About the different types of cutters....

There are so many cutters made today that it's hard to know which ones to use. We've "whittled" down from a selection of thousands to the cutters on the following pages (just one of our many suppliers has over 1,200 different cutters to choose from!) All of the cutters we sell represent excellent value and long life if used properly. All cutters are first grade, true running, and have proven useful for bird and fish carvers. They fall into two broad categories: Abrasive cutters and Sharp cutters. For bird & fish carving, abrasive cutters are more commonly used than sharp cutters.

Sharp Cutters

Sharp Cutters generally give a faster cut with a smoother finish than abrasives. However, there are trade-offs. Sharp cutters generally don't cut in reverse, making them awkward when it's necessary to carve against the grain. Sharp cutters are often harder to control and may have a tendency to grab into, and run along the work being carved.

Larger sharp cutters, like the solid carbide burs can be more dangerous when not used carefully as they will cut skin and bone more readily than the abrasives. Always wear a leather glove on your holding hand when using larger sharp cutters. Like many abrasives, sharp cutters are available in finer and coarser types, with the coarser ones cutting faster but having more tendency to dig and run.

Finer sharp cutters work well for hard woods, most metals and soapstone while coarser ones work best on softer woods and aluminum. Sharp cutters are made from several different materials from steel to solid carbide. Steel is the least expensive but the quickest to dull. Carbide is more expensive to buy but lasts many times longer than steel. Carbide can also be used to cut many metals.

Tri Cutters

While they may look mean, these solid-carbide cutters are very smooth to use and easy to control. Also called "rotary chisels", they cut very fast and extremely clean in most materials including wood, soft stone, bone, and antler. The heads are made from solid carbide, so they should last nearly forever. They can be sharpened with a diamond sharpening wheel. These are very aggressive cutters! Hand and eye protection is essential. Leather gloves and safety glasses recommended.

Solid Carbide Cutters/burs - 1/4" shank, 1/8" shank and 3/32" shank.

Extremely fast, smooth cutting solid carbide cutters/burs. These high quality burs are very aggressive and leave a clean cut with very little sanding required for a smooth finish. They will cut in both forward and reverse (a little less aggressive in reverse).They will last the average carver a lifetime on basswood. A few words of caution: for longer cutter life don't cut anything with sand or sanding grit in it, and use a leather glove on your holding hand. They are easily cleaned and they last and last.

Goldies™

Sharp, high-speed steel cutters coated with titanium nitride assure fast, clean, cool cutting. Easy to control and long-lasting. Excellent on soft and hard wood as well as brass and other softer metals. They are a perfect cutter for your micromotor tool, and will give years of service - 3/32" Shank)

Vanadium Steel Engraving Burs

Useful for fine detail work on wood or soft metals. 3/32" shanks. Excellent value.

Steel Carving Drills - High temper steel carving drills are designed for internal carving of plastic and wood, as well as general drilling in soft materials. Very useful & very sharp. 3 sizes available: 1/16" 3/32" 1/8" diameter.

Dura-GRIT Abrasive Cutters

Tough tungsten-carbide cutters for tough jobs. Very agressive yet leave quite a smooth finish. We rate them between a Ruby Carver and a Typhoon bur. They're very controllable and they last and last. Grit will not tear loose and the edges stay sharp. All have 1/8" shanks.

Hawk Portrait, 2 DVD's with over 105 minutes of instruction by Sue Walters, including 20 minutes of tips & techniques. Pattern, texture map & photo of finished pyrographic project Included.