any whittlers out there?

[Airlsee]

That's a completely different conversation. In my opinion, Spyderco has become much more homogenized and boring, while many of the great collaborations and more specialized designs have been phased out.

Limiting yourself to only the Spydies in production would be a depressing mistake. You can find good deals on discontinued Spydies if you're persistent. Hopefully Spyderco will put out more collabs after the COVID shift has subsided.

I'm afraid that many of the quirky collaborations may phase out the further Sal steps away from operations. I can't help but believe that Spyderco is intrinsically tied to Sal as a person and his relationships throughout the knife community.

I love Eric's designs and think that the company is in good hands, but the relationships that stem from Sal and his personality can't be overstated.

[yablanowitz]

The Native5 is okay for some things, but the broad blade does not lend itself to intricate work. Ditto most other Spydies, which is why I tend to gravitate toward traditional slipjoints. Narrow blades, thin grinds, sharp points...you know, all the features people whine about on Spydercos. The Grasshopper works quite well, especially if you can snag one in Sandvik. I also freely admit my hands are larger than average and getting arthitic, so small handles (Ladybug, Manbug, Honeybee, etc.) need not apply.

In the end, the only person who can tell you what works best for you is that old Devil, Experience. Grab a knife and a stick, kick back in the shade and make shavings. In a couple hundred hours, you'll know what you like and what you don't.

[dan31]

The Gayle Bradly Air is a nice knife for whittling. Narrow enough and M4.

[ladybug93]

i think i need a kiwi 4. threads like this remind me.

[JRinFL]

i asked for some wood carving knives a couple years ago as a gift and got them. i haven't even opened the package yet. i just know i'm gonna slice my hand wide open.

Just get your self cut resistant gloves or finger guards. This guy's website has a pretty good run down on what is available with pros and cons. No affiliation, just a link I found: https://carvingisfun.com/whittling-gloves/

[yablanowitz]

i asked for some wood carving knives a couple years ago as a gift and got them. i haven't even opened the package yet. i just know i'm gonna slice my hand wide open.

Good news/bad news. Most of the wood carving knife sets I've seen over the years don't come sharp enough to hurt you, or to carve with. The cheaper ones generally aren't worth opening, and that's what you usually get from non-whittlers.

Of course, if I had a dollar for every time I've cut myself whittling, I could commission custom knives to hurt myself with.

[Fred Sanford]

Is there a preferred wood for whittling or do you guys just grab dead wood from outside?

[ladybug93]

i asked for some wood carving knives a couple years ago as a gift and got them. i haven't even opened the package yet. i just know i'm gonna slice my hand wide open.

Good news/bad news. Most of the wood carving knife sets I've seen over the years don't come sharp enough to hurt you, or to carve with. The cheaper ones generally aren't worth opening, and that's what you usually get from non-whittlers.

Of course, if I had a dollar for every time I've cut myself whittling, I could commission custom knives to hurt myself with.

i got a flexcut set. i really just haven't made time to do it. it's more about time than fear.

[yablanowitz]

I have a couple of Flexcuts, they are actually pretty decent.

Time can be a problem all right. I do most of my whittling in front of the TV, with a random movie I've seen a dozen times playing. It gives me a chance to change focus and rest my eyes when a part comes on that I want to see, and I can ignore it the rest of the time.

[yablanowitz]

Is there a preferred wood for whittling or do you guys just grab dead wood from outside?

Yes.




Basswood (linden) is soft enough to carve easily and hard enough to hold some detail, so it is what I generally prefer, but I've used lumber scraps and random sticks as well.

[Fred Sanford]

Is there a preferred wood for whittling or do you guys just grab dead wood from outside?

Yes.




Basswood (linden) is soft enough to carve easily and hard enough to hold some detail, so it is what I generally prefer, but I've used lumber scraps and random sticks as well.

Cool. Thanks.

[ykspydiefan]

I went to Wikipedia to be sure. Whittling may refer either to the art of carving shapes out of raw wood using a knife or a time-occupying, non-artistic (contrast wood carving for artistic process) process of repeatedly shaving slivers from a piece of wood. It is used by many as a pastime, or as a way to make artistic creations.

I've been passing time.

From top down, Magnacut Mule, Pacific Salt, Tenacious, Para 3 Spy 27 on 1/2 liter yogurt tubs.

What I have found. Push cuts produce curls.

Slicing cuts from heel to tip, produce spirals.

Slicing cuts from tip to heel end up in between.

I have hesitated to post this here because I use these shavings in the production of tinder packs. Shavings, feathered sticks, small stuff, in a ziplock and I give them to friends for Christmas or birthdays. Whittling is defined as art or past time, not a means of production. Ongoing life question, Where do I fit in? For me, it feels like a holiday every time I start a fire with a tinder pack at -20c. Also, it decreases risk having that little bit prepped in advance. Anyway.... I whittle.

I like the Magnacut Mule a lot, it goes and goes and sharpens well. Pacific Salt H1, hollow grind, coarse edge, it eats wood and poops shavings, easy to sharpen if you expect a rough working edge that goes. Tenacious, I like it too, it sharpens easy, and cuts well when it is sharp, and it is good in big hands. Para 3 Spy 27, gets sharp, stays sharp, piles up shavings and I can't really tell if it produces more or less than Magnacut.

In conclusion, I think that Spyderco produces several knives that are good whittling knives.

[yablanowitz]

To me (and this is just my opinion, not fact), the difference between whittling and carving is largely philosophical. The carver is focused on the destination, the goal being a completed carving. The whittler is focused on the journey, the goal being to relax and enjoy. They may both start in the same place (with a block of wood) and end in much the same place (a completed project), their experience will be very different. The carver wants to get done and move on, the whittler moves on because he got done (or just ran out of wood).

People often ask me "How long did that take?" when they see one of my pieces. The only honest answer I can give them is "I don't have a clue." The long chain I posted earlier occupied most of my whittling time for about 11 months. How many hours? Don't have a clue. All I can tell you is I ran out of wood or it would be even longer. More than a few of my basswood blocks have ended up as nothing but shavings. It doesn't bother me when that happens.

[ykspydiefan]

People often ask me "How long did that take?" when they see one of my pieces. The only honest answer I can give them is "I don't have a clue." The long chain I posted earlier occupied most of my whittling time for about 11 months. How many hours? Don't have a clue. All I can tell you is I ran out of wood or it would be even longer. More than a few of my basswood blocks have ended up as nothing but shavings. It doesn't bother me when that happens.

I have swiped a bit of Steven Wright monologue and use it in answer to, "How long did that take?" Reply, "The whole time." "How many hours?" Reply, "All of them." Steven Wright is super funny.

[legOFwhat?]

For me, whittling is done during evening walks with my wife. Its soothing and allows me to get a better feel for the knife and the edge I've created. Nothing creative, just making larger pieces smaller, and leaving a trail of curls so I can find my way back home.. I mostly just whittle cedar due to the feel and smell, which I love, and will cut on some hickory I've set back from my back yard.

I'll mostly use MuleTeam knives that I've made handles for, for testing hot-spots and hand fatigue. I've found compression locks aren't the best for whittling for long periods due to hot-spots, so for folders back-locks work great.