Small carving knife...GEC #26?

I really wished that this thread would provoke such pics... :)
Back to the matter of which knife to whittle with (I know the skills mean much more than the knife, but still this is a knife forum :D and every chance is good to talk about knives) I found this Bulldog Whittler that looks interesting for the purpose (it's around 3,25"):

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so I was wondering if any of you has ever seen, handled or used it. It does look alot like the GEC #57 Geppetto mentioned above (two straight blades - one longer, one short - and a small curved blade). I know that GEC produces some knives for Bulldog, but don't know if this is the case.
Oh, and please keep posting pics...the day I will be able to carve the chain like Jack did, I will fill this forum with pics :D

Fausto
:cool:
 
Great thread....those carvings are absolutely inspiring.

Would you expert carvers opine on the various GEC Congress models and which you think are best for carving? I didn't realize how many variations there are within the #61 and #62 lines till this thread motivated me to ogle them at the GEC website. I guess the variables are as to grip (length of frame and thickness of frame), and then the blade combinations: sheepsfoot, wharnie, coping, pen.

Thanks very much.

Andrew
 
quattromori said:
I found this Bulldog Whittler that looks interesting for the purpose (it's around 3,25"):

image-CDD3_4EEE88EC.jpg


so I was wondering if any of you has ever seen, handled or used it. It does look alot like the GEC #57 Geppetto mentioned above (two straight blades - one longer, one short - and a small curved blade). I know that GEC produces some knives for Bulldog, but don't know if this is the case.
Oh, and please keep posting pics...the day I will be able to carve the chain like Jack did, I will fill this forum with pics :D

Fausto
:cool:
Click to expand...

I don't have experience with Bulldogs but I have a serpentine whittler by Boker.

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I can't get my head around the serpentine pattern for a whittler. The pen and coping blades feel too far forward (if that makes any since) and I don't like the way the knife sits in my hand while using them. Not that it feels uncomfortable.
 
Not sure if I get what you mean, but I guess that you don't like the fact that the serpentine shape of the handle determines a grip in which your fingers are too far from the blade edge, and I guess one of the main things in carving with a knife is that you need alot of control (thus, little distance between hand and blade).
Or am I just getting it totally wrong? :D

Fausto
:cool:
 
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Glad I got it right, and even more cause that's something I hadn't thought about. Of course, I guess not for everyone it's the same, but it's interesting to get this kind of feedback and opinion. I have never whittled or carved but I've done my share of small precise manual work, so that's why I understood what you were saying. I had eyed this knife only for the blade combination, which seemed good for the purpose.

Fausto
:cool:
 
Hi Fausto :)

I think any knife will work. These guys in here are real whittlers and are very inspiring. I like a belly but I do lots of deep curved out cuts. A lot of my stuff looks almost like an ocean wave curling over. I wish I had pics of the other stuff I have done. It is nothing as elaborate or artistic as the work being posted but its what I like to do :) I use seasoned hardwoods and try to find the character and just work with that. I wish I had pics but like I said all my work was gifted.

I have used a Henckels (BOKER) whittler for the last 10 years or so. I would not suggest it if you can't re profile the blades. Before that I used a Buck 703 Colt.

Great thread, and I can't wait to see some of your work. It is a great pass time IMO. Thanks again for the kind words. My grandma was blown away and I don't think I could have made her more happy. Friday was grandma's bday and monday is my father's so it has been one long busy family weekend.
 
Kevin,
as I wrote earlier on this thread, I know that skills mean much more than using this or that knife...still, being an absolute beginner, I was curious to know what people look for in a knife for carving/whittling, and also I wanted to see some pics :)
I don't know how much time it will take me to carve something I consider decent, but I don't really care. I've learned long ago to enjoy the journey before I can enjoy the destination. To be honest, last night I took a small piece of pine wood to my nightshift, and spent some time on it with my Canoe. As for many other manual activities (if done for leisure), it's a very nice way to spend some time and keep my thoughts light. Especially when, after a while, I took a pause and tried to give a name to what I was trying to carve, and realized I was walking on the edge between doing abstract art and messing around :D
Oh, and happy birthday to your family members too :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
Haha, thats how I feel when I whittle :) "Abstract art and messing around", thats quote worthy. I took a few pics of the blades on my whittler. I do think picking the right knife is important, I just didn't want to make it sound like you couldn't pick up a knife you already have and try. I actually think the knife can make a big difference. I think it depends on what kind of stuff you want to do though.

