whittlin' with your edc

[mrknife]

this thread has inspired me to buy a knife with two blades! a mini blade for carving!

 

[smilk327]

this thread has inspired me to buy a knife with two blades! a mini blade for carving!

I couldn't agree more this thread has definitely got me wanting to test my hand at this art form. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good starter knife? I'm thinking somewhere in the rough rider price realm of possible.

 

[5K Qs]

Went down to Woodcraft and bought a few blocks to play with. Almost bit off more than I could chew with this block of cocobolo! I've got aching joints and a few blisters but finally chewed up this thing into a great paperweight!
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Holy Cow, Jfowl, a cocobolo ball-in-cage?!!? :thumbup: Very impressive!! The grain wrapping around the ball is SO cool!!

Wow! You're a manlier man than me, whittling cocobolo! Gorgeous!!! I whittle with my EDC regularly. I need to get some pictures of some smaller projects, most recently, my sister asked me to re-create ("whittle" in her words) a sign from Lord of The Rings. I only whittled the horse, but I did the detail work on it almost entirely with my single bladed 33OT to really test the pins:
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Another fantastic project!! Well done, Heath! :thumbup::thumbup: How did you do the lettering?

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Still in progress but the hat is nearly complete and I just started on the face. He will be whistling... Unless I slip[emoji6]
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Yet another stunner!! JSCHENK, the details on your little cowboy are just unbelievable! :thumbup: But I can't even conceive of whittling that hat!!!! Are hat and man same kind of wood?? What kind of finish did you put on the hat? WW!!

I'd like to say thank you to whittlinaway (Greg) and Txjohn. Greg inspired me to take my hand at whittling with his GAW and has been extremely helpful and patient answering my many questions and providing guidance beyond what's in the threads here. Txjohn answered my " wanted to buy" on the exchange and gave me the oppertunity to purchase his #38 Grinling Whittler at a very fair price.

I spent the last week learning to reprofile bevels and sharpen at the proper angles producing razor sharp edges. I finally got the blades to an acceptable level this morning and started practicing making the four primary whittling cuts. One thing lead to another and I carved this tiki abomination using those cuts. I had a great time and I'm looking forward to learning and progressing.


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Great first project, StoneBeard! And I appreciate hearing about the help you got from other BF members to make it possible; kudos to Greg and Txjohn! :thumbup: I'm looking forward to what you come up with next!

I've been spending more time shaping steel than wood lately, but I did whittle this little chain about a week ago.

A knife just like that one is my most frequent whittling knife and my most frequent carry.

Now that I've finished up most of my blade mod projects for the moment, I'm looking forward to making more small pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood.

Nice chain and nice 34OT "tuned" for whittling, Greg!! Both of those ended up with new-dad Barrett in your GAW, right?? :thumbup::thumbup:

Really nice guys!!
here's a little work in progress. The hands are not shaped yet, they are going to be one above the other holding the handle of a light sabre Think I will drill through the hands and put the on blade from another piece of work
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Very nice, Mateo; I love the robes!! :thumbup::thumbup:

After retouching the edge on my case seahorse whittler, I've been using it quite a bit for some whittling. These aren't as nice as some others have done, but I think I'll call them practice pieces. The seahorse is growing on me.

I really like the variety of your carvings, mrszeontestpilot! (But the background has me really curious! Looks like you've got some of your raw materials for carving stacked back there? And what's the deal with the poker chips (?) and Rummikub tiles (?) with little hangers attached? And a jar of dice? Did you carve playing pieces for some elaborate board game you've invented?? )

this thread has inspired me to buy a knife with two blades! a mini blade for carving!

It's about time you got a REAL pocket knife, mr. k!! I hope you have a great time messing around with carving. I don't know exactly how you go about shaping and finishing your rings, but I'll bet it gives you a head start on visualizing what amazing thing is trapped in a block of wood just waiting for you to set it free! :thumbup:

- GT

 

[JSCHENK]

Holy Cow, Jfowl, a cocobolo ball-in-cage?!!? [emoji106] Very impressive!! The grain wrapping around the ball is SO cool!!


Another fantastic project!! Well done, Heath! [emoji106][emoji106] How did you do the lettering?


Yet another stunner!! JSCHENK, the details on your little cowboy are just unbelievable! [emoji106] But I can't even conceive of whittling that hat!!!! Are hat and man same kind of wood?? What kind of finish did you put on the hat? WW!!


Great first project, StoneBeard! And I appreciate hearing about the help you got from other BF members to make it possible; kudos to Greg and Txjohn! [emoji106] I'm looking forward to what you come up with next!


Nice chain and nice 34OT "tuned" for whittling, Greg!! Both of those ended up with new-dad Barrett in your GAW, right?? [emoji106][emoji106]


Very nice, Mateo; I love the robes!! [emoji106][emoji106]


I really like the variety of your carvings, mrszeontestpilot! (But the background has me really curious! Looks like you've got some of your raw materials for carving stacked back there? And what's the deal with the poker chips (?) and Rummikub tiles (?) with little hangers attached? And a jar of dice? Did you carve playing pieces for some elaborate board game you've invented?? )


It's about time you got a REAL pocket knife, mr. k!! I hope you have a great time messing around with carving. I don't know exactly how you go about shaping and finishing your rings, but I'll bet it gives you a head start on visualizing what amazing thing is trapped in a block of wood just waiting for you to set it free! [emoji106]

- GT

Hat is claro walnut, a scrap piece from a bowl I turned. The whistling cowboy is made of bass wood.

