Mike Shipley Long Carving Knife-2 1/4" Blade

Right off I want to say that this is one great knife. I own 11 Shipley knife's 1 of every one he has out. Some I bought 2 of and ground down to my liking. I own most of the top knives out there, but none come close to Mike's. They just seem to slide threw wood like butter. I know we are all different, but for the price, you have to give this one a try.
art (Posted on 12/15/10)

I received a Mike Shipley 2 1/4" knife for Fathers Day. I now have both sizes and couldn't be happier. It is an excellent carver, holds an edge and is comfortable to use. This is a very good first knife as well as one that an experienced carver will enjoy and appreciate. I go to my Shipley knives as a matter of course and have cleaned out my carving bag of all others.

Excellent product!

(Posted on 6/21/10)

At first I thought the handle on this knife was a little awkward. After using it for a few days, it didn't seem as awkward. Every time I carve and use this knife, I like it more. It quickly became my favorite knife. The steel in this knife is great, it sharpens and holds an edge as well as any knife I have used. It is good to carve with, makes great stop cuts and is easy to manuever through rounded cuts. I own about a dozen carving knives and hardly ever pick any of them up since buying this knife. I would recomend this knife to anyone, it is definetly a great addition to my to tools. (Posted on 4/28/10)

I bought this knife, based on testimony of others I read online, and I was not disappointed; in fact, as soon as I first picked it up, I knew, "This is the one."

If you know metal, you know that combining hardness with flexibility is tough to do, but the steel used in this blade manages exactly that. The result is an extremely thin, flexible blade that also holds a sharp edge even with extreme bevel angles. The handle, I should mention, is no dainty little thing. It holds itself very nicely in big, strong hands. This provides the feeling of confidence and security you need while carving. No slipping, no having to constantly seek a new grip.

The description says that this knife is suitable for flat plane carving, and that's true, but it is more than that. For example, the thinness of the blade let's you making scoring cuts or stop cuts without disturbing surrounding material, while the flex and the rounded grind allow one to twist the blade in the middle of a deep cut to leave beautiful, polished scallops. Amazing! If I had to pick (heaven forbid!) ONE knife, I would pick this one.

My thanks to Mike Shipley for carrying on the Ron Wells tradition. (Posted on 3/25/10)

You know how it is, you try this, you try that, and then you pick up a certain tool, and you know, "This is the one."

The blade combines flexibility with hardness. If you know metal, you know that's pretty tough to get. As a result, you get a really thin blade that also holds an edge. I should say too that the handle is made for big strong hands. It is not a dainty little thing.

If I had to pick (heaven forbid!) ONE knife, this would be it. With this knife alone and a decent piece of wood, you can do great work. It is suitable for flat plane carving, as the description says, but it's more than that. For example, the thin blade enables you to make scoring cuts or stop which do not disturb the surrounding material. Amazing. Because of the flex and the grind, you can also twist the blade in the middle of cuts to make the sweetest scallops. Beautiful.

My thanks to Mike Shipley for carrying on the tradition started by Ron Wells. (Posted on 3/25/10)