connection between the wood handle and steel.
They also have a octagonal beechwood handle to prevent the tool from rotating in your hand while carving and is very durable to last the user many happy years of carving.
– Where to find Stubai Tools?
One of the best places I have found to find Stubai tools are from Fine-Tools.com/ as they have a large selection of different edges to choose from.
OCC Tools
| Types of Tools Offered | Knives and Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 59 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Intermediate |
One of my favorite brands for affordable hand crafted wood carving tools are OCC Tools. Each tool is hand crafted and expertly honed to a super sharp cutting edge, all while sold at an affordable price.
– Who are OCC Tools For?
If you are a wood carver that likes to make small figurines or primarily whittles, this is one of the best brands of tools to look into. Each tool is designed for those of us whos projects are about the size of a basketball or smaller and be easily affordable.
– OCC Tools Steel Quality
OCC Tools use O1 Tool steel hardened to 59 HRC, which is perfect for whittling and small scale woodcarving. The edge is honed razor sharp right from the beginning and is very easy to maintain with just a leather strop.
– Key Traits
One of the things just about everyone loves about OCC Tools is how well they cut through wood. The cutting edge isn’t too thick where it’s hard to push the blade through the wood, but it isn’t too thin where the blade flexes or is easily damaged from misuse.
With the tools nice flat edge grind, it is easy to maintain and easily cuts through wood like basswood with ease.
The only downsides some people may not like is the handle shapes. Since these tools are sold at a more affordable price, some corners have to be cut. The handles are a little blocky in design and are very simple. There are no sharp edges on the handle but they can be slightly uncomfortable for some people with smaller hands.
The knives and gouges come in a lot of different sizes and shapes to fit most whittlers, spoon carvers, and figure carvers needs. I myself have several of their tools that I frequently use in my own carvings.
– Where to Find OCC Tools?
Since these tools are hand made and not mass produced, and has a pretty high demand within the whittling community, they are not available at most major retail locations. My two favorite places to find OCC Tools are at MountainWoodcarvers.com and TreelineUSA.com as they typically have the best selection online.
Mastercarver
| Types of Tools Offered | Knives, Chisels, Gouges, and V-Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 58 – 62 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
For those of you who are looking to get into wood carving but don’t want to spend too much, Mastercarver is the right brand for you!
Who are Mastercarver Tools For?
The Mastercarver brand itself was designed for beginners who want a good quality tool that is designed to last for an affordable price. The quality of the tools, sharpness of the edges, and overall durability is extremely hard to beat when compared to any other brand on the market.
The best person who will get the most satisfaction from these tools are beginners who are looking to pick up their first wood carving sets. The sell their carving tools in very affordable sets that make each tool about $10!
Not only that, they sell whittling knives and the amazing Pocket Whittler II pocket knife that is perfect for anyone who wants to whittle on the go.
Mastercarver Steel Quality
The Mastercarvers chisels, gouges, and v-gouges are hand forged from high carbon tool steel and hardened to 58 to 62 HRC and are coated with a rust resistant finish to protect the steel.
Each tool has an edge grind of about 22 degrees which is perfect for easily and cleanly cutting into wood.
The Mastercarver’s pocket knife is made of a 440C Steel and is expertly hardened to 61 HRC, which makes it an amazing whittling pocket knife that exceeds the vast majority of the other whittling pocket knives on the market!
– Key Traits
The most important thing you need to know about Mastercarver’s chisels and gouges are how high quality the tools are at a very affordable price! You will have a very hard time finding the same quality tools for such a low price.
The handles are made of a very durable boxwood and have an internal ferrule between the steel and wood to increase long term durability when carving with a mallet.
One of the best things that Mastercarvers gouges and chisels have that makes them easier to carve with is they have a fishtail style cutting edge with a straight shank. This allows you to get into tight corners and increases tool maneuverability.
Where to Find Mastercarver Tools?
If you are an absolute beginner and want to get into wood carving on a budget, head over to Amazon and check out what they have on there! I think one of the best and most affordable beginner tool sets you will find anywhere is this 10 Piece Mastercarver carving set on amazon: https://amzn.to/3H00orj
Flexcut
| Types of Tools Offered | Knives, Chisels, Gouges, and V-Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 59 – 61 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
Flexcut is a brand that has been part of the woodcarving industry since 1986 and has a large selection of carving tools for both whittlers and regular wood carvers.
– Who are Flexcut Tools For?
When most people start looking into whittling and wood carving, one the first tool companies that they will run across is Flexcut. They are in just about every wood carving store I have ever been to and sell a wide variety of tools that help people get into wood carving.
Their tools are also affordable and come honed extremely sharp from the manufacture. The handles are all very comfortable and the edges are very easy to maintain.
– Flexcut Steel Quality
One of the things that Flexcut has that sets them apart from many other wood carving knife manufactures is their high carbon steel tools hardened to a perfect 59 to 61 HRC. Their steel is very easy to maintain and comes coated in a corrosion resistant finish to protect the steel.
The edges have a very nice flat edge grind that easily cuts through wood like basswood and pine with ease. Since they come honed razor sharp from the manufacture, all you need to maintain them is a leather strop.
– Key Features
The primary thing that Flexcut has any other wood carving company beat on is widespread availability and affordability. Not only that, they have perfected their production methods to have comfortable handles and super consistent production quality.
I have personally purchased well over $1,000 of Flexcut tools and every single one of them have come in razor sharp with no issues. If you want to get into whittling and carving with as little effort as possible, Flexcut is the way to go.
– Where to Find Flexcut Tools?
