2020 GEC #62 Easy Pocket Congress and Pocket Carver Thread

Elgatodeacero said:
@Mayonardo didnt you say the 92's and 86's were your favorites also?!

@HEMI 49 didnt you plan to just get one stag 62?

@Jiki that kind of avant garde carving may fly in gay Paree, but getting caught with such carvings in USA and you could end up on a sex offender list!

I planned to buy zero 62's, so with six in the drawer, I feel pretty stable and in control.

I consider the Pocket Carvers a totally different knife, and my plan was to get two of those, so with 3 on the way, I believe I am in the self-control sweet spot.
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@Elgatodeacero I had originally wanted to buy one but a another opening flashed in front of my wallet so I snapped it up....
 
Jiki said:
I'd say it works.
2qJFd2F.jpg
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I have collected wooden owl carvings in the past. That one is really cute.
 
hornetguy said:
Can it still be called whittling if you use some type of saw to hog out the rough shape, then finish with a knife? Somehow, the "pseudo-purist" in me thinks that a whittling project should be done completely with the whittling knife, but some projects look to be almost impossible to do, without removing the bulk of the material with a power tool....
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let me begin by saying that this is how I define these things because of my experience, but I’m not the Oxford Dictionary.

Personally, I consider whittling to be what someone accomplishes with a general purpose pocket knife (designated carving blade on a multi blade is acceptable). I believe a key aspect is passing time doing something creative and spontaneous. As such, I think of a true Whittler as someone who uses their pocket knife (not even a pencil!) and some piece of found wood.

Somethings like making a ball in a cage can be sped up by drilling out the areas above and below the ball. A carved chain can eliminate a lot of preparation time by going to the table saw and drill. I think the true Whittler isn’t going to use those strategies because their genuinely spontaneous and likely don’t have a table saw on hand.

I think there’s also a level of expectation for the finished product from whittling. I expect that it will not be sanded, or finished with anything other than a simple finish like mineral oil to protect it for posterity. Surfaces aren’t likely to be flat, and the whole creation might appear bent, as it may have just been a stick prior.

wood carving/working, on the other hand? I use an axe and hand saw to trim up blanks for spoons and other things I make from raw materials. I consider that more wood carving/working than whittling because usually it takes preparation and more tools. I might even have to seek out specific materials.

for me the only difference between wood carving and woodworking is that carving is a specific type of wood working and generally for the aesthetic, though not always.

True whittling? This is that boyscout sitting by a campfire with his scout knife laboring to make something from a neat stick he found in the woods, or that old timer turning a scrap of 2x4 into a chain on his front porch with that stockman he always carries.

just one guy’s opinion.
 
EngrSorenson said:
let me begin by saying that this is how I define these things because of my experience, but I’m not the Oxford Dictionary.

Personally, I consider whittling to be what someone accomplishes with a general purpose pocket knife (designated carving blade on a multi blade is acceptable). I believe a key aspect is passing time doing something creative and spontaneous. As such, I think of a true Whittler as someone who uses their pocket knife (not even a pencil!) and some piece of found wood.

Somethings like making a ball in a cage can be sped up by drilling out the areas above and below the ball. A carved chain can eliminate a lot of preparation time by going to the table saw and drill. I think the true Whittler isn’t going to use those strategies because their genuinely spontaneous and likely don’t have a table saw on hand.

I think there’s also a level of expectation for the finished product from whittling. I expect that it will not be sanded, or finished with anything other than a simple finish like mineral oil to protect it for posterity. Surfaces aren’t likely to be flat, and the whole creation might appear bent, as it may have just been a stick prior.

wood carving/working, on the other hand? I use an axe and hand saw to trim up blanks for spoons and other things I make from raw materials. I consider that more wood carving/working than whittling because usually it takes preparation and more tools. I might even have to seek out specific materials.

for me the only difference between wood carving and woodworking is that carving is a specific type of wood working and generally for the aesthetic, though not always.

