Originally Posted by
IanW
just to emphasize that there's more'n one way to de-skin the moggy, cutting the lamb's tongue is what I do first after cleaning up the profile to my template lines. This bit, and letting-in the spine are the two most fraught operations for me, so if it goes pear-shaped, I won't have lost so much.
I'm almost reluctant to tell you how I cut the LT, it's childishly simple! I have a large carving gouge, can't tell you what # sweep it is, but it has just the right curvature for the job. I just place it in the right spot & give it a few sharp whacks, then move it down a bit & angle the sweep so it will chop out a chip with a coupe more whacks. On really hard woods like She-oak, I usually have to have several goes, keeping the top side vertical, and gradually increasing the size of the 'V' groove. Occasionally, I split a great chunk out, particularly on wild-grained woods, but if all goes well, I get a very clean, sharply-defined groove of a pleasing shape. This is then blended into the bottom connector-piece of the handle during subsequent shaping. My couple of Liogier modellers' rasps do a fine job here...
'Subtlety', Paul, 'subtle', is my goal. :D
Practicality is a given, I think - a saw handle has to be comfortable & suited to purpose, for sure, & that's always my primary concern. Before adding decorative flourishes, make sure the important bits are right, i.e. the grip is comfy & at the right angle for the intended function of your saw. What you do to the non-essential parts is up to your imagination.
I think it's very easy to get too flamboyant. In my view, it's hard to beat the basic shape of the 19th century grips, so I don't stray far from those, so to put a bit of individuality into my handles, I play with the lines around the cheeks. I make these a bit sharper, and blend them into the more curvaceous parts of the grip, to add visual interest. But beauty is all in the eye of the looker.....
Cheers,