Customer Feedback

Here is a link to a new Blog all about our tools
The Village Carpenter

Hi Del,
Thanks for the order that arrived yesterday.  I noticed that you wanted to know what I thought of the Mirco Gouges.  They are very, very sharp and extremely easy to control.  I believe you could write your name with them.  At first I was concerned about their sharpness and cutting angle, but after the initial cut into the wood, that was no longer a concern about all 5 of the gouges.  They're just very easy to use for detailed work. 
 
What are your sharpening recommendations when needed?
 
Thanks again for the knives and the gouges, they're wonderful and the best...
 
All the best,
Jeff Stark

Great Jeff! As a tool maker myself - I have no idea how they make such fine tiny tools.
Certainly a strop is good for sharpening, if you want to strop the insides you can run a gouge upside down on a piece of basswood to make a bead, rub compound on the bead and use it for an internal strop.
thanks, Del Stubbs, Pinewood Forge

Many people are good at what they do. Yet, being good at something does not mean they know how to teach. Judy Ritger definitely is good at both. In this video, Judy dissected the art of kolrosing into manageable, clear elements for even beginners to understand. Some teachers show you what they can do. A great teacher shows you what you will be able to do and how to get there. That is how I felt when I watched the DVD. Instead of making a beginner feel all intimidated, Judy made me feel like picking up the kolrosing knife and a piece of wood to try my hands right away.

The director and camera man of this video deserve a lot of credit, too. The details they show are exactly what we need and want to see. The angles are wonderful, the clarity is remarkable. It is so helpful to have someone who carves, and thus understands our needs, to make a teaching video specially for us. The images and the explanations by Judy complement each other perfectly. It is definitely one of the best teaching video I have seen in years. I consider this video one of my best investments in carving tools. Money very very well spent.

Best regards, Meipo Martin

"Dear Del and Mary,
I'd like to complement you on the 'Figure Carving Scandanavian Style with Harley Refsal' DVD. I thought it was AWESOME! 
As a carver with considerable experience, and an educator with a Ph.D in instructional design and many years of medical school curriculum design and administration, I feel qualified to say that it is exceptional teaching!  I have rarely seen the sequence of instruction, the camera work and the clarity of details as well done as on this program.  Not only was the carving clearly explained, but at the end of the program I was enthused and excited to begin making chips."
 
The program is an excellent starting point for the beginner and a great refresher in flat plane carving for the more experienced.  The Tape/DVD format focuses our attention and easily allows a person to go back to review a teaching point.
 
Thank you, Harley, for the instruction, and to Del and Mary at Pinewood Forge,  for producing it.  I recommend it most highly."
 
Anthony J. Parisi, Ph.D.
Recently Retired Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and President Morton Area Carvers Association"

Dear Del and Mary,

"The Harley Refsal video/DVD is outstanding!

I have attended nine of Harley Refsal's annual carving seminars in
Bettendorf, Iowa. The video/DVD is similar to Harley's seminars, where
you can watch over Harley's shoulder as he teaches members of the class,
one-on-one, how to carve.
The video/DVD has the added benefit of being able to show the project
from start to finish, and also to allow one to stop and re-watch, as many
times as necessary, a particular technique, until it is fully understood.
I have used made many of Harley's patterns and carved many figures. My
nephew had never carved a figure, until we sat down to carve Karl Oskar,
together, while watching the video/DVD. I was amazed how quickly he
caught on, and how satisfied he was with learning how to carve along with
Harley. I also picked up new ways to approach the carving of the Karl
Oskar figure.
This video/DVD is just what is needed to help people get started in
Scandinavian Flat Plane Carving, and also to help more experienced figure
carvers "hone" their skills.
The history portion of the video is similar to the seminars, and adds
greatly to one's understanding of Norwegian carving. The painting portion
explains in detail what Harley teaches at the seminars. Now one can
attend Harley's seminar whenever one has the urge to carve.

Thanks, Harley, Del and Mary"

Greg Humphrey, Fort Madison, IA

"Many thanks for Harley's video. I am now painting my version of 'Karl
Oscar' and am more than pleased. I found it so much easier to carve after
watching the video than if I had to read the instructions in a book, I found
this the same when I made a Windsor chair. I have all three of Harleys books
and it will now be much easier to carve some of the items after seeing the video."

Regards,

Caradog Williams, Lampeter, Wales.

Dear Customers, we have received many gratifying comments over the years about the tools and videos we produce However, we would never show publicly any private communication sent to us without permission - so this is an open invitation to our customers to send in any comment they would like other carvers to read. Let us know if you'd prefer only your initials, or if your name and state is ok too.   Thanks! Del Stubbs - Pinewood Forge 

To email us click here