Favorite *EDC* knife for whittling?

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Oct 15, 2018
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Dear all,

What is your favorite *EDC* (i.e. NOT carving specific) knife for whittling? I have specialized carving knives but sometimes the bug bites me to carve without a specialized blade. I have found that the Kershaw Dividend, the Cold Steel Tufflite, and Rough Ryder's swayback classic carbon are among my favorite EDC knives for carving.

And if you so desire: show what you have carved with your EDC blade!

Bryson
 
Personally, I e.d.c. fixed blades, but judging by your examples, it looks like you mean folders. I can say this, once I wittled a big stick into a smaller stick using a Kershaw Leek. It was easy goin.
My experience here probably doesn't help you, but try a Leek. I would think it's wharnie ish blade would be good there. Probably not comfy for extended use though?
 
Out of knives I actually carry for non-whittling general purposes that I've employed as a whittler to kill time? It has to be the CS Tuff Lite by a mile for me.

I have piles of dedicated carving knives, but I like working with the Tuff Lite (and Mini) so much that I keep a couple of them set up as if they were fixed blades. They're the prison shanks in black in the middle here:

fU4JSgw.jpg


I have no artistic talent to speak of, so I mostly carve stuff like this sort of thing:

w0PhkOw.jpg


Traditional slippies work great too, of course. Modern slipjoints too, now that I think of it--I whittled with the Manly Wasp a bit and it wasn't unpleasant, outside of the edges of the spine being a bit sharp for my taste.

That said, I'll whittle with anything to kill time. I've whittled with a machete and recently I whittled some with this little auto while I was hanging out with my wife on our back patio after a storm. There were small branches down everywhere, so I had a lot of little sticks to noodle around with while we talked:

SrkZwlZ.jpg
 
I enjoy making feather sticks every once and again. I thinks it’s an asmr thing.

My favorite for that would have to be a sak farmer. The curls are very easy with that knife. When I use something like a delica the edge is a little thick and my opie 8 is a little too thin. Both are still good at it but the sak is perfect.

If I want to destroy the stick it’s the opinel 8 hands down. No other knife I own hogs off wood like that opinel.

The knife that’s usually in my pocket is a delica or a military though.
 
Out of knives I actually carry for non-whittling general purposes that I've employed as a whittler to kill time? It has to be the CS Tuff Lite by a mile for me.

I have piles of dedicated carving knives, but I like working with the Tuff Lite (and Mini) so much that I keep a couple of them set up as if they were fixed blades. They're the prison shanks in black in the middle here:

fU4JSgw.jpg


I have no artistic talent to speak of, so I mostly carve stuff like this sort of thing:

w0PhkOw.jpg


Traditional slippies work great too, of course. Modern slipjoints too, now that I think of it--I whittled with the Manly Wasp a bit and it wasn't unpleasant, outside of the edges of the spine being a bit sharp for my taste.

That said, I'll whittle with anything to kill time. I've whittled with a machete and recently I whittled some with this little auto while I was hanging out with my wife on our back patio after a storm. There were small branches down everywhere, so I had a lot of little sticks to noodle around with while we talked:

SrkZwlZ.jpg
"Prison Shank" = nice! Made me laugh.
 
If it's got a blade and there is wood around, it's a whittling knife..... But my EDCs that are best for that are, predictably, the Tuff Lite and Mini Tuff. Small blades, big handles for the overall size, and very thin blades make them the next best thing to a fixed blade knife. And as evilgreg has demonstrated, a little (or a lot) of silicon tape makes them into fixed blades that rival a fixed Flexcut, with the added advantage of shanking ability if you get jumped by another inmate. They aren't around anymore, but I really like Boker Wharcoms for small work too. The handle isn't as comfortable for extended use, but they just disappear in a pocket when you are done with them.
 
Any knife that you regrind or sharpen to a low angle should carve pretty well. A thicker handle would increase comfort.
Out of the box maybe an Enzo Birk scandi?
 
I love those rough riders. Often overlooked, but they are typically really well made. What is the large fat rough ryder? Is it actually comfortable to carry and use?

The big boy is an Elephants Toenail. Think of it as sort of a Whaler Lite. Or an asymmetrical large Sunfish. I really like how it fits my hand, but the blades are really wide. So it mostly just gets used for some of the early, rough shaping.
 
I'm nothing more than a grab a stick and see what happens kind of whittler, but when I do the case 6208 half whittler is excellent for it. I don't carry it for whittling, it just gets to be used for it once in a while.

And here's just some of the little things I've whittled with the 6208.
 
I love those rough riders. Often overlooked, but they are typically really well made. What is the large fat rough ryder? Is it actually comfortable to carry and use?
Top left? A large Sunfish.
Very comfortable to use and carry loose in the pocket.
They also don't "print" in your pocket - even if or when wearing a suit pants.
I have the "Smooth Tobacco Bone" and "Zkmbie Nick" versions.
(The "Zombie Nick" is about 1/16 to 1/8 inch shorter, and is a sleeveboard.)
 
I think the Tuff Lite's have become an unofficial non-traditional whittling staple. I thought they looked absolutely silly. But after hearing so many people talk about them, I picked up a mini just to confirm my suspicion. A one inch straight edge with four finger grip...good heavens, why bother. Yup, it's crazy alright. It now stays right here by my couch. What an amazing little performer.
 
@Bryson S Bryson, many whittling threads and some great pics (knives and carvings such as above by Hickory n steel Hickory n steel and bflying bflying ) in the Traditional Subforum , if you are interested in browsing around there. A key word search of the Traditional Subforum will get you some cool threads.

https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/traditional-folders-and-fixed-blades.773/
Bflying, thanks for the reply. I've profited from the Traditional subforum. With this post I was interested specifically in non-traditional whittling knives that people enjoy using for the occasional whittle. I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
 
I think the Tuff Lite's have become an unofficial non-traditional whittling staple. I thought they looked absolutely silly. But after hearing so many people talk about them, I picked up a mini just to confirm my suspicion. A one inch straight edge with four finger grip...good heavens, why bother. Yup, it's crazy alright. It now stays right here by my couch. What an amazing little performer.

Do you prefer the mini Tuff Lite to the full size Tuff lite? I haven't tried the mini b/c I thought the handle would be too small to be comfortable for whittling. I might have to check one out now...
 
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