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whittling with traditionals?
- Thread starter mrknife
- Start date
I generally use whatever knife is in my pocket to whittle with, mostly making shavings from a piece of scrap wood. I'll try to post a picture or two. 
Here's an assortment of whittle sticks and my Case medium stockman 630387with Autumn Barnboard scales. I remember marveling at how smooth the surfaces were on sticks like this when my dad and mom brought a couple like these home from a cousin in Arkansas:
Jeff
Here's an assortment of whittle sticks and my Case medium stockman 630387with Autumn Barnboard scales. I remember marveling at how smooth the surfaces were on sticks like this when my dad and mom brought a couple like these home from a cousin in Arkansas:
Jeff
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yablanowitz
Platinum Member
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- Apr 14, 2006
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- 9,928
Just to keep the non-knife content where it belongs, you can view a few pictures of my whittling here:http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/838442-Whatcha-whittlin-these-days
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- May 9, 2010
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cool! will do!
OK
Here are a few recent whittlins, and the knife I mostly used - a 38 Grinling Whittler. I did use some other tools too, but all the knife work which was considerable, was done with the 38
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This bird whittlin' was done with just that knife
Here are a few recent whittlins, and the knife I mostly used - a 38 Grinling Whittler. I did use some other tools too, but all the knife work which was considerable, was done with the 38
This bird whittlin' was done with just that knife
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 1,530
OK
Here are a few recent whittlins, and the knife I mostly used - a 38 Grinling Whittler. I did use some other tools too, but all the knife work which was considerable, was done with the 38
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This bird whittlin' was done with just that knife
That's fantastic Mr chips :thumbup: I wish I had the patience to do things like that . I give up trying to do a spoon
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2012
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- 1,434
This bird whittlin' was done with just that knife
Those are all great, but I REALLY like that bird! Do you have any other images? I'm wondering how you splayed the wings like that.
The 38 is a great pattern - it's turned into one of my favorite whittlers too. But, just like Jeff_R said, I usually whittle with whatever I have in my pocket at the time!
Here are some other bird whittlin's
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Love birds:
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The wood has to be wet to do fans, or all the feathers would snap off.
I shape the feathers first, being careful to make a perfect "hinge" of about 1/8"
Then I carefully split the feathers using my knife. The feathers are each 1mm or less thick.
Following the feather splitting I carve the rest of the bird, and then spread the feathers one at a time interlocking them with the previous feathers.
That is a VERY simplified explanation. Send me a PM if you would like to get a book on how to do this.
Love birds:
The wood has to be wet to do fans, or all the feathers would snap off.
I shape the feathers first, being careful to make a perfect "hinge" of about 1/8"
Then I carefully split the feathers using my knife. The feathers are each 1mm or less thick.
Following the feather splitting I carve the rest of the bird, and then spread the feathers one at a time interlocking them with the previous feathers.
That is a VERY simplified explanation. Send me a PM if you would like to get a book on how to do this.
OOPS! Need some knife content!
I have specially modified some Opinel knives like this one to make them into better bird whittlers.
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The handle mod was just for fun, but the blade has been (obviously) changed to a Wharncliffe, and the bevels have been established in such a way so as to make the splitting of the feathers easier. This is a right handed knife which means that a right handed person will find it easier to split the feathers with it.
The blade has about a 5 degree bevel on the left side and about 15 degrees on the right side, and of course it is stropped to a hair popping razor edge. A left handed one is of course just the opposite.
I no longer have that knife. I gave it to a friend who really did some great things for me, and who kept saying that he wanted one like it
I have specially modified some Opinel knives like this one to make them into better bird whittlers.
The handle mod was just for fun, but the blade has been (obviously) changed to a Wharncliffe, and the bevels have been established in such a way so as to make the splitting of the feathers easier. This is a right handed knife which means that a right handed person will find it easier to split the feathers with it.
The blade has about a 5 degree bevel on the left side and about 15 degrees on the right side, and of course it is stropped to a hair popping razor edge. A left handed one is of course just the opposite.
I no longer have that knife. I gave it to a friend who really did some great things for me, and who kept saying that he wanted one like it
Thanks for posting all of your terrific projects. I have tried for years to whittle. Have produced nothing, actually.
Yes, I've bought books (eight or so), watched a million videos and bought a bunch of knives.
I have two Carvin' Jacks, the Boker carving knife, a single blade carving knife, and several others I just knew were going to help me make something out of wood.
I just have no talent. Period.
Recently started back....and for me, it will just be the process, if you will. Just sitting, relaxing, and taking it easy and making pieces of wood a little smaller....
I have a few pieces that are so that you can tell what I was trying to do.... but, that's about it. Recently bought my second copy (gave my first away) of whittin' twigs with a SAK....
Yes, I now have some dried twigs from a year ago and some basswood.
I really like the idea of just sitting with any ole pocketknife, a piece of wood, relaxing and taking it easy.
And, so it goes...
Really enjoying all of the posts...
Best regards,
George
Yes, I've bought books (eight or so), watched a million videos and bought a bunch of knives.
I have two Carvin' Jacks, the Boker carving knife, a single blade carving knife, and several others I just knew were going to help me make something out of wood.
I just have no talent. Period.
Recently started back....and for me, it will just be the process, if you will. Just sitting, relaxing, and taking it easy and making pieces of wood a little smaller....