This knife has seen so many sharpening over the years. Not only has it been my whittler but I EDC'd it a lot over the years.

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I took all of the blades to as close to a full convex as I was comfortable with on already thin blades. I use the main clip the most. I use the secondary pen second. And the coping I don't use often aside from cleaning up a little. I actually put some recurve and belly and modified the tip. I have yet to find a great use for a pure flat edge. I would like to try a wharncliffe blade for really tight areas that I could use the fine tip to get in there.

My whittler isn't the prettiest but it sure does melt through wood :)

Have fun Fausto!
 
I have this one and I have not used it but the blades are ground nice and thin and I would not have to do anything but keep them sharp for it to cut wood well.
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My girlfriend kept telling me she wanted a whittler knife. She and I found a USA Schrade stockman at the local hardware store a while ago and she has used it, but she likes pink and something came a long that I couldn't resist.

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This one is for Christmas, but I checked it out today and it also has impressive thin grinds and sharp edges.
 
Check out the " Oar Carving Knife" made by Queen and designed by Russ Oar. (So it's not really the thing for caring canoe propulsion devices, but you could if you had to.)
D2 blades

If you don't want to tote a carving knife and carve at a single location, those Flexcut knives really are more comfortable for long sessions. They make a couple of folders, haven't tried them. The first was a multitool monstrosity; the newer one has only one or two blades.
 
Kevin, you know, I have very very few knives (I took this 'minimal' path a few months ago) and I guess none of them is suitable for whittling, so I might use suggestions about the matter. Maybe carving is just an excuse to get a new knife... :rolleyes:
First thing I noticed last night, on my very first attempt, is that I have to sharpen my knife very carefully, and that, even though I'm no steel fanatic, a carbon steel blade might be more suitable for the purpose. My Canoe wasn't that sharp (especially on the pen blade) and I 'suffered' from it. I also thought of convexing the edges. Another thing is, I got the feeling that I prefer small blades (I was actually handling a small piece of wood), it just seems more practical. Also, the curve between handle and blade in my Canoe (which I like for other tasks) proved to be a bit weird.
I also felt that a small straight blade (like a small sheepsfoot or wharncliffe or coping blade) could be very useful.
About the handle size, the Canoe worked fine but I felt that I could be fine with a smaller handle too.
Just random thoughts...and yes, there are a couple of awesome handles available for the GEC #57 Geppetto :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
Any excuse for a new knife is a good one in my book :)

I really do prefer a high polished convex edge for whittling. I think you will too. My EDC knives get a toothier edge for all around cutting.

Great thread and thoughts :)

ETA, my Henckels is Stainless of some type. I wouldn't be afraid of it. I have not had any problems.
 
Considering that I don't buy many knives, carving seems like a good excuse for a new one :)
As for carbon steel, there's another reason why I'd like it. Aesthetically, I do like working blades with some patina (for example, Stu-FLymon showed an awesome one in the Conductor thread) but since my knives are used mainly for food, I tend to prefer stainless. This knife will have a dedicated purpose and will not cut food...so I think I might switch to carbon steel, and see how it works.

Fausto
:cool:
 
Don't have experience with that Bulldog in pearl you show but I've a couple of recent Jacks of theirs in carbon and I've found the quality well below acceptable, don't sharpen at all well either. Older ones are probably better

The Böker serpentine Whittler is a favourite of mine, however, I don't whittle but I find it a very good EDC.
 
Hi again Fausto,

Yesterday I was helping my grandmother and I saw a chance for a pic. Her neighbor is on the verge of retirement and had a tree that came down in his back yard. He has never done anything artistic, crafty or similar to this work in his life. Here are two cell shots of what the old man created this summer.

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This to me is very inspiring that someone with no experience could put their mind to a task and take the time to create something so cool.

I thought you would like it and it would be a fun edition to your thread here. Even though it is not a small carving or one of my own, it inspires me so I thought it may also inspire you :)
 
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Haha, yeah its the guy's water dog. When you drive by and the old man was working on the sculpture his dog sat right behind him just like that. The resemblance of real life compared to the sculpture is somewhat amazing to see :)
 
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