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[Neko2]

I couldn't agree more this thread has definitely got me wanting to test my hand at this art form. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good starter knife? I'm thinking somewhere in the rough rider price realm of possible.

I've had luck with Colt knives so far. My only limit has been me.
I've currently got a Colt buckshot whittler off at TLE for a reprofile (turning the main into a wharncliffe-ish) and sharpening to see if his high polish on small blades will up my game.

I put a near mirror edge on a Cold Railsplitter but a couple of the blades chould be reshaped a bit. It still did a great job and was plenty sharp, just had trouble with those fat blades for interior cuts.
I know that Mr. Chips on the forum likes to pick up Colt and Rough Riders to modify for whittling and says that they work as well as any other knife he's used (Case, GEC etc).

My current technique has been to take it down to the shallowest angle on my Lansky (17ish) and either going through the entire progression of stones all the way up to blue sapphire or my alternate method of using a worn out Lansky diamond stone with strips of automotive wet/dry to reprofile and polish. The sandpaper gets smoother as it loads and starts to polish more and cut less. The sandpaper method seems to work quicker and did a decent job on my Boker Congress Carver last night.
My sharpened blades are darn near as effective as a new out of the box flexcut that I picked up so I think I'm on to something at least. I don't purposely convex but I'm sure there's a tiny amount that develops while stropping.

 

[irona]

This is an old pic - just some casual whittling during habitat


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[lutejones]

Two more pics of the work in progress,

I hope they don't bore you, you tell me if you prefer the finished carving only

 

[smilk327]

I've had luck with Colt knives so far. My only limit has been me.
I've currently got a Colt buckshot whittler off at TLE for a reprofile (turning the main into a wharncliffe-ish) and sharpening to see if his high polish on small blades will up my game.

I put a near mirror edge on a Cold Railsplitter but a couple of the blades chould be reshaped a bit. It still did a great job and was plenty sharp, just had trouble with those fat blades for interior cuts.
I know that Mr. Chips on the forum likes to pick up Colt and Rough Riders to modify for whittling and says that they work as well as any other knife he's used (Case, GEC etc).

My current technique has been to take it down to the shallowest angle on my Lansky (17ish) and either going through the entire progression of stones all the way up to blue sapphire or my alternate method of using a worn out Lansky diamond stone with strips of automotive wet/dry to reprofile and polish. The sandpaper gets smoother as it loads and starts to polish more and cut less. The sandpaper method seems to work quicker and did a decent job on my Boker Congress Carver last night.
My sharpened blades are darn near as effective as a new out of the box flexcut that I picked up so I think I'm on to something at least. I don't purposely convex but I'm sure there's a tiny amount that develops while stropping.

Thank you so much for all of the help. I didn't account for the fact a pocket knife would need a reprofile of any sort. It does make sense though. Is it a definite must do or can I make with just a colt or rough rider until I gauge my interest etc?

 

[JSCHENK]

I personally rarely reprofile knives. Usually have a 3-3/4ish long handle, I prefer the bigger handle, at least one small blade. I prefer coping, a large clip will get curves, but coping brings control and detail. Truthfully any knife that feels good in hand should do. Smaller blades more control. Whatever blade hair popping sharp. I also look for folding knife with an unobtrusive kick. Since you will be mostly cutting toward you thumb (more control) obtrusive kick poke a lot. Just my opinions.

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[irona]

Still in progress but the hat is nearly complete and I just started on the face. He will be whistling... Unless I slip[emoji6]

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The hat looks great!


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[redsparrow]

I hope they don't bore you, you tell me if you prefer the finished carving only

Mateo, (my 2 cents) keep up with the progressive pics... very interesting. Thanks.

 

[WhittlinAway]

I didn't account for the fact a pocket knife would need a reprofile of any sort. It does make sense though. Is it a definite must do or can I make with just a colt or rough rider until I gauge my interest etc?

I'm not completely clear of the meaning of the term reprofile in this context, so I'll offer my opinion on a couple of possible interpretations.

I do not think it is necessary to reshape the blades of a whittler or stockman pattern before you try whittling with them. In their typical configurations their secondaries offer both a straight edge and a curved edge to experiment with.

I do think, however, that resetting the bevel of the edge to a much more acute angle--say 10 to 12 degrees per side as Mateo suggested in an earlier post--is well worth the effort. It is remarkable how much of a difference this makes in the blade's ability to move easily through the wood. Carving will take a lot less effort and that leads to much more enjoyable whittling sessions, in my opinion.

 

[WhittlinAway]

I hope they don't bore you, you tell me if you prefer the finished carving only

FWIW, I don't find them boring at all. I think there is a lot to be learned by studying the progression of your carvings from rough-out to finished product. I hope that you'll keep posting work-in-progress pictures of your projects.