I have a few pieces that are so that you can tell what I was trying to do.... but, that's about it. Recently bought my second copy (gave my first away) of whittin' twigs with a SAK....
Yes, I now have some dried twigs from a year ago and some basswood.
I really like the idea of just sitting with any ole pocketknife, a piece of wood, relaxing and taking it easy.
And, so it goes...
Really enjoying all of the posts...
Best regards,
George
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George:
Enjoy relaxing with your knife and a stick. That's what whittlin' is all about.
I do hear people often say " I have no talent" or "I am not Artistic," or something similar. I have seen many of those same people, with a little instruction, enjoy themselves tremendously, just having fun with a knife and wood. (Or some other substances that are not wood and can still be whittled.)
Remember a couple of things:
We are all just making designer firewood anyway.
The only race we are in while whittlin' is the human race.
Take it easy and have fun.
Enjoy relaxing with your knife and a stick. That's what whittlin' is all about.
I do hear people often say " I have no talent" or "I am not Artistic," or something similar. I have seen many of those same people, with a little instruction, enjoy themselves tremendously, just having fun with a knife and wood. (Or some other substances that are not wood and can still be whittled.)
Remember a couple of things:
We are all just making designer firewood anyway.
The only race we are in while whittlin' is the human race.
Take it easy and have fun.
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- Jan 15, 2015
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- 730
Recently, I was asked my GT (5K Qs) if I could post up a work-in-progress. Just to make sure everyone knows, I am no expert whittler. It is a way for me to use my knives, and I find it very creative and enjoyable. I have found, for me, that my Case coke-bottle makes a perfect little whittler (I don'y have any "true" whittler patern knives). I use a TC barlow for long straight cuts, and removing lots of wood. I use soft pine hobby wood blocks. So, here goes with a couple example projects.
The Three (or more) Link Chain
Laying out the design - the basic shape will be an extruded plus shape, or x. Looking at the end of the block (mine is 1.75" square, by 6" long), mark the center lines both ways.
Then decide how thick you want your chain to be (3/8" or 1/2") and mark off the ends. Then transfer the + pattern to all four sides of the block. If this doesn't make sense, it will when you see the chain links later.
Now remove all the wood except for the "extruded +". This shows me working on 1/4 of the wood needed to be removed.
This is what your block should now look like. You could use a table saw, band-saw, or hand saw to get to this point if you wanted. There is no shame in that, it's your project, you make the rules.
Another shot of the extruded + shape, after this much work, it's time to use that Radio Jack for something other than cutting wood!
Now it's time to draw on the links of the chain. Two links will be in one plane, one link in the other. So, my links are about 3" long, 1 3/4" wide, and 3/8" thick. Sketch them on however you can. Make a paper pattern of 1/2 a link, cut it out, and trace it onto the block. This photo shows the two links, there is the middle link which you can't see in the horizontal plane.
The shaded areas need to be cut out. This takes some time and patience. Cutting the two links apart from each other is pretty easy. Cutting the middle link apart from the two outer links is hard. You will need to gently break them apart.
Break like this:
Be careful, if it does not want to break apart, you need to cut more. If you force it, it would snap the link and you have to start over.
More in the next post.
The Three (or more) Link Chain
Laying out the design - the basic shape will be an extruded plus shape, or x. Looking at the end of the block (mine is 1.75" square, by 6" long), mark the center lines both ways.
Then decide how thick you want your chain to be (3/8" or 1/2") and mark off the ends. Then transfer the + pattern to all four sides of the block. If this doesn't make sense, it will when you see the chain links later.
Now remove all the wood except for the "extruded +". This shows me working on 1/4 of the wood needed to be removed.
This is what your block should now look like. You could use a table saw, band-saw, or hand saw to get to this point if you wanted. There is no shame in that, it's your project, you make the rules.
Another shot of the extruded + shape, after this much work, it's time to use that Radio Jack for something other than cutting wood!
Now it's time to draw on the links of the chain. Two links will be in one plane, one link in the other. So, my links are about 3" long, 1 3/4" wide, and 3/8" thick. Sketch them on however you can. Make a paper pattern of 1/2 a link, cut it out, and trace it onto the block. This photo shows the two links, there is the middle link which you can't see in the horizontal plane.
The shaded areas need to be cut out. This takes some time and patience. Cutting the two links apart from each other is pretty easy. Cutting the middle link apart from the two outer links is hard. You will need to gently break them apart.
Break like this:
Be careful, if it does not want to break apart, you need to cut more. If you force it, it would snap the link and you have to start over.
More in the next post.
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2015
- Messages
- 730
Here's the little workhorse that got me to this point, and will get me all the way home - Case red bone coke bottle. 3 1/4" (or 3 3/8" I forget) long, feels great in hand. And looks great in red bone to boot!
More shaving, starting to look like a chain. Watch the grain, don't cut too deep, take it slow and easy.
Get the sand paper out.
Ask the little kids how you put these links together!
Next time: Layout and carving of a mini ball in cage (or how to for any size ball in a cage). Post up your whittlin' please, I hope some expert/advanced guys show a how-to.
More shaving, starting to look like a chain. Watch the grain, don't cut too deep, take it slow and easy.
Get the sand paper out.
Ask the little kids how you put these links together!
Next time: Layout and carving of a mini ball in cage (or how to for any size ball in a cage). Post up your whittlin' please, I hope some expert/advanced guys show a how-to.
Maybe I can try something this weekend.