If you are just starting with woodcarving or even if you have been doing it for years, be kind to your fingers. Get this leather thumb guard AND the companion finger guard. They will be your first line of defense against ugly cuts, ouches, and boo boo's. I found them comfortable to wear, and they allowed my fingers to move naturally with no worries, no stiffness. Well worth the price in my estimation! Just make sure you get the product size that fits your thumb and fingers best. The best fit will give you the most enjoyment and the most hours of use.

While this guard has saved my thumb from being scored by my carving tools, I do find myself constantly readjusting it to make sure it doesn't slip off my thumb. Good tool, well made, but could use something to help it be more stable.

I purchased two sets of both the thumb and finger guard for wood carving. Having done a good bit of carving over the years, I've had the nicks and occasional cuts that come with the vocation or avocation, mostly in carving miniatures. I once tried wrapping adhesive bandages around my thumb to give me a little protection and cut it to ribbons after just a short time of carving. Leather is definitely a better protection. The only somewhat negative, may be resolved with some time getting used to the guards, but even with my fairly large hands, the guards seem to slip out of place a good bit. Once it is "broken-in" that issue could easily be resolved. Regardless, I am happy with these guards. Well worth the price.

UPDATE: I purchased the standard size Thumb guard and found it to be a good fit without slipping around. Since there is not an easy way to gauge which size you may need, it is probably a good idea to start with the standard size and then get a larger one if needed, or just get one of each size to try. The cost of these is so low it isn't costly to try both sizes if you have really large hands (my ring size is about 10.5). The elastic bands help give the guards some flexibility in the size. I would add the last star for (5) after using the size that fits me well.