True whittling? This is that boyscout sitting by a campfire with his scout knife laboring to make something from a neat stick he found in the woods, or that old timer turning a scrap of 2x4 into a chain on his front porch with that stockman he always carries.

just one guy’s opinion.[/QUOTE
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Well said
 
EngrSorenson said:
.....True whittling? This is that boyscout sitting by a campfire with his scout knife laboring to make something from a neat stick he found in the woods.....
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The first part of your last statement tracks with the whittling/carving jargon I remember from my Boy Scout days. I recall “whittling” being making available sticks into functional campsite objects (tent stakes, etc) out of available found sticks/branches, etc and “woodcarving” being making things like a ball-in-a-box, neckerchief slides (remember those?), etc. The BSA Wood Carving Merit Badge required completing a chip carving or low relief carving and an “in the round” carving, which were a definite step beyond (usually functional campsite) whittling projects and into the realm of aesthetically-oriented work.

All that being said... I noticed there’s now a Northfield “Camel Bone” version of the two-blade 62 listed on the production schedule. Is this one of those limited small runs with plain white camel bone that GEC does to use up the last of their metal parts when they get close to the end of a pattern run? Or has it been part of the overall pattern production schedule and I just missed it until now?
 
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@Elgatodeacero yes I did. I have three 62s, jigged bone, “ivory” and maroon linen micarta. Beautiful knives all. I sold a natural canvas 86 because I wanted one with tortoise shell acrylic covers — came Friday. Limited funds you know. I think the acrylic, like the smooth and fine micarta, has better handling properties than canvas and perhaps burlap (never handled a burlap micarta so I could be wrong).
So, with those four, my 66 tortoise shell and canvas 92, my little user group is done.
 
EngrSorenson said:
let me begin by saying that this is how I define these things because of my experience, but I’m not the Oxford Dictionary.

Personally, I consider whittling to be what someone accomplishes with a general purpose pocket knife (designated carving blade on a multi blade is acceptable). I believe a key aspect is passing time doing something creative and spontaneous. As such, I think of a true Whittler as someone who uses their pocket knife (not even a pencil!) and some piece of found wood.

Somethings like making a ball in a cage can be sped up by drilling out the areas above and below the ball. A carved chain can eliminate a lot of preparation time by going to the table saw and drill. I think the true Whittler isn’t going to use those strategies because their genuinely spontaneous and likely don’t have a table saw on hand.

I think there’s also a level of expectation for the finished product from whittling. I expect that it will not be sanded, or finished with anything other than a simple finish like mineral oil to protect it for posterity. Surfaces aren’t likely to be flat, and the whole creation might appear bent, as it may have just been a stick prior.

wood carving/working, on the other hand? I use an axe and hand saw to trim up blanks for spoons and other things I make from raw materials. I consider that more wood carving/working than whittling because usually it takes preparation and more tools. I might even have to seek out specific materials.

for me the only difference between wood carving and woodworking is that carving is a specific type of wood working and generally for the aesthetic, though not always.

True whittling? This is that boyscout sitting by a campfire with his scout knife laboring to make something from a neat stick he found in the woods, or that old timer turning a scrap of 2x4 into a chain on his front porch with that stockman he always carries.

just one guy’s opinion.
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I believe the calling something "true whittling " goes against the definition of whittling itself with its high minded arrogance. To imply that someone is not whittling if they use "wrong" tool.

Whittling is simple. Whittling is just wood carving for entertainment. Many whittlers of yester year only had one knife and or tool and therefore used what they had. If they were fortunate enough to also have a gouge believe me they would have used it. They had no TV, radio, few books, and so on. They had a knife and wood. Did they go buy a pocket carver? No they bought the best knife they could afford to do the most tasks they needed it to do. There was no "EDC", there was just a knife, one knife. Therefore it was a carving knife too.

Whittling is simple, wood carving for entertainment. Go grab a piece of wood and a sharp knife or gouge and entertain yourself.
 
