All About Pocket Knives

I enjoy whittling - no talent - I just whittle for the shaving to use as fire kindling. The knives that work best are the old Boy Scout knives with the spear blade. They just seem to grab the wood and make nice long shavings. I have found that most of my newer knives, dispite, having very sharp edges just won't grab the wood. I have a newer Case Knife with a stainless steel blade that feels very sharp that whittles like a plastic spoon trying to cut a steel bar. I have an older Case Knife with SS blade that just goes to town. I recently purchased a GEC knife with the 1095 HC blade and at first I was disapointed at how it whittled. But after honing it on a steel, it begin to do a decent job. The newer Case with SS has been honed as well but it still won't shave the wood. Any thoughts about this from anyone?

Ken

I've got knives sharp enough to shave with but won't whittle worth a hoot. I was told by a whittler that it was sharpened wrong, whatever that means.

Carvin Don on here would be the guy to ask but I do have a neighbor that whittles and he always says that he likes the thinner wharncliff blades. The thinner the better. Like I said Don would be the guy I would ask.

Howdy Ken,

I know what you mean about the SS blades, they can be troublesome to hold an edge for whittlin', IMO. ... I prefer the carbon steel blades but do and have used SS blades to carve with, and as Gino's neighbor stated, the thinner the blade the better for whittlin'.Thinner = less resistance for the blade to cut through the wood...of course, thinner means more brittle too, and if yer carvin' some hard woods, you can chip or break the blade easily.

Bevels play an important role in how well a knife will carve... TJ, that may be why your knife won't whittle well, it can be razor sharp, but has too much resistance, short bevel, and can't slice easily through the wood for the angle you're holding it at. Removing the factory bevel completely, or laying the blade flat when sharping it, makes for smooth, easy slicing through the wood. Try taking a pocketknife you don't mind messin' up a bit, just in case you over do it and keep one blade with the factory type bevel and sharpen another blade by laying it flat to the stone or grinding wheel, and remove the bevel. You will see a world of difference in how easily the blade with "no bevel" or elongated bevel carves in comparison to the blade with the short, factory bevel. There is far less resistance for the blade to slice through the wood.

There are as many ways to sharpen as their are people who own knives...try different methods, pick one you like and stick with it. And as was taught to me, there are two criteria that need to be met to get a razor sharp edge, "first, create a wire burr, then remove it." Basically, you create the burr by using a stone or grinding wheel, and you remove it, by stropping. Always, trying to match the exact angle (bevel) on both sides. ANd if you do use power, such as a grinding wheel, remember, HEAT is your enemy. You do not want to BLUE the blade, or you have altered (ruined) the temper of the blade. Power is much faster, but can also mess a knife up faster. Hand sharpening can take a long while to get results, but you won't burn up a blade.

One old 'lil trick is to take a marker and mark the bevel you desire. You just remove all the metal you marked, on both sides, works pretty good.

I'm no expert sharpener by any means, and have ruined, or altered many a knife by trial and error. In the end, like anything else, practice , practice, practice, and you will fall into a comfortable method for sharpening your knives that suits you best.

Best of luck to you

Thanks Don, I understand what the old boy was talking about now. At some of the Bluegrass festivals I go to there are a group of guys that sit around all day making long, super fine curley-cue shavings from a piece of cedar. This is what I call "whittling", when you end up with an article, something recognizable, I call that carving. Am I correct?

yessir, TJ, makin' shavings is good ole fashioned whittling I heard one feller say, when asked what he was makin', reply...a smaller piece of wood! Whittlin' is a great stress reliever and keeps yer hands busy.

Ya' know, you might be able to help me out with a bluegrass tune that I'm trying to figure out the tune and the band. I think the tune might be Earl's Breakdown? Here is a link to a video by a carver friend...http://www.youtube.com/user/allengoodma ... kSEufQZSNo ... listen to the opening