I'm a whittling fool!

Hey WadeF,

That's what I figured I would do anyway - the Kevlar is around $14, and the other was $7 or $8, so might as well get both.

Not so sure about wearing both at the same time :D
 
edb said:
This is really interesting! I also make a living typing on a computer, so I've been wondering how I could protect my fingers while whittling. Just went to Lee Valley's web site, and saw the protection-related products.

They have Kevlar gloves, and puncture-resistant gloves, apparently for different applications. Now, I'm not sure what would be more likely to occur while whittling - a "cut" wound, or a "stab" wound. The 2 different glove types are apparently optimized for dealing only one of the 2 possibilities... :confused:
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I've found "cut" wounds to be more common while whittling. When you start uses gouges on small pieces being worked in hand you will get more "stab" wounds.
 
WadeF said:
I just took the plunge and ordered a big mess of safety gear from LeeValley. I ordered Kevlar gloves and some other gloves that are supposed to be cut and stab proof. Got a leather apron, friction tape, etc. I'll have a variety of things to try to see what works best. :)
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Good move. Safe practices make the hobby more enjoyable rather than less enjoyable. You won't be able to prevent all injuries, but you will be able to prevent the serious ones.
 
ROFL, I made a series of mushrooms in brown bass wood once (brown from the blood stains... makes an interesting stain /_-)
 
King Grinch said:
What about X-acto?
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What fun is that? :P I enjoy learning to whittle with an old fashion styled slip joint. Maybe I should be hardcore and make some obsidian carving tools. :)
 
Here's a carving done a while back in relief on a cedar cane, man is cedar hard to carve, it has a mind of it's own. :eek:

In case ya can't tell they're fish. ;)

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Bobwhite said:
Looking good. Keep it up. Whittling is a dying art but I don't know why, it is such a good pastime. When you going to try a Ball-in-cage or a Chain? :D
I have some scars from some of my slips, but nothing too bad.
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I started to try a chain on a piece of wood I grabbed out of my parents' woodpile. I'm using a Queen Whittler (D-2 blades) but this wood is HARD and slow going. I don't know what it is, acacia, maybe?

I can give it about an hour at a time, tops, and then my thumbs are too sore from pushing the blade spine against the branch.

I didn't realize how hard this wood was until I whittled down a Home Depot dowell for a piece of my son's baby furniture and the Queen went through it like butter. :eek:
I just chose the wrong branch for my first whittling project, I guess.
 
In the whittling book I have it sounds like they prefer to whittle fresh wood that hasn't dried out yet. I've noticed it's much easier to work with.
 
WadeF said:
In the whittling book I have it sounds like they prefer to whittle fresh wood that hasn't dried out yet. I've noticed it's much easier to work with.
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If only my parents had basswood trees in their back yard. ;)
 
Picking the right wood is key. Pick straight grain over everything. Types of wood I like are walnut and butternut. Basswood has so little grain character, I generally avoid it. Walnut is hard, but the color and grain make it worth it in my opinion. Butternut, AKA White Walnut, is a nice balance between the two. You can get it from Woodcraft or most mail order places. I have done some stuff in mahogany and cherry, but I like walnut and butternut better. If you whittle undried wood, it can crack when it dries. That can really wreck your ball-in-cage or chain. It can look cool for figures though.
 
I'm resurecting this thread to ask Wade and others whether they found it necessary to reprofile their Queen knives in order to make them good whittlers. I ask because I just ordered a Queen whittler.
 
KeithAM said:
I'm resurecting this thread to ask Wade and others whether they found it necessary to reprofile their Queen knives in order to make them good whittlers. I ask because I just ordered a Queen whittler.
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I did reprofile it based on the recommendations by one of the authors of a whittling book I have.
 
Carving and whittling is my favorite past time also. It isn't always necessary to make anything. Sometimes you just want to slice wood just to do it.

I got into wood carving after seeing some hand made walking sticks at a gun show for sale. I asked the guy for tips and he willingly shared with me his tricks and tools. Shortly after that I made my own whittling knife with a nice Wharncliff blade and went to town. That was some 12 or more years ago. Some time later I bought my first set of carving knives. Some find this magazine to be quite good. http://www.carvingmagazine.com/

I recently did the free project on the above link from the carving magazine web site. It was a lot of fun and my nephews really enjoyed watching me do it. You might want to check it out.
 
Wade,
Very impressive! I've been whittling for a couple of years now and my work doesn't come close. I guess I have some learning to do :)
 
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