Blades for whittling, carving and working with wood?

sogflash

sogflash

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Aug 28, 2011
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I' not sure if this is the correct place to ask, but I feel more at home in this part of the forum.

What kind of blades should one have for whittling, carving and just working with wood? I'm thinking both size, shape and grind.

I realize it depends on what you are making. So if you could say what works for what, that would be great.
 
sogflash said:
I' not sure if this is the correct place to ask, but I feel more at home in this part of the forum.

What kind of blades should one have for whittling, carving and just working with wood? I'm thinking both size, shape and grind.

I realize it depends on what you are making. So if you could say what works for what, that would be great.
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It does have a homey feel. :p As far as the whittling, I'm not sure but plenty of users on here do.
 
The Mora classic series is good. I use a classic 2 for whittling but you could use a smaller size in the classic line if thats what you prefer. That Scandi grind is great for wood work.
 
Its really a matter of tastes I think. A.G. Russell sells a set of Japanese wood carving knives, the "Hiro Knives" which I'm sure you can find if you search his site. This 9 piece set is about as complete and ready to go as they come and quality! I have had my set for a number of years so I'm sure the price is different but if he still has these its a good set of tools. The Flex Cut Carving Jack knives are great folders for the whittler also but nothing is more sentimental to me than my custom made split back whittlers in the Seahorse and 308 patterns in both 01 and D2 steels.
 
My whittlin' knife is a Case Half Congress. Seems made for it.

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hank_rearden said:
what the... how'd you manage those relief patterns on the wood?
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Just draw the pattern with a sharpie and start whittlin'. Here's a closer look. Note the imperfections. It's not carved but whittled. There's a difference. The stick is walnut.

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That's some pretty amazing whittling Leghog! Whittling and carving? I don't understand the difference. Could you explain?
 
In whittling you hold the work/piece in one hand and the knife in the other. In carving the piece is mounted in a vice, on a table, etc.

In whittling you use a knife and no other tools. In carving many tools are used (chisels, mallets, shapers etc.), and knife use is not common.

In whittling strokes are often/most often toward you. In carving strokes are often/most often away from you.

In whittling strokes are less precise than in carving. In carving strokes are precise, and the tools used more readily allow precision.

That's a simplistic explanation, but it's the difference in a nutshell.
 
True wood carving knives tend to have large handles and small, specially shaped blades. You normally have a set of wood carving knives with a number of different blades. Whittling is more typically done with a more general purpose knife. I always viewed whittling as being something you did in the field or porch, and carving something you did at home in the shop.
 
jc57 said:
True wood carving knives tend to have large handles and small, specially shaped blades. You normally have a set of wood carving knives with a number of different blades. Whittling is more typically done with a more general purpose knife. I always viewed whittling as being something you did in the field or porch, and carving something you did at home in the shop.
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There are whittlers who use such store bought knives or who modify knives similarly to use whittling.

Field/porch vs home/shop has much to do with holding the piece (whittling) or mounting the piece (carving).

Whittling is a subset of carving, if you will. Whittling is carving, but carving is not necessarily whittling.
 
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Got these from Lee Ferguson (no relation). W2 and reasonably priced. Don't know them by name but I use the top two shapes the most when whittling.

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leghog said:
In whittling you hold the work/piece in one hand and the knife in the other. In carving the piece is mounted in a vice, on a table, etc.

In whittling you use a knife and no other tools. In carving many tools are used (chisels, mallets, shapers etc.), and knife use is not common.

In whittling strokes are often/most often toward you. In carving strokes are often/most often away from you.

In whittling strokes are less precise than in carving. In carving strokes are precise, and the tools used more readily allow precision.

That's a simplistic explanation, but it's the difference in a nutshell.
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Thanks. Great explanation.
 
I would submit that for whittlecarving a sheepsfoot/coping/wharnecliffe is fairly essential for scoring cuts and the straight edge for controlled material removal via draw cuts. A spey can be quite handy for scooping out areas, say between scores made by the sheepcopewharny. A pen or even clip kind of bridges the two, providing a point and a bit of belly.
 
jobasha11 said:
The Mora classic series is good. I use a classic 2 for whittling but you could use a smaller size in the classic line if thats what you prefer. That Scandi grind is great for wood work.
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The smaller laminated Mora whittling knives are excellent
They have full handles that are very comfortable to use over long times
The scandi grind is very sympathetic to carving
they are only about $25 each, so cheaper than a slipjoint

The drawback (pun) of the Mora whittling knives are the blade shape is strighter or stright
Other Nordi knives can have a short blades with a full curve shape, which makes then very easy to use
These tend to be carbon blades and a full handle, sometimes well worked
A little more expensive at about $45 a knife


Ragar has a great selection
 
sunandsteel said:
Excellent work. I would love to make one of those, but where do you start?:confused:
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Get a stick (try a local wood supply like woodcrafters or any place furniture makers get their wood, tools, and supplies --- I prefer hardwoods), get a knife, ponder a design, draw design on stick, whittle. Don't rush it (why whittlin' and pipe smoking go so well together) but do plug away. Keep knife sharp/sharpen knife often. Sharp blades are paramount. Second is evenly grained wood regardless of hardness/density.

The fragile parts, if any, save for last. On the stick pictured, the chain was the very last part I whittled.

I've got a piece of cherry I was working put haven't really touched in ages. Failed in the "plug away" part. The walnut stick pictured I whittled over a couple of months of transition leave when I retired from the Army. Plugged away but didn't rush it.

sunandsteel said:
What kind of wood did you use?
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The stick pictured is walnut.

I prefer hardwoods. Walnut and cherry are favorites. I've used maple (stay away from curly and bird's eye), red oak (properly cured white oak is just too hard, a lesson I learned the hard way), hickory, and holly too. Almost any wood will work provided the piece is properly cured and evenly grained. Heartwood is better than sap wood. Many use softwoods like basswood and white pine. Not me. I like the hardwoods.
 
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