North House is excited to welcome Julia Kalthoff to Wood Week 2024. Julia is the brilliant maker behind Kalthoff Axes, one of the most popular tools we sell!  Julia will offer this skill-building course featuring her eponymous tools. Though some folks may think carving is done primarily with a knife, the truth is that it is easier to first carve the wood to shape with an axe and then use the knife to make it smooth and clean. The axe is more efficient, and with some practice it can be very precise. Carving with an axe can be divided into six different techniques: chopping, fine carving, making convex and concave shapes, splitting, and hewing. In this workshop, we will start with basic safety and ergonomics, and then practice the techniques one by one. Through practice, we will experience what it feels like to carve along with the grain, chop diagonally into the grain, and carve into end grain, laying a solid base of skills for many different types of projects. Students will axe out multiple projects during the course, leaving the finishing knife work for another time. 

This course will teach beginners what is possible to do with the axe, and how to use the axe to the fullest. For more experienced carvers, this is a way to learn a new technique, improve ergonomics, or learn to carve more effortlessly.

Students ages 15+ are welcome to attend.

A materials fee of approximately $40 will be payable at the beginning of class.

Required Tools

• All tools will be provided, but please bring your own axe if you have one you are comfortable with.