Knife for a 12-Year-Old's Whittling Projects

Daughter's first knife?

My ten-year old daughter is an outdoorsy kind of gal, and wants a knife. I've always been a knife guy, and have carried one since I was eight years old, even in school (but times were different then)...... I have an outdoor fireplace of sorts and have regular fires, often many times a week. I...
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I went through This with my daughter a few years ago, and I asked the experts....
Mr. Ethan Becker even chimed in.

*I ended up buying his version of the Kephart. BK62

She Love it!
 
The old timer 33 or 34 would be a good place to start. Inexpensive for a USA model, takes a wicked edge, flat grind is better for whittling, easy to sharpen, right size for smaller hands.

I have a 34 I’ve whittled with a bunch. I’ve also used a vintage tree brand stockman and I think it was my favorite. I have use a camco Barlow but i was a kid and don’t remember it much.

And get some decent wood for whittling. I’ve whittled everything from oak to cedar. Hard pine is my least favorite. Like what I showed in the little dish. So hard to cut on the end grain. Cedar is easy enough but has wild grain. So it teaches you to feel and read the grain. And it smells good. Spruce is nice, what I’ve used. So a chunk of 2x4 often will suffice.
 
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I teach 30-40 kids her age how to whittle every year. Their first project is a spoon. I would recommend a thin bladed traditional or plastic handled Mora. The thicker “modern/survival” designs are fine but they don’t carve as well.
 
For whittling and carving you want short blades; under 2". A Congress or Whittler pattern is ideal, but try to make sure all the blades have a different profile (many Congress have matching pairs of blades),

This is a Whittler pattern:
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This is an older Camillus Congress (1960's):
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JM2 said:
Hard to beat a stockman. The comments against blunt pointed blades for whittling are not considering the need for hollowing.

A schrade old timer 5ot or similar, a buck 112 with drop point blade would do decent.

The worst cut I ever had was whittling with a victorinox electricians alox knife. The knife slipped around the stick and across my finger.



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JM2 JM2 you are able to carve those hollows with the spey blade only? Now that is fascinating.
 
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JM2 said:
On the long part of the scoop I used the main blade too, for the reach. But yeah, mostly with just the spey blade.
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I guess I've become reliant on the spoon carving blade. It's good to know that work like this is possible with a pocket knife.
 
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Hashishiin said:
Folks recommending slipjoints, too, as a first whittling knife... , it is not ideal. I bought a slippie (Old Timer Workmate congress) as a pocket whittler and that does not do a good job, I have mainly given up on the idea of small slipjoint pocket folders for whittling.
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Looks like Hashishiin bought a slip joint and tried carving once, but I consider myself a very experienced whittler and 100% with full confidence recommend slip joint pocket knives as whittlers.
I own several dedicated fixed blade carving knives that do not get used as much as whatever knife is in my pocket.
Many people are surprised to learn that the small blade on most Victorinox knives are fairly suitable for the task out of the box, and with a little modification can be made brilliant for it.
And for people who don't trust my expertise, why not listen to a real pro? Chris Lubkemann

Forgive the heavily reused pictures:
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EngrSorenson said:
Looks like Hashishiin bought a slip joint and tried carving once, but I consider myself a very experienced whittler and 100% with full confidence recommend slip joint pocket knives as whittlers.
I own several dedicated fixed blade carving knives that do not get used as much as whatever knife is in my pocket.
Many people are surprised to learn that the small blade on most Victorinox knives are fairly suitable for the task out of the box, and with a little modification can be made brilliant for it.
And for people who don't trust my expertise, why not listen to a real pro? Chris Lubkemann

Forgive the heavily reused pictures:
Click to expand...
Nice carving! Yeah, I did not get cut by a slipjoint carving, that would be my Mora that bit me. However I would like to retract my statement in part, mainly because my technique improved and that OT is not a very good knife.

The small blade on a SAK is probably my most used blade. This year, my gourds were very thick, and a Buck 119 was the ticket for me, Benchmade 200 Puukko for my S/O. But yeah, slipjoints are fine for carving - I personally like a small fixed blade for it, though.
 
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