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Best knife for carving a pumpkin?
- Thread starter Hoodoo
- Start date
I have a punkin' carving knife. seriously.
I used to carve a bunch of pumpkins with the kids when they were younger.
I bought it at a gun show for $1.oo
It's an old worn out slaughter house knife sharpened down to nothing but the spine so the widest part of the blade is maybe .25" and about 4-5" blade length.
You can poke it in like an ice pick but still cut on a close radius with no effort. plenty of stiffness for tough pumpkins (I had tried a fish fillet knife but too flexible)
You might be disappointed with my nominee for "Best Punkin' Knife 1999" since it isn't some high tech modern holiday tactical or such, but hey, I know what works. The kids are grown now, but I've probably carved a hundred jack-O's.
I used to carve a bunch of pumpkins with the kids when they were younger.
I bought it at a gun show for $1.oo
It's an old worn out slaughter house knife sharpened down to nothing but the spine so the widest part of the blade is maybe .25" and about 4-5" blade length.
You can poke it in like an ice pick but still cut on a close radius with no effort. plenty of stiffness for tough pumpkins (I had tried a fish fillet knife but too flexible)
You might be disappointed with my nominee for "Best Punkin' Knife 1999" since it isn't some high tech modern holiday tactical or such, but hey, I know what works. The kids are grown now, but I've probably carved a hundred jack-O's.
- Joined
- Apr 16, 1999
- Messages
- 1,094
Use a Chain Saw!!!
I've tried most of my knives on carving pumpkins, excepting most of the damascus. They seem better suited to destroying them, very efficiently I must say, rather than carving them. The most suitable ones are thin, narrow, flat grind. I had better luck with the kitchen selection than with my utility and tactical favorites. Obviously, no chisel grinds. The Elishewitz Phantom worked surprisingly well. My wife thinks I'm nuts.She's wrong;I'm stupid.
A neighbour uses some kind of thin electric knife to make astounding patterns, so T4 wasn't far off the mark.
A neighbour uses some kind of thin electric knife to make astounding patterns, so T4 wasn't far off the mark.
I have an old Shrade fillet knife that I never used for anything but carving pumpkins. It really works well. I haven't had to carve a pumpkin in years and probably won't until there are Grand children around.
When the time comes again, I'll drop JW a line and see if I can borrow his knife for a day or two. It sounds perfect.
Mike
When the time comes again, I'll drop JW a line and see if I can borrow his knife for a day or two. It sounds perfect.
Mike
The best knives Ive ever seen for
pumpkin carving are the little plastic ones
they sell during this time of year for exactly that reason.
Ive carved a few in my day (Im only in my twenties, but
halloween is a special day for me
) and used many different knives.
The small plastic serrated type that kids cant cut themselves with
rate tops.
-matt
pumpkin carving are the little plastic ones
they sell during this time of year for exactly that reason.
Ive carved a few in my day (Im only in my twenties, but
halloween is a special day for me
The small plastic serrated type that kids cant cut themselves with
rate tops.
-matt
- Joined
- Oct 14, 1998
- Messages
- 1,367
I've been using a Sabatier (sp?) boning knife that I've had for thirty years. It's thin and not-too-flexible, and does well on tight curves. Better are broken bits of thin (1/4") bandsaw blades 2-4" long mounted in wooden pins.
Chain saws are too wide to do good eyes, and they're messy and noisy.
Boo!
db
Chain saws are too wide to do good eyes, and they're messy and noisy.
Boo!
db
- Joined
- Jul 7, 1999
- Messages
- 112
For those that don't own a chain saw, it seems that a doctor's knife would be about perfect for this task.
Dave R
Dave R