![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Tc0t8CgyXiI/Si1Mjc-FgXI/AAAAAAAADB4/2QShHxttiEI/s200/Knives.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Tc0t8CgyXiI/Si1MjhP-X_I/AAAAAAAADCA/_5SB0_FOJ8s/s200/Blade.jpg)
In the chip carving class I took with Wayne Barton, the knives we bought from him required some sharpening before use. They came with a blade shaped like the Washington Monument, and it was our job to flatten the sides on ceramic stones. (See illustration at left).
Over an hour later, I tried carving with
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Tc0t8CgyXiI/Si1Mj-H9stI/AAAAAAAADCQ/TI1uS0bn-HA/s200/Knife.2.jpg)
It sure looked sha
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Tc0t8CgyXiI/Si1MjlKkffI/AAAAAAAADCI/5NHlxNUM-qE/s200/Knife.jpg)
It cut like butter.
After that, I asked Dad if he still had his pocket magnifier. And while he no longer had the cool one in the little leather case I played with as a kid, he was happy to give me another, which has a permanant place in my shop apron.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Tc0t8CgyXiI/Si1MpkV2D3I/AAAAAAAADCY/r3MnoRbyjMw/s200/Lillies.jpg)
The first blade close-up is my chip carving knife. You can see how clean the edge is. And although the sides could be flattened a bit more, it cuts great.
In contrast is my pocket knife (second close-up), which I thought
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Tc0t8CgyXiI/Si1MpjzXdqI/AAAAAAAADCg/ENxiN2gbg7E/s200/closeup.jpg)
The last two images are the torch lillies that are blooming in my backyard. Unfortunately, there was not an ant in sight when I took the photos.