Luke Byrd - The Big Book of Whittling for Beginners: 20 Easy and Fun Whittling Project Ideas and Design Patterns You Can Carve from Wood With Step by Step Wood Carving Instructions and Pictures

The Big Book of Whittling for Beginners

20 Easy and Fun Whittling Project Ideas and Design Patterns You Can Carve from Wood With Step by Step Wood Carving Instructions and Pictures

By

Luke Byrd

Copyright 2020 Luke Byrd

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Disclaimer

This publication is designed to provide competent and reliable information regarding the subject matter covered. However, the views expressed in this publication are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or professional advice. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.

The author hereby disclaims any responsibility or liability whatsoever that is incurred from the use or application of the contents of this publication by the purchaser or reader. The purchaser or reader is hereby responsible for his or her own actions.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

What is Whittling?

History of Whittling

How Does Whittling Work?

Health Benefits Of Whittling

Chapter 2

Basic Whittling Terminology

Chapter 3

Top Whittling Tips and Tricks

Chapter 4

Getting Started with Whittling

Basic Carving Supplies You Will Need

Whittling knives

Whittling gloves

Wood

Whittling Knife Safety Rules

Choosing a Whittling Knife

Whittling Knife Basic Cuts

Basics of Whittling Knife Sharpening

Chapter 5

Whittling Project Ideas

Wooden Egg

Miniature Bow and Arrow

Willow Whistle

Spike Trolls

Small Wooden Valentine Hearts

Wooden Spoon

Wooden Cups

Walking Stick

Wooden Dog

Wooden Cat

Wooden Elephant

Wooden Flower

Natural Elbow Boomerang

Spiral Pencil

Wooden Knives

Wooden Gnome

Wooden Rainsticks

Carved Viking Chess Piece

Hand Carved Pizza Wheel

Wooden Pipe

Chapter 6

Whittling Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Introduction

If you are a lover of nature, then there is every possibility that you love trees.

What's there not to love?

A home for the birds in the cool of the evening. A warm shade for you from the scorching heat of the sun. A rendezvous point for friends and lovers to hang out and be one with nature. A safe haven from the heavy drops of the unexpected rain that pelts the skin of the person who walks through the park.

Another thing to love about trees is the fresh smell that comes from the woods in the cool of the day. Those smells can be refreshing and can be the reminder you need to take some time off from the bustle of life.

The fact that they play a major role in maintaining a healthy environment earns them brownie points in your book. Sadly, a time comes when these trees can no more stand and have to be cut down for other purposes.

Even in this state, they are useful. Furniture for houses. Timber for the fire to keep you warm in the cold of the winter, and many other uses of the wood from these trees.

Another use you may or may not have known is that the wood that comes from these trees are useful to you in artistic ways. With them, you can carve and create new projects to your heart's content. One of the easiest ways to manipulate wood without having to rely so much on heavy machinery is through the art of whittling.

Whittling can be considered to be the art of wood sculpture, on a simpler and less complicated scale. If you can master the art of whittling, you will see that there are many possibilities available for you.

In the pages that follow, we will be delving deep into the concept of whittling.

You will learn;

What whittling is all about.

The foundational terms you have to acquaint yourself with as a whittler.

Whittling gear and their uses.

A few whittling projects that you can embark upon, without a lot of prior knowledge and without a lot of machinery.

If you have ever harbored the thoughts of creating beautiful pieces out of wood, then you need to keep turning the pages.

Chapter 1

What is Whittling?

Whittling may refer either to the art of carving shapes out of raw wood using knife or a time-occupying, non-artistic process of repeatedly shaving slivers from a piece of wood. This process is used by many as a pastime or as a way to make artistic creations.

Simply put, whittling is the process of creating artworks from pieces of wood. The way artwork can be created from concrete by sculpting makes you think of whittling as sculpting wood. As mentioned earlier, many people have adopted it because of a lot of reasons, including the fact that the process can have therapeutic benefits and that it is a great pastime.

Whittling is a mid-level art. This implies that anyone can carry out this art - irrespective of your knowledge of the art and your skill level. Once you are equipped with the right knowledge, you have the time and patience required to create the projects you want to, and the materials needed are available, then there is no limit to what you can achieve with your whittling projects.

History of Whittling

Wood whittling is easily considered as one of the earliest methods of wood carving. It developed when a sharp stone was used to create a lovely piece from a piece of wood. From then on, people began to find more ways to make the job easier for them as it became apparent that there were more uses for wood than for fire and every other thing it was being used for when humans began to live on the planet.

Between the century 1865-1955, whittling was more prevalent in the United States. This was the time of the civil war. One of the effects of this war was that it caused many to be dislodged from where they lived. As lives began to be threatened, people had to relocate. This relocation pushed people farther away from civilization and developed areas of the country into more secluded areas. As is the way things are when there is a war, the spirits of men began to get dampened after a while and this was not needed if they were going to win the war.

To keep hope alive, men began to look for ways to get their minds off what was happening at the time and at least, have some amount of respite - even if it is for a few minutes every day. This forced the men who were alive and under these conditions to start gathering together in small groups at night. When they gathered, they lit fires and hung around these fires, telling stories that made their hearts merry, while carving away at the wood. For some, the carving on wood (whittling) was a mindless venture, and they saw it as an opportunity to enjoy themselves. These were the people who did not take it seriously. Although it is safe to assume that not a lot of people began this process with a desire to carve elaborate designs, some created designs that were considered beautiful at the time (not forgetting the fact that some of these were helpful to some extent, and not just to be kept as relics). These soldiers had one advantage that made whittling easy for them - the folding Jack knife they were given as soldiers. As is the manner of humans, they had found a use for the knives that were more than what they had thought in the first place.

As time went on, the art and craft began to evolve more. As some soldiers began to get exceedingly good with the art, they found the need to bequeath their knowledge to others. They did this mostly to children who had reached the age of understanding what they were doing, could follow instructions and be generally interested in knowing how to make the craft that was the pulse of the time. In addition to these, some adults did not mind learning from other adults the craft that was gradually becoming highly sought-after.