Best woodcarving tools for beginners

Start with the BeaverCraft S13 set. It's the classic beginner kit: a detail knife, a spoon knife and a whittling knife in high-carbon steel, sharp out of the box, with a strop and compound so you learn to keep an edge — the skill that matters most early on. It's also the best-rated set here by a wide margin.

Who the others suit:

• BeaverCraft S15X Deluxe — more knives and a bigger kit for someone who already knows they'll stick with it.
• Flexcut KN600 Beginner Palm & Knife Set — palm tools plus a knife, for relief and detail work rather than pure whittling.
• Flexcut KN100 palm set — small palm gouges only; good if you're carving shallow relief on flat boards.
• Starter Spoon Carving Set — if spoons and bowls are the goal, skip knives and start with a hook knife and sloyd.
• Ninonly 18-piece / AsterOutdoor chisel set — lots of tools for little money, but budget steel; fine for trying chip carving, not for a lifetime.

One tip: buy a strop and honing compound if your set doesn't include them, and start on basswood or butternut.