 

[paulhilborn]

Mateo, (my 2 cents) keep up with the progressive pics... very interesting. Thanks.

What redsparrow said Mateo, love both the wip and the finished project pictures:thumbup:

 

[Neko2]

Thank you so much for all of the help. I didn't account for the fact a pocket knife would need a reprofile of any sort. It does make sense though. Is it a definite must do or can I make with just a colt or rough rider until I gauge my interest etc?

It certainly doesn't need a reprofile. The low price does afford the ability to modify rather than spend more for the perfect knife but you can just sharpen it up at a nice low angle and go from there.

 

[StoneBeard]

Again just tinkering and working basic technique. I'm learning a great deal and having a lot of fun.
I hope to one day get the level shown here, very nice work by all :thumbup:

 

[lutejones]

Mateo, (my 2 cents) keep up with the progressive pics... very interesting. Thanks.

FWIW, I don't find them boring at all. I think there is a lot to be learned by studying the progression of your carvings from rough-out to finished product. I hope that you'll keep posting work-in-progress pictures of your projects.

What redsparrow said Mateo, love both the wip and the finished project pictures:thumbup:

Thanks guys I'll keep you updated then

Thank you so much for all of the help. I didn't account for the fact a pocket knife would need a reprofile of any sort. It does make sense though. Is it a definite must do or can I make with just a colt or rough rider until I gauge my interest etc?

My experience is that those brands are precisely the ones that would need more reprofiling because the grinds are a little on the thicker side, but with 120 grit sandpaper on a flat surface is a quick job and again convexed shoulders and 10-12° per side at the apex and they should glide through the wood


One more thing for all you taking your first steps, don't forget the geometrical forms of the faces to avoid flat looking characters.
If you look at the profile there is an angle of around 150° hairline-point of the nose-chin and around 90° cheek bones-point of the nose if you look down from the top of the head.
Last tip: the teeth are in an arc (dental curve) that means half the mouth should be seen from the side.
Regards

 

[smilk327]

I personally rarely reprofile knives. Usually have a 3-3/4ish long handle, I prefer the bigger handle, at least one small blade. I prefer coping, a large clip will get curves, but coping brings control and detail. Truthfully any knife that feels good in hand should do. Smaller blades more control. Whatever blade hair popping sharp. I also look for folding knife with an unobtrusive kick. Since you will be mostly cutting toward you thumb (more control) obtrusive kick poke a lot. Just my opinions.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I'm not completely clear of the meaning of the term reprofile in this context, so I'll offer my opinion on a couple of possible interpretations.

I do not think it is necessary to reshape the blades of a whittler or stockman pattern before you try whittling with them. In their typical configurations their secondaries offer both a straight edge and a curved edge to experiment with.

I do think, however, that resetting the bevel of the edge to a much more acute angle--say 10 to 12 degrees per side as Mateo suggested in an earlier post--is well worth the effort. It is remarkable how much of a difference this makes in the blade's ability to move easily through the wood. Carving will take a lot less effort and that leads to much more enjoyable whittling sessions, in my opinion.

It certainly doesn't need a reprofile. The low price does afford the ability to modify rather than spend more for the perfect knife but you can just sharpen it up at a nice low angle and go from there.

Thanks guys I'll keep you updated then


My experience is that those brands are precisely the ones that would need more reprofiling because the grinds are a little on the thicker side, but with 120 grit sandpaper on a flat surface is a quick job and again convexed shoulders and 10-12° per side at the apex and they should glide through the wood


One more thing for all you taking your first steps, don't forget the geometrical forms of the faces to avoid flat looking characters.
If you look at the profile there is an angle of around 150° hairline-point of the nose-chin and around 90° cheek bones-point of the nose if you look down from the top of the head.
Last tip: the teeth are in an arc (dental curve) that means half the mouth should be seen from the side.
Regards

Thank you everyone for your input and clarification. I can handle sharpening at an acute angle which seems like what the majority of you recommend. It was the reshaping or thinning of a blade I was worried about. Now thanks to lutejones I feel that thinning the blade shouldn't be a big deal but obviously I won't know even how necessary that is until blade touches wood.

I may have missed it but can anyone name me a specific model I should buy? I recall a colt whittler being mentioned what about on the rough rider side? I think I would need a 3- 3 3/4 in handle with two blades. But if there is a model that is the go to for this craft that's what I'll pick up. Thanks again for all of your help and knowledge.

Also to everyone posting photos of finished products or the works in progress . Please keep the photos coming to me they are both educational and inspirational.

 

[lutejones]

My Lute wan Kenobi is ready to final detail.
Time to sharpen up really well for the precision cuts.
JSCHENK's idea of the contrasting woods is rounding my head, for the blade of the light saber, what do you think?

The really thin blade on this knife helps a lot at this stage, although at the roughing out I prefer the stoutest on the case whittler

 

[mrknife]

very cool! my schrade barlow is coming in and ill be using that tiny blade to do some carving hopefully!