Congress Knives for Whittling

The Congress pattern is definitely my favorite whittling slip joint. The all time best whittler I have ever owned is this GEC Northfield 620311 Courthouse Whittler. It is a very difficult knife to find, and I searched high and low until I found one, and then continued until I found a few more to store away for my children and grandchildren. The blades have a very thin grind and profile, and can be sharpened to a scalpel edge. The Wharncliffe main blade is great for rough work and that fine tip really gets into those difficult nooks and crannies. It also has a small spear and coping blade as secondary blades. If I had to choose only one knife for whittling, this would be it.

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I've been wanting to carve some more Pinewood Derby cars, they're a lot of fun to make. I think I'd try my Tidioute Gepetto first, along with a Seahorse and the Boker Carver Congress:


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Love those Bulldogs, one is on my wish list.
 
neeman said:
Mora are a classic whittling knife

To quote fron Ragar

#120; A traditional Scandinavian carving knife from Frosts. This is a detail knife with a blade of laminated carbon steel about 2 1/4" (58 mm) long and .107" thick. The core of the blade is hardened to 61 - 62 on the Rockwell C scale for the finest of edges. The handle is generously sized for a solid grip.

122; Another traditional carving knife, this time with a straight edge, and a very sharp point for cutting fine detail. The laminated carbon steel about 2 3/8" (60 mm) long and .112" thick. The core of the blade is hardened to 61 - 62 on the Rockwell C scale for the finest of edges. The 4 1/4" handle is generously sized for a solid grip.
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Those are the two I decided on the day after Christmas when an A gift card was burning a hole in my pocket! Also a hook knife. I like the idea of using a folding pocketknife to whittle since I can just have it in my pocket and take it anywhere, but I imagine a dedicated carving knife might really be the best tool for the job.
 
My top whittlin' slip joints:
GEC #62 Easy Pocket Congress in thick stag
GEC #66 Calf Roper in thick stag
Case 1970 Stockman (6347}
Custom Todd Davison wharncliffe trapper.

And D2 works great for whittlin once properly reprofiled and sharpened.
 
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