[Woodcarver] Instruction/Tools/Suggestions requested

[Rick Johnson]

Hello all...I have a couple questions, as well as a plea...

There are 2 sisters (freshman in college and a senior in high school) 
from our church that had approached me to teach them to carve. While I 
am still a beginning carver myself and still exploring the joys of 
carving (and making MANY mistakes along the way), I agreed to show them 
a few things.

I think I have created a couple monsters!  (LOL), the first meeting, 
they carved for 5 hours straight, and when I had them meet me again 
later the same week, they had just about finished the project I had them 
start.

My questions:
Does anyone else have any novice ideas for carving? I have given them 
the "40 minute Santa", the Santa bookmark and each of them an egg to 
work on a face with.

Also, being college and high school kids and children of a single mom, 
they don't have a lot of extra money...does anyone have a couple old 
knives (in decent shape, please) that I can get them started with their 
own tools? I might even be willing to buy them, if the pricing is 
affordable. How about ideas for strops for them? Suggestions for gouges? 
Right now, I have been lending them my tools, but it does make it harder 
for me to continue myself...  :-)

As this is the first time I have ever taught carving/whittling, any 
suggestions from the more seasoned carvers? I have taught computer 
classes, but art is new to me...any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you all for your help...

Rick