Editors of Woodcarving Illustrated - Complete Starter Guide to Whittling: 24 Easy Projects You Can Make in a Weekend

Amazing Chain Gallery

Hand-Carved Classics, pg. 36
Challenge yourself to create intricate chains and cages.

Safety Tips for Kids

Flying Propeller, pg. 17
Rick Wiebe shares time-tested tips for teaching kids.

Bonus Instructions

Whittling a Decorative Fishing Lure, pg. 70
Follow Lora Irishs instructions to make a copper-wire display stand for your lure.

By Bob Duncan

One of the neat things about whittling is that you can do it anywhere. This means your knife should be portable, and nothing beats the convenience of safely slipping a folded knife into your pocket.

Many manufacturers create folding knives for whittling (or carving) with blades that resemble classic carving knives. These specialty knives can get expensive, and are worth the money if you do a lot of whittling, but you dont need to buy a specialty knife to whittle.

Many carvers use a second pocketknife for everyday use, such as opening cardboard boxes, to avoid dulling the sharp pocketknife they use for whittling.

When selecting a pocketknife for whittling, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Many pocketknife blades are made from stainless steel. Most carving tools are made from highcarbon steel. Stainless steel holds an edge for a long time and doesnt corrode if you close the knife with a wet bladeboth great qualities for pocketknives. But because stainless steel dulls slowly, it sharpens slowly as well. Knives with high-carbon steel blades are more expensive than knives with stainless steel blades, but they are easier to sharpen.

Many manufacturers are creating high-carbon stainless steel blades, which combine the durability of stainless steel with the added benefits of carbon steel.