Flexcut tools are available in just about every wood carving store I have been to both online and in person. But the easiest place to find the tools are on Amazon. If you are just getting in to whittling and wood carving, this amazing little tool set on Amazon will have everything you will need to get started for a great price: https://amzn.to/3GV2uZl
Morakniv
| Types of Tools Offered | Knives and Hook Knives |
| Steel Hardness | 59 – 60 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
Morakniv, or more commonly just called Mora, is a Swedish knife making company that has a history of making knives for over 400 years! This well known brand is popular in the wood carving community and its tools have survived the test of time.
– Who are Mora Knives for?
Whenever someone is looking for a good all around wood carving knife for whittling, spoon carving, or just needs a good quality sloyd knife to carve out large sections of wood, Mora knives are what most people pick up. The majority of wood carvers I know have a mora knife somewhere in their workshop and gets used regularly.
– Mora’s Steel Quality
Mora’s sloyd knives differ from just about every other wood carving knife as it is made of a lamenated carbon steel blade. So the inner core is made of high carbon steel hardened to 59 – 60 HRC and has a softer layer of steel on the outside that helps protect the blade from corrosion.
The blade is easy to keep sharp and is comfortable to hold. Plus, every knife comes with a sheath to protect the blades.
– Key Features
Mora tools are well known as they high quality tools at a very affordable price. The tools themselves are well made and durable. The sloyd style knives have a full tang blade, providing more blade support and rigidity and has a thicker blade allowing you to apply more power with each stroke and not worry about damaging the blade.
They make a small selection of different types of knives and tools that are easy to find and are sold in most places that sell wood carving tools. The comfortable rounded handles are comfortable to hold on to, even after carving with them for hours at a time.
– Where to find Mora Tools?
Mora tools are available world wide, but the most convenient place to find them is on Amazon. My favorite Mora knife is the Mora 120 as it has a nice and short blade that you can easily control while carving details into your sculpture. You can pick one up yourself for a great price on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3yCeUm4
UJ Ramelson
| Types of Tools Offered | Knives, Chisels, Gouges, and V-Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 60 – 62 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
Uj Ramelson is a product that was developed out of the American dream. A young man who moved to America learned the trade of a craftsman’s, and 105 years later, they are still producing woodcarving tools.
– Who are UJ Ramelson Tools for?
Many people who are just getting into woodcarving and whittling will often see UJ Ramelson tools as they are both affordable and come in bold and dark colored handles. They are among some of the better tools for beginners and sometimes intermediate wood carvers.
– UJ Ramelson Steel Quality
UJ Ramelson uses a W1 tool steel that has been hardened to an ideal 60 to 62 HRC for great edge retention. This combined with the decent edge grind from the manufacture is a great tool for the price. However, I do recommend honing the blades a little more before using for best results.
– Key Traits
The coolest trait that these knives have that others don’t at this price range is the nice colored wooden handles. When the UJ Ramelson knives are set side by side with all the other wood carving tools on the market, their bold red handles really catch your eye.
– Where to Find UJ Ramelson Tools?
UJ Ramelson is available worldwide but is easily found on Amazon for a great price! If you are looking to get some of your first carving tools for a smaller carving project, check out this Palm Tool Set on Amazon for a great price: https://amzn.to/3sqskjM
Beavercraft
| Types of Tools Offered | Knives, Chisels, and Gouges |
| Steel Hardness | 58 – 62 HRC |
| Recommended Skill Level | Beginner |
Beavercraft is a relatively new brand when compared to the other companies above, but they provide something that none of the other brands have; affordable and quality tools for the absolute beginner.
– Who are Beavercraft Tools For?
There are plenty of you wo are reading this list that are interested in getting into wood carving but don’t want to start off by spending a lot of money. If that is you, Beavercraft is the perfect brand to start looking into. They provide a simple yet effective carving tool that is designed for beginners from the price to durability.
While there are other “cheaper” carving tools on the market, Beavercraft is the true beginners choice as the tools are consistently made to the same quality, come with a well sharpened cutting edge on all of their tools, are easy to maintain, very affordable, available world wide, and are sold in beginner kits with just about everything you will need.
I can guarantee you that there is no other whittling and wood carving tool kits available out there for cheaper or better than Beavercraft. I have purchased hundreds of dollars worth of the “cheap” tools and they just cant compare to Beavercraft tools out of the box.
– Beavercraft Steel Quality
All of Beavercrafts tools are made with 30MnB5 carbon steel hardened to 58 – 62 HRC, but I believe most of their tools are closer to the 58 HRC from my own personal experiences. This isn’t bad as it is within the ideal range of where you want the steel hardness for edge retention, but is still worth noting.
The blades themselves are also a little thicker than most other whittling knives, which does make them a little more difficult to push through the wood. But this is still ideal for beginners as it prevents blade damage or breaking if improperly handled.
Where to Find Beavercraft Tools?
The best place to find any of Beavercrafts wide selection of tools is on Amazon. They have a bunch of different options to choose from, but if you are just getting into whittling, spoon carving, or just wood carving in general but don’t want to spend too much money, check out this super affordable carving kit on Amazon for just about everything you will need: https://amzn.to/33AXn21
Some Final Thoughts and Suggestions
Picking out the best tools for you may be teadious and overwhelming with all the tool options available now. Some tool companies sell stuff that is super cheap but turn out to be dull and need some serious work right out of the box to be useable.
All of the tools shown above are my favorite brands that I have had the pleasure of using for my carving projects. Some of them may not be the right tools for you as each person has their own requirements.
A general rule of thumb is that if you are just getting into whittling, OCC Tools, Flexcut, and Beavercraft will be some of your best choices to look into. If you are just getting into wood carving and want to make some relief style carving or large sculptures, Pfeil, Two Cherries, Stubai, and Mastercarver may be the right choices for you. If you are looking for the best quality tools out there, I highly recommend looking at Lamp tools and call it a day.
Your budget and experience level play a major factor in what tools to get, but any on this list will be of good value and las you a long time to come.