Customer Reviews

The Book of Wood Carving: Technique, Designs and Projects

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Charles Marshall Sayers was the real thing. Trained by old-world carvers in Scotland, he immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900's, and established himself in California as one of the premier wood carvers and teachers of wood carving. He left this book as his legacy.

The instructions in the book are terse - so terse you have to read them again and again to see exactly what he wants you to see. As a master teacher, Sayers knows how to give the student just enough instruction to master the fundamentals.

Sayers recommends an incised carving technique that utilizes a small number of chisels. You start with a V-tool that outlines the design, then you follow up with gouges that add relief to the design. Sayers offers a number of carefully framed photos that show the sequence needed to execute the design. From these basic designs, you can expand into all kinds of similar work.

Reading the book and working with Sayers precise instructions, I feel as if the man is beside me. His character infuses the book, and he's not an easy taskmaster. He expects high quality work, and he knows how to lead you to it.

This book has been re-printed many times, and for good reason. It's nothing short of a classic.

Although the publishing date is stated as 1979, this is just a reprint of a book from 1942. While learning the basics of carving hasn't changed much in the more than half a century since this book's first publication, the patterns and designs in this book are somewhat dated. A book with more and more modern patterns and ideas would be a better choice.