This is the block carvers come back for. Every one is sawn to 3 x 3 x 5 inches, so the template you drew last week fits this week's block too. It's our most popular soapstone - bought by professional carvers, Indigenous artists including many from Six Nations of the Grand River, art teachers and studios across Canada.
At a glance
| Size | 3 x 3 x 5 in |
| Metric | 7.6 x 7.6 x 12.7 cm |
| Weight | approx. 2 kg (4.4 lb) |
| Stone | Natural Brazilian soapstone (steatite), approx. Mohs 1-3 |
| Level | Beginner to professional |
| Best for | Figures, animals, busts, bears, birds, loons, inukshuks |
Why carvers choose the 3x3x5 Carving Block
- Same size every time. Every block is sawn to 3 x 3 x 5. Draw your template once and repeat it.
- Flat faces to draw on. Sawn sides take pencil and templates cleanly, front, side and top.
- Soft enough for hand tools. Rasps, rifflers and sandpaper do it all. No power tools needed.
- Colour you only see at the end. Brazilian stone hides green, brown and grey veining until it is wet or oiled.
Built for repeatable work
Sawn blocks have flat faces you can draw on - front, side and top. Professional carvers pencil a template onto every block, rough out with a rasp or saw and refine with rifflers. Because our sizes stay the same order to order, a design you like is a design you can make again.
The colour shows at the end
Dry Brazilian soapstone looks pale and chalky. Wet it or rub in mineral oil and the green, grey, brown and charcoal veining comes up. No two blocks finish the same - that's the part carvers love.
Who buys it
Who buys it: Indigenous carvers and artists (including many from Six Nations of the Grand River), art teachers and school boards, summer camps and rec programs, carving instructors and studios, museums, galleries and gift shops, and hobby carvers across Canada and the USA.
Carving tips
- Carve over a damp towel and wet the stone often - it keeps dust down and shows you the colour.
- Wear a simple dust mask if you sand dry.
- Sand through the grits: 100 to shape, 360 and 600 to smooth, 2000 to polish.
- Finish with mineral oil or paste wax and buff with a soft cloth.
Questions
Why do carvers prefer a 3x3x5 block?
It is big enough for a real figure and small enough to hold in one hand. Because the size never changes, carvers can draw the same template on every block, price their pieces consistently and plan class kits.
How hard is this soapstone?
Around 1 to 3 on the Mohs scale, varying block to block. It shapes easily with rasps and files and sands to a high polish.
Can I buy these by the case?
Yes. Studios, schools and resellers order them by the dozen and by the pallet. Apply for a wholesale account or message us for case pricing.
More: soapstone for carving - 3x3x5 blocks - class packs - beginner kits - carving tools
Soapstone for Carving Block - 3x3x5"
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Stone: Soapstone
Origin: Brazil
Sold By: Single piece
Attributes:
This is the block carvers come back for. Every one is sawn to 3 x 3 x 5 inches, so the template you drew last week fits this week's block too. It's our most popular soapstone - bought by professional carvers, Indigenous artists including many from Six Nations of the Grand River, art teachers and studios across Canada.
At a glance
| Size | 3 x 3 x 5 in |
| Metric | 7.6 x 7.6 x 12.7 cm |
| Weight | approx. 2 kg (4.4 lb) |
| Stone | Natural Brazilian soapstone (steatite), approx. Mohs 1-3 |
| Level | Beginner to professional |
| Best for | Figures, animals, busts, bears, birds, loons, inukshuks |
Why carvers choose the 3x3x5 Carving Block
- Same size every time. Every block is sawn to 3 x 3 x 5. Draw your template once and repeat it.
- Flat faces to draw on. Sawn sides take pencil and templates cleanly, front, side and top.
- Soft enough for hand tools. Rasps, rifflers and sandpaper do it all. No power tools needed.
- Colour you only see at the end. Brazilian stone hides green, brown and grey veining until it is wet or oiled.
Built for repeatable work
Sawn blocks have flat faces you can draw on - front, side and top. Professional carvers pencil a template onto every block, rough out with a rasp or saw and refine with rifflers. Because our sizes stay the same order to order, a design you like is a design you can make again.
The colour shows at the end
Dry Brazilian soapstone looks pale and chalky. Wet it or rub in mineral oil and the green, grey, brown and charcoal veining comes up. No two blocks finish the same - that's the part carvers love.
Who buys it
Who buys it: Indigenous carvers and artists (including many from Six Nations of the Grand River), art teachers and school boards, summer camps and rec programs, carving instructors and studios, museums, galleries and gift shops, and hobby carvers across Canada and the USA.
Carving tips
- Carve over a damp towel and wet the stone often - it keeps dust down and shows you the colour.
- Wear a simple dust mask if you sand dry.
- Sand through the grits: 100 to shape, 360 and 600 to smooth, 2000 to polish.
- Finish with mineral oil or paste wax and buff with a soft cloth.
Questions
Why do carvers prefer a 3x3x5 block?
It is big enough for a real figure and small enough to hold in one hand. Because the size never changes, carvers can draw the same template on every block, price their pieces consistently and plan class kits.
How hard is this soapstone?
Around 1 to 3 on the Mohs scale, varying block to block. It shapes easily with rasps and files and sands to a high polish.
Can I buy these by the case?
Yes. Studios, schools and resellers order them by the dozen and by the pallet. Apply for a wholesale account or message us for case pricing.
More: soapstone for carving - 3x3x5 blocks - class packs - beginner kits - carving tools
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