Well said, Jazz.
And well done with that whimsical Alpine cabin.
I think in terms of three classes:
Whittling, which can be either by deliberation and preparation, or more commonly by *opportunity*--spur-of-the-moment-- and contemplative relaxation. Use the tool which you have on hand, and the raw material that may be serendipitous, or even a scrap piece that catches your eye. It can be relaxing to sit back and whittle a ball-in-cage, length of chain, or figurine.
I used to snag pieces of bamboo when trimming back obstreperous invaders, and make whistles, flutes, pan pipes, cane poles etc. (flutes and recorders do require some skill and precision for proper hole placement. See "The Acoustics of Musical Instruments" by physicist, LA Orchestra bassoonist, and Sierra Club legend J. Backus for fun reading. ;)
Wood carving is best achieved with tools developed and refined for that activity. A pocketknife can be employed for some carving, depending on size, scale, style, wood choice and so on. The more extensive the carving session and the more strenuous the handwork, the more you appreciate a hand-filling handle with good ergonomics and good leverage for your types of cuts.
In the old days when I was actively carving, I did use Spydercos occasionally on 2' x3' and three foot square bas relief carving on basswood, cedar, etc (and there are ten year old process posts/archives on Wayback...).
The first two classes can be done by almost anyone, and their skill level will be commensurate with their level of personal application, dedication, and practice. It should be FUN above all else.
The third class is what I refer to as wood sculpting. This is the realm of those who have developed the technical skills, but also have artistic talent and gifts beyond the technical.
Artists.
Which I have never been, nor pretended to be. Bustin' full of appreciation, though!
Whittler, carver, or sculptor, enjoy! c'est la vie
comments on this piece: first, get a suitable piece of driftwood, and plan your carving to accent the wood structure. clean and prep the wood. carve away the parts to reveal your design. (just like DelRoy Lindo's advice to Chili Palmer/Travolta in Get shorty; "that's all there is to it!")
When you screw up a cut, be ready to modify and incorporate changes so they hide the error. After all, you can't run out and get another piece OTS to start over. The "mistakes" become part of the process, and the work.
No Spyderco was used in this carving.
The Salsa actually makes a fine whittler. While compact, it is hand-filling, and the cobra-hood aids with wood-cut ergonimics. The short blade puts the cut close to the hand (which fits best with my own whittling preferences. But use the PE, not the PS which was handy and dirty for the pic)
The Native 5 benefits from the choil, for carving application. and the S90V cuts easily and for long time.
After the Artist, the copyist
(I hope I'm dead before SEF posts the *latest breakthrough on cellulose/lignin 3D printing of ANY scanned or shopped carving!* IYKWIM)
kind regards,
a n.on
