Pros - I've never really used a scorp before, but I have to say, with the right tool (and I'm not convinced yet, for the reasons below, that this is the right tool) I think scorps are the future of spoon bowl carving. Why? it just seemed easier with a scorp, and not only easier, but safer. I'm quite pleased with the edge that I've managed to get on it, thought with regular stropping I anticipate it getting even better, so it carved through the wood (despite it being fairly seasoned) very well. There are no additional viciously pointy bits - like on a Frosts crook - or razor-sharp straight sections that end up cutting your thumb - like on my Robin Wood knife - and with it having a nice tight radius, it somehow just felt less 'threatening'.
Cons - If you look at the circumference profile of my scorp, you will notice it is eliptical rather than circular and that when you carve with it it is the point of the elipse, not the belly, which is doing the cutting. Not a huge problem, but the actual bit of blade in contact with the wood is quite narrow and at first had a tendency to cut deep, rather than shaving a nice wide section. If I were doing this again, I'd stick the blade in a bench vice before sharpening, and give it a gentle squeeze to make it more circular, hence broadening the main cutting surface. Hope that makes sense.
It does chatter a little, too, but then, so do both my other knives, so I'm not going to be too critical about that. All in all, for under a tenner, I'm really pleased.
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| A bit 'nibbley' maybe, but not a bad finish. |
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