Can You Whittle with ANY Knife? Tips on Picking the Right Woodcarving Knfie
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- Some of the most popular questions I get on the channel is "what knife should I get" and "can you whittle with any knife?" Picking the right knife can make or break your first experiences with whittling and woodcarving as it is the most crucial tool you will use.
00:09 - Can I whittle with any knife?
00:25 - Ideal whittling knives
01:22 - Pocket Knives
06:38 - Multitools
07:24 - Pocket Knives I don't recommend
08:02 - Other knives I don't recommend
I need feedback! If you have the time to quickly fill out a 6 question survey I will greatly appreciate it!
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HAHAHAHA. When you pulled out that ginormous fixed blade I laughed so hard. 🤣
😀Gotta have some fun in these videos!
I am brand new to whittling. Haven’t even made one cut. I like the idea of being able to carve/whittle while camping. I have a buck stockman so I think I’ll start with that. What would you suggest I look at to sharpen/hone and what kind of knife or set should I upgrade to when the time comes? Also would love to hear any advice you have for a beginner.
Welcome to the world of whittling! This is gonna be a long answer, but should give you the complete rundown and get you started :)
The stockman will be a good choice for getting started or even progressing with in the future, especially if you plan on primarily using it while camping. If the knife has 420HC steel that the 301 Stockman typically come with, it is hardened to 58 HRC and is within the steel hardness range that most whittling knives target (58 to 62 HRC). While the 371 Stockman only has the 420J2 steel and is a softer steel with less edge retention, it will still get the job done, but will need to be honed more often.
In regards to what you should upgrade to in the future, this requires you to know where you will be whittling (camping vs at a workbench for example) as you need to think about size and weight of the tool as well as how you will be carving (purely whittling with a knife or knife with gouges, chisels, ect).
If you are going to be carving/whittling while mobile, the world of pocket knives are at your disposal. There are some that I do highly recommend to check out, which I will list out below:
Flexcut makes some really nice purpose made whittling pocket knives. I have owned and used all of their pocket knives but personally like the Detail Jack and the Tri-Jack. Full video review here: ua-cam.com/video/X8WvoGgXQkY/v-deo.html
Another great traditional style whittling knife is the Mastercarver Pocket Whittler 2 as it is a very well made and classic looking whittler. You can check out its review here: ua-cam.com/video/Ept4fem5yxc/v-deo.html
For some other knives that work or don't work, check out my pocket knife comparison here: ua-cam.com/video/vGcWbnHKSLg/v-deo.html
If you want fixed bladed knives, you will typically find them at a better price and with much more availability than the pocket knives for a purpose made whittling knife. There are a lot of different whittling knives out there but here are my top favorites:
Flexcut - wide availability, quality edge, good prices
Beavercraft - wide availability, very affordable, comes in complete kits
OCC Tools - quality edge, good prices, wide range of blade sizes and several handle styles
Drake Knives - high quality tools, hand made, beautiful fit and finish
Deepwoods Ventures - high quality tools, hand made beautiful fit and finish, more robust than other high end versions
Helvie Knives - The most sought after whittling knives, beautiful construction and amazing fit and finish, all high quality and hand made.
Videos comparing the knives mentioned above together:
Best beginner knives - ua-cam.com/video/BI4d4y09tg0/v-deo.html
High end whittling knives - ua-cam.com/video/YWBz32fr__A/v-deo.html
Tips on picking the right knife for you - ua-cam.com/video/fBBUWMPD5j8/v-deo.html
For sharpening, you wont need much but the real struggle in sharpening knives (especially knives with harder carbon steel blades) is practicing patience and refining your technique.
I personally only use 3 things to sharpen; a double sided stone with 400 grit on one side and 800 on the other, a wooden block with 1000 grit and 2000 grit automotive wet/dry sandpaper to refine the edge a little more, and a leather strop with honing compound to get the best possible edge.
After you have a good edge on the knife and are whittling with it, you only really need to hone it with the leather strop every 20-30 minutes while whittling. All you need to do is just maintain that edge while carving and you are all set. The stone and sandpaper are primarily used if I damage the blade or if it is a new knife that needs a new edge.
Check out this video to see exactly what I do to sharpen my knives: ua-cam.com/video/FF6SiW-QjMY/v-deo.html
Finally, some additional tips for ya. Since many of these tips are highly visual, I'm going to link some videos below that will fully explain them in detail:
Picking the right wood to carve - ua-cam.com/video/tYm3Rcq59Ig/v-deo.html
Protecting your hands from cuts - studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoo2ugpgBg8uU/edit
Ways to make wood easier to carve - ua-cam.com/video/gIknBNjVRaE/v-deo.html
5 mistakes to avoid - ua-cam.com/video/DWNV0lf9FAA/v-deo.html
5 tips for beginners - ua-cam.com/video/8Ak7k4j468Y/v-deo.html
Repairing your carving - ua-cam.com/video/pbfzr3JVkQU/v-deo.html
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
@@CarvingisFun thanks a lot. I’ll enjoy watching your new videos as they come out also!
