Peter Berry claims he does not do proper carving and breaks all the 'rules'.    If this is so, then more of us should throw the rule book out.      

He has been carving for so long that he has worked out the best combination of  tools and wood for his type work.      The wood is Jelutong  , from rubber trees.    It has no grain or character so can be carved which ever way with impunity.  It is soft enough to carve with flexicut tools and knives all day without straining the hands.  It is so bland that when he seals and stains it, the wood does not interfere with the effect he wants to achieve.

He is one of those carvers who can draw and he works out the design in some detail before he starts carving.    Waste wood is removed with a bandsaw.    The squareness of the block is removed and very soon, what may be the final surface is revealed, so that almost every cut is energy efficient, clean  and ready for the finishing danish oil.   He does not believe in sanding the carving.

Peter used a Sargent Major carving to illustrate his demonstration.