Jiki said:
I believe the calling something "true whittling " goes against the definition of whittling itself with its high minded arrogance. To imply that someone is not whittling if they use "wrong" tool.

Whittling is simple. Whittling is just wood carving for entertainment. Many whittlers of yester year only had one knife and or tool and therefore used what they had. If they were fortunate enough to also have a gouge believe me they would have used it. They had no TV, radio, few books, and so on. They had a knife and wood. Did they go buy a pocket carver? No they bought the best knife they could afford to do the most tasks they needed it to do. There was no "EDC", there was just a knife, one knife. Therefore it was a carving knife too.

Whittling is simple, wood carving for entertainment. Go grab a piece of wood and a sharp knife or gouge and entertain yourself.
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you mean, like this? Although, I cheated and used a scorp for scooping out the bowl of the spoon....spanish cedar

jZrM0c.jpg
 
Jiki said:
I believe the calling something "true whittling " goes against the definition of whittling itself with its high minded arrogance. To imply that someone is not whittling if they use "wrong" tool.

...Whittling is simple, wood carving for entertainment. Go grab a piece of wood and a sharp knife or gouge and entertain yourself.
Click to expand...

The only reason this topic is relevant anyway is because GEC made a portable pocket knife that has a more wood carving appropriate design, and @hornetguy asked a great question.

I wasn’t going for “high minded arrogance”. To me, whittling is to carving as doodling is to drawing. Sure, someone could say they’re doodling with special art supplies, but already it’s become a bit absurd.

If I consider a gouge, it has one purpose. A pocket knife is something that is a general tool that we use to cut wood sometimes. My new #62 Pocket Carver has been used a lot for opening packages lately, and I’ve also been whittling sticks with it.

As soon as I pull out my box of carving tools, to me, it ceases to be whittling. It may still be fun and entertaining but it’s no longer what I think of when I think of whittling. We’re now into wood carving (IMHO), which implies more involvement and higher expectations for the finished product, usually because now you can accomplish cuts that a simple pocket knife cannot.

but again, it’s just one guys ideas.

@hornetguy nice spoon! For a challenge, try using just whatever knife you have on your person (Maybe a #62 you’ve collected?!). The bowl gets a little unique, but it’s fun.
 
Yes... I'm afraid my bowl would be pretty jagged, using just a pocket knife.... I'll probably give it a try, just to see what can be done...
 
hornetguy said:
Yes... I'm afraid my bowl would be pretty jagged, using just a pocket knife.... I'll probably give it a try, just to see what can be done...
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The trick is making a large V cut for the bowl. If you get good you can make it curved at the rim.
 
EngrSorenson said:
The only reason this topic is relevant anyway is because GEC made a portable pocket knife that has a more wood carving appropriate design, and @hornetguy asked a great question.

I wasn’t going for “high minded arrogance”. To me, whittling is to carving as doodling is to drawing. Sure, someone could say they’re doodling with special art supplies, but already it’s become a bit absurd.

If I consider a gouge, it has one purpose. A pocket knife is something that is a general tool that we use to cut wood sometimes. My new #62 Pocket Carver has been used a lot for opening packages lately, and I’ve also been whittling sticks with it.

As soon as I pull out my box of carving tools, to me, it ceases to be whittling. It may still be fun and entertaining but it’s no longer what I think of when I think of whittling. We’re now into wood carving (IMHO), which implies more involvement and higher expectations for the finished product, usually because now you can accomplish cuts that a simple pocket knife cannot.

but again, it’s just one guys ideas.

@hornetguy nice spoon! For a challenge, try using just whatever knife you have on your person (Maybe a #62 you’ve collected?!). The bowl gets a little unique, but it’s fun.
Click to expand...
Very interesting, on one hand you want whittling to be this free organic thing. On the other you want to immediately add rules to it, you must use this tool and no other.

Interesting indeed.
 
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