Felix Immler - Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling in the Wild 30+ Fun & Useful Things to Make Using Your Swiss Army Knife.

This book was created in collaboration with Victorinox AG, Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland.

NOTE: Be aware of all the laws concerning outdoor activities where you live, including laws about slingshots, bows, arrows, catapults, and boomerangs as well as plant and animal conservation laws. Children should always be supervised by adults if allowed to use or make slingshots and other shooting or throwing objects. When throwing or slinging an object, always know your target and whats behind it. Do not shoot at hard surfaces or at the surface of water. Objects may bounce off or ricochet and hit someone or something you had not intended to hit.

Visit Felix Immlers website and YouTube channel:

www.feliximmler.ch

www.youtube/feliximmler

Schnitz it Yourself

by Felix Immler

ISBN 978-3-03800-980-1

Copyright 2019 by AT Verlag, Aarau and Munich, Switzerland

English language edition 2020 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Photography by Matthew Worden

All rights reserved. Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling in the Wild is the English language edition of the 2019 German language edition originally published by AT Verlag under the title Schnitz It Yourself. This version published in 2020 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc..

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0071-8

eISBN 978-1-6076-5770-5

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

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Many people are happy with using their Victorinox Swiss Army Knife to simply shave the bark off a branch or whittle a sharp point on a stick. Those who are a bit more ambitious want some great project ideas. Most people are only aware of about four whittling projects: the walking stick, the roasting spit, the slingshot, and the archery bow. They may not consider any other possibilities. In this book, I would like to show you thirty-three unique project ideas to open the door to infinite possibilities and give you the inspiration to match your ambition. Compared to my first book, Crafting with the Pocket Knife, this book focuses less on classic projects like forks, spoons, and a spinning top. It also isnt about whittling tools for camping like my second book, Outdoors with a Swiss Army Knife. This book contains unique projects that are slightly more demanding. They are a collection of my personal favorite projects, toys, instruments, and everyday items. Who ever thought of making a balloon saxophone or a crossbow with a Swiss Army Knife? How do you build an apple slingshot, a parachute, or a catapult?

It has brought me much joy to develop these projects. Collecting ideas, tinkering, and developing projects are my absolute favorite parts of my profession as a Swiss Army Knife expert. I created each project at least ten times myself before I could be sure it was ready for this book. I spent months working on the best approaches and techniques. I whittled an equivalent of two trees worth of wood and sticks before I got the projects to be the way I wanted them for this book. I created what seemed like a ton of practice projects, and some of the guinea pigs were ultimately rejected.

My three children and I appreciate the objects and toys weve made ourselves much more than those manufactured for store shelves. Each unique piece contains a unique part of nature, passionately designed and built by hand. It is a true representation of my craft, in the very literal sense.

So, lets get started! Everything you need to create your one-of-akind projects can be found in nature, in your home, or even in the trash. The only tool you need is the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife with a saw attachment.

I wish you luck and lots of success!

Felix Immler

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

Dalai Lama

All my projects are unique, and they can all be made using the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife with a saw attachment. Every other whittling book I know calls for other tools like handsaws, drills, files, gouges, hammers, or axesbut not this book. I love whittling with the Swiss Army Knife because it allows me to be spontaneous and work almost anywhere at any time.

This book contains new whittling project ideas you wont find in any other book. For months I developed many new projects as well as updated existing projects to require only a Swiss Army Knife. The ideas came from friends, workshop participants, YouTubers, or myself. A few classics such as the slingshot, the willow flute, and the raft can be found here as well. Because I often see my own ideas being copied, I think it is very important to give credit to the people whose ideas influenced these projects.

With over 700 photos and illustrations (and the videos on my YouTube channel), I explain the projects and techniques in this book with detailed step-bystep instructions. To make sure the pictures in this book make the instructions as easy to understand as possible, I joined forces with professional photographer Matthew Worden. He accompanied me through forests and fields for weeks while I developed my favorite projects. Thank you so much, Matthew! You are great!

Around 20 (!) new whittling books have been published in German since my first carving book, Working with a Swiss Army Knife, went on the market in 2012. Whittling appears to be experiencing a big increase in popularity. Most of these books are made for children or beginners. They often contain the same projects and attempt to show how easy it is to get started. This book has a completely different message: whittling is not that easy! This is especially the case if you want to take on a project any more difficult than the roasting spit.

Whittling is a wonderful hobby for young and old. Even today, whittling with a Swiss Army Knife still captivates many children. Completely analog and battery-free, it is a companion for adventures big and small and creates valuable experiences outside of the digital world. It is creative and practical, and invites you to engage with nature. I personally have found so much joy in it that I have made it my profession. Whittling requires endurance, strength, fine-motor skills, knowledge of natural materials, imagination, and much more. Children who want to get involved need focus, concentration, the right knife, and suitable projects. They have to practice often and be able to rely on a good, patient teacher. My experience from well over three hundred workshops has shown me that it is important to work closely with children when whittling. In order for them to really develop creative ideas, they need more than just being given a stick and a Swiss Army Knife. Many children want to start working on cool projects right away, like the apple slingshot or the paddle steamer. This only works, however, with the active help of a skilled adult whittler who can show the child how its done if he or she is struggling. With a good role model and a satisfying goal in reach, children become more inclined to keep at it and practice the necessary techniques. Whittling as a team is fun and helps strengthen your relationship.