The Best Carving Tools for Printmaking

As a beginning printmaker, I used the Speedball printmaking tool, which has five blades stored in the handle—it is one of the most popular linoleum cutters! I also recommend starting with that tool. It is one of the best carving tools for printmaking when you first start. Once you know your style and what you want to carve, you might want more blade options, then I suggest you explore what Flexcut Tools offer. It is absolutely not required to have a lot of tools to make beautiful prints. That said, it is nice to have a variety of styles to make different cuts and shapes on your block. Read on to learn about my favorite brands with the best carving tools for printmaking. 

Speedball Linoleum Lino Set No. 1

The Speedball Linoleum cutter is the tool nearly every printmaker starts with. It is one of the classic block printing tools for a good reason: it is well-designed, affordable, and comes with six gouges (blades) of different styles. These features make it one of the best carving tools for printmaking, if not the best.

Smart Handle Design

These linoleum tools are designed to use one handle with changeable carving gouges. To put a different carving gouge in the tool handle, you loosen the metal chuck at the end of the tool handle behind the blade. To remove and replace the carving gouge, you pull out the old carving gouge, push in a new carving gouge, and then retighten the chuck. A cap can be unscrewed at the end of the hard plastic handle to store your carving blades (This is super handy!).

Steel Carving Gouges

Speedball carving tips are made from high-quality steel and last for several uses before needing to be replaced. You can order replacement gouges from Speedball when your blades get dull; they are not designed to be re-sharpened. This tool is designed to work well with Speedball Speedy Carve (commonly used to make custom rubber stamps) and traditional carving linoleum blocks. Speedball tools are made in the USA.

Flexcut Block Printing Tools for Carving

The Flexcut brand offers a wide selection of high-quality carving tools in various sizes. This company is widely known to have some of the best caving tools for printmaking. All Flexcut tools are incredibly sharp and will cut linoleum and Speedy Carve like butter! Worth the investment, these tools are perfect for artists who make printing blocks with many small details. These carving blades are made of high-carbon steel. With good care, these carving tools will last a long time. All Flexcut blades can be resharpened. Flexcut tools are made in the USA. 

I have tried the Palm Toolsets, the Premium Palm Toolsets, and the ABS Handled Quick Connect system. My favorite system is the Palm Tool line—they best fit my hand. Each set can be easily sharpened at home using Flexcut gold polishing compound and a slip-strop tool sharpener. Be sure to use a bench hook to secure your work to the table edge.

Three flexcut tools laying on a blue table with polishing compound and slip strop. The Best Carving Tools for Printmaking.

5-piece Premium Beginner Palm Carving Tool Set (Cherry Wood)

The 5-piece Premium Beginner Palm Tool Set features broad, short knob handles in the European tradition. These high-quality tools have handles cut from fine cherry wood. They feature a polished brass ferrule for strength, stability, and long working life. The five gouges in this set are nice for carving larger designs with big spaces to clear. I find these tools to be a bit small because of how I like to hold them. I think this set would be best if you have smaller hands. 

Hand holding flexcut premium mini palm tool. One The Best Carving Tools for Printmaking

Micro and Mini Palm Carving Tool Sets

The Mini Palm Tool Set and Micro Palm Tool Set are my favorites. I like to carve small marks and have crisp details in my prints. The small size of the gouge tips works great for carving small spaces on your block. You can also buy tools with the same palm handle and larger gouges to remove material quickly from your linoleum block. If, like me, you are a tiny detail-focused printmaker, this is the set for you. I find this handle design works well for medium-sized hands. 

Hand holding flexcut mini palm tool. One The Best Carving Tools for Printmaking.

Quick Connect Carving Tool System 

Pictured below is the Quick Connect ABS (plastic) handle. You can find these handles in a Craft Carver set with ten blades and an Interchangeable Handle. The ABS handle is quite large. For this reason, this handle is great if you have larger hands or need a more open grip when carving your blocks. You will find all the different gouge sizes compatible with the quick connect system. This compact tool system is a nice option for folks working in a small studio space or carving on the go. Its compact and efficient design makes it one of the best carving tools for printmaking on the market. If you are interested in an interchangeable tool system, it is worth noting that Flexcut has added several interchangeable handle types, allowing you to save space with one handle that is a single piece. 

Hand holding flexcut quick connect tool. One The Best Carving Tools for Printmaking.

Gold Polishing Compound and Slip-Strop Tool Sharpener 

The Flexcut SlipStrop Tool Sharpener Set allows polishing and deburring of the inside and outside V-tools, gouges, and the outside bevel. Paired with the gold bar polishing compound, this system keeps your high-carbon steel tools in tip-top shape. Are you wanting to learn more about Stropping your tools? Flexcut has a handy video on YouTube that teaches you how to use their sharpening system. Check it out here.

Sourcing the best carving tools for printmaking:

If you don’t live near an art supply store, you can purchase a variety of lino cutters at an online store. McClain’s Printmaking Supplies is a great place to find a wide selection of carving tools and printmaking supplies. Another retailer, Michaels Craft Supplies, sells printmaking supplies. Because I love a good deal, I often order Speedball products from them and take advantage of free shipping incentives and frequent sales. Blick Art Materials is another reputable online retailer for printmaking materials.

The Best Carving Tools for Printmaking. Flexcut quick connect tool. flexcut mini palm tool. flexcut premium mini palm tool.

Jacquelyn

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