I started a few months ago but you are the reason I started keep up the good work
Wow, I'm so grateful that you found my videos helpful and help you start a new hobby! Thank you, and keep it up!
Just fyi from an amateur knife enthusiast 154cm is a stainless steel. There's a lot of great stainless steels out there that could be used for whittling. I think it depends on the heat treat used to really maximize the potential of a blade steel.
Yep, my brain failed to spew out the right info at that time. Some stainless steels can be heat treated and provide a nice hard blade.
I am currently using a carbon steel opinel n.8. I have shortened the blade with a dremel in order to have more control. I think it makes a really good inexpensive whittling knife.
Yeppers! that will do!
That's a big knife collection😋 I love the little fairy pocket knives🤣
All the specially made knives are Awsome! Absolutely!
But a good pocketknive, can do the trick!
Yeppers! A good pocket knife will go a long way :)
Ideas on whittling with a kershaw shuffle? I would like to whittle while camping and that's my camping choice
Ya, I say go for it! Just get it nice and sharp n you should have a decent all around knife that can be used for whittling.
The deep belly is a bit harder for me to use personally, but I imagine if you get use to whittling with the knife it will serve you well.
I don't have any of those knives, but I make small figures with the blade of a pencil sharpener.
Hey, whatever works!!
@@CarvingisFun :)
bro has an arsenal of knifes meanwhile im just using a kitchen knife to whittle
While very small, a Kershaw cinder could work as it is a liner lock, though it might not be the best
I agree, not the best but def an effective option
What about the Mastercarver Pocket Whittler II? In your video review of the best picket knives for whittling you absolutely raved about this knife and as a result of your glowing review I purchased one. You didn't even mention it on this review. Do you not recommend it anymore?
Oh I 100% still recommend it! To be honest, I completely forgot about putting it in this video. I've got so many knives laying around that I can't keep track of em all! My wife makes fun of me because she finds them randomly around the house :)
What model number is your CRKT? Awesome work on the videos!
It is the M21-14, but I ground out the serrations.
I have the same karambit 😂
I hear a lot of people using the Cold Steel Mini Tuff and wrapping the handle with tape ?
I personally havent seen this, but I can see why they choose the mini tuff. But for the price there are better options for a dedicated whittling knife.
What about the Buck 389 canoe
Looks good to me!! Just keep it sharp!
I have a Greenman budding and grafting knife. It comes with one straight blade and one hawkbill blade. Would they be suitable for whittling?
That straight blade will do most everything you need besides super fine details, but yes use it!
@@CarvingisFun Amazing! Thank you! ☺️
Would be awesome if you could test Stryi knifes. A ukrainian company, who is still producing knifes during the war. 20% of the prices go to ukrainian military efforts against the war.
Ill take a look at em and see if I can find one I like :)
Dad got me a pro-tech knife(sprint 2916) from a weekend market and i had some woodblocks from art supply. I am from hk and woodcraft generally not exists here(pocket knifes also uncommon). I am a first timer on whittling, is this knife good to handle for beginners?
would you mind giving advice? thank you.
Those are nice knives and the one you have isn't overly long so it makes it acceptable for whittling. All you would really need to do for that knife is get it honed razor sharp and find some wood to get started with. Eventually, you would want to find some purpose made carving tools but this one will be perfect for just getting started.
@@CarvingisFun thank you, sir. :D
Can I use my Swiss pocket knife?? Lmao
Yeppers!! Thats what many people start using
@@CarvingisFun I didn’t expect that! :DD thanks!
what about a three dollar walmart, ozark trail pocket knife? switchblade i think it’s called
Try it, sharpen it, and see if it fits your fancy :) sometimes you just have to tey it and see if it works for ya.
@@CarvingisFun it’s mostly serrated- i don’t know how to sharpen it correctly, and google won’t tell me ;-;
Eh, serrated blades are kinda useless for whittling. Sharpening them is a pain and usually require round and/or triangular Sharpening rods to do properly
@@CarvingisFun the point is a flat blade though. and i’ve been told to like get the serrated part like flattened out with a file- it was only three dollars anyway and we bought it to cut things that needed sawing sO should i invest in a swiss army knife instead?
Completely up to you. I actually removed the serrations on one of my blades and use it for carving every now n then.
Either way, your going to need to sharpen the knife properly to be useful for whittling
What about a kitchen knife
If that's all you have, keep it sharp :)
giveaeaway🙂