Knife for Whittling/ Carving?

S

street soldier

Joined
Feb 21, 2003
Messages
784
I'm looking to pick up a knife for whittling/ carving. The knife I am currently using is a Buck Trio. It is decent, but I'm looking for something more. From looking around, both here and on the web, it seems that a straight type blade would be more amenable to carving. With that said, I'm in the market for a new knife.

I would like it to be a traditional slipjoint, as opposed to several single bladed carving knives/ gouges. The knife types that I've been considering are sway back jacks, small congresses, and seahorse whittlers.

I'm sure that there are several members here who have vast amounts of experience with whittling/ carving using their traditional slipjoint, which is why I'm seeking your help. Given the current selection of knives available, which would you choose/ use for woodcarving projects?

I thank you in advance for your help.
 
I like the swayback for carving. The case swayback is a great knife. You could have a custom made depending on your budget. Some of the custom makers are very reasonably priced.
 
This is what I play with.
Hen & Rooster whittler
DSCN0686.jpg

Japanese Higonokami knife
DSCN0735.jpg
 
Boker Congress Carver or one of the whittler patterns with pen and coping blade as the secondary blades.
 
I've wanted to start doing a little whittlin for some time now. Haven't done it since I was a kid. I figured a new knife is in order for the task, and seems like a Whittler would be appropriate
 
Bought my son two whittling books for Christmas, and I am looking forward to doing this activity with him. Interestingly, the author of the more modern text uses a SAK for much of his whittling.
 
Since I didn't know if I would continue to whittle I just picked up a Rough Rider whittler for about $10.00 but it has served my needs well so far.

RR282.jpg
 
I got into whittling with my Daughter (9 now) last yr. She has 3 slippies in her collection (4, if you count the Spyderco Bug).

I used just about all of my slippies to see what works good, etc. Admittedly, I only have about a dozen different ones, plus my Daughters, but some definitely worked better than others.

I personally, prefer the straighter blades & just found them to be easier to use, however a Clip or Spear-point blade would work just fine (Menefee BP & Case/Bose Dogleg Jack). I even used a Case Swayback Jack CV with a Wharncliffe & Pen blades.

I think the most important issue is comfort. An uncomfortable handle quickly shows itself. Having said that, my Menefee BP (4 1/8") was very comfortable to use, as was the Dogleg Jack. The SWJ was a little small for me, but doable.

I really liked the Congress pattern, especially the one I used, which has 2 larger Sheepsfoot blades, a Coping, & a Pen blade. It worked great.

In addition to the slippies, I also use a small Wharncliffe Utility FB by DPKnives here on the Forums (Makers section). A FB definitely has its advantages & I wanted to use more "traditional/simple" knives instead of specialized blades.

Of course, I'm just a newbie, having only done a couple balls in a cage, a truck, & a pirate ship (Should show pics, I suppose), but it sure is fun.

Enjoy & there's nothing like a reason to get a new knife, my wife gave me her blessing for one because of the whittling.
 
Doug S said:
Bought my son two whittling books for Christmas, and I am looking forward to doing this activity with him. Interestingly, the author of the more modern text uses a SAK for much of his whittling.
Click to expand...

Do you recommend a book for whittling? I tried when I was a kid but had/have no imagination. I'd love to have a good book to inspire me.
 
protourist said:
Do you recommend a book for whittling? I tried when I was a kid but had/have no imagination. I'd love to have a good book to inspire me.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. It would be nice to whittle something and actually have it turn in to something besides a pile of shaving :D

The other day I took my son to the local hobby shop and found they have a supply of Basswood :thumbup:
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. Seems like the consensus is that there is no consensus. Everyone seems to have their own preference when it comes to blades and blade shapes.

Seeing as I already have a couple of stockman's or similarly bladed knives, I think I may try out one with a primary dedicated straighter blade. Something like a congress or sway back jack. Although, I gotta tell you joe-bob, I was drooling over that Northfield Executive Whittler.

As far as whittling goes, I stumbled across these sites which may be of interest to some:

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum/
http://www.carvingmagazine.com/

Hope this helps out some.

And please, keep the knife suggestions coming.
 
I've been using swiss army knives for a while, they do okay but usually have too many other tools that get in the way. Although the Victorinox Pocket Pal would probably be good, and cheap too: HERE

Something more traditional looking is always nice though, and with a straighter blade, something like a congress or sway back jack seem like your best bets. Though something to think about, why does the straight blade need to be the main blade? Smaller blades are usually easier to use so having a knife with a straight edge in the mix may be all you need.

Oh and I have this book HERE and it's a good choice, some fairly basic stuff but still fun and good for beginners.
 
I've done a bit of whittling over the years, and quite a bit lately. The two most important factors I've identified for a good whittling knife are a comfortable handle and a sharp blade. I've also found that thinner blades work better than thicker blades. I like the Case Seahorse, but I seldom use the main blade. I've got a Queen whittler in D2 that I reground the coping blade into a wharncliffe that works very well. The Case 6308 is a tad small for my hands, but is otherwise excellent and works well for short sessions.

I think finding the knife that works best for you is half the fun of whittling. ;)

DSCF0422.jpg


DSCF0329.jpg
 
I've been doing a bit of whittling again lately and found this guy on YouTube. Easy to follow along and see someone carving a project. I made a bunch of little gnomes before Christmas and gave them away.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=whittler0507#g/u

Interesting reading the other responses in this thread as I have ordered a Japanese Higonakami knife, and a whittling book last week from Lee Valley when they were offering free shipping, as well as a Buck Trio from somewhere else, all mentioned above. Can't wait for them and some other stuff to arrive.

I use a Camillus Boy Scout whittler, a cheap Kissing Crane lockback whittler, and my favorite Camillus electricians knife the most. But as others have said, half the fun is looking and having an excuse to buy a new knife.
 
Do you recommend a book for whittling? I tried when I was a kid but had/have no imagination. I'd love to have a good book to inspire me.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'd recommend both of the books I purchased. The better of the two for beginner whittling is, "The Little Book of Whittling, Passing Time On The Trail, On The Porch, And Under The Stars" by Chris Lubkemann. This book has a bunch of good projects that I think would be good for someone just getting into the hobby. It also covers other basics very well. Simple to follow directions, and nice color pictures. The second is, "The Art of whittling" by Walter L. Faurot. First published in 1930, this book really demonstrates the "art" of whittling, when people probably did it much more commonly than people do today. It is more of a historical read, without the basic helps. Much more complicated, but I think the two combined make a very nice package. They will run you about $10 a piece.

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Whittling-Passing-Trail/dp/1565232747/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262667345&sr=8-1

Product Description
With a friendly, down-home style, this guide encourages readers to whittle away the hours. Great for beginners looking for an easy way to get started and more advanced carvers looking for a relaxing way to spend their time, this instructional manual provides 20 projects, including knives, forks, birds, animals, trees, and flowers. Chapters detail the proper whittling tools and materials, including what woods are best to carve, and how to start projects by selecting and safely sharpening the best knife for each project.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Whittling-Woodworking-Classics-Revisited/dp/193350207X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262667397&sr=1-1

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
One of the earliest guides to traditional whittling, this reprint of a 1930s classic preserves all of the original projects and text and adds updated drawings for the contemporary whittler. This manual is still sought after by whittlers because it explains how to carve many items popular in American tramp art and more complicated items that are not included in most whittling books, such as continuous wooden chairs, hand tools, puzzles, balls inside spirals, swivels, entwined hearts, and buildings inside bottles. The line art has been redrawn, color added, and additional art included, making this unique book valuable to a new generation of whittlers.

About the Author
Walter L. Faurot was the author of the first edition of this book—one of the earliest books on traditional whittling—published in the 1930s.
 
Last edited:
catspa said:
It's not traditional, but take a look at the Flexcut Carvin' Jack - it carries 6 tools.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/flexcutright-handedcarvinjack.aspx

I bought one for carving and ended up EDC'ing it.

Parker
Click to expand...

I've seen these, and they look very interesting. But the fact that you can pretty much do the same thing with a less expensive, traditional slipjoint turned me off.

Plus, I feel like I'm packing homage to those old timers that came before me when I'm working on a piece of wood with the sort of knife that they would've used.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top