What is the first step after purchasing new woodcarving tools before they can be used?

The first step after purchasing new woodcarving tools is to strop them. Stropping involves refining the edge of the tool by polishing it on a piece of leather or a similar material. This process helps to remove any burrs that may have formed during the manufacturing process and ensures a finer, sharper edge for effective carving.

While sharpening tools is important, many new tools come with a factory edge that may only require a good strop rather than a complete sharpening. Cleaning tools is also essential, but it's typically more important to ensure the tools are properly prepared for use before any material is worked on. Testing them on scrap wood is a good practice but ideally comes after the stropping step to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the tool.