The Legacy in the Handle

If you’ve ever carved with a Flexcut tool you know the feeling I’m about to say…. when that little pigtail curl of linoleum rolls up as if it’s meant to….that’s when you’ve done it right.

I’ve been using these tools for about 4 years now. I remember purchasing my first set, nervous to use them because I’d become so attached to my speedball tools that they sat, unopened for months.

Some of my favorites

Now every poster, every oddball test print that you see was carved with Flexcut tools.

Micro #5 u shape

Chris Smither tour 2025

A bit of a back story…. Flexcut is based out of Erie, Pennsylvania,

Colder than a witch’s tit

oddly enough the state where I started on this adventure into printmaking. They’ve been making carving tools since the mid-80s. Funny, I feel like that may be one of the coolest decades to be alive, especially as a young adult.

They’re still small-batch, still handmade, still beautifully old-school( kinda how I feel about myself 😂) Every handle feels like it was shaped to fit my hand. They carve through linoleum like fresh butter, and if you know me at all…. I like butter 🧈

Small print of our Flexcut tools

There’s something comforting in that to me. The tradition of hand making something for a person who makes something by hand daily.

Keep on following along for the 2nd part of this three part series. Please share it with friends, family or even your boss!!! See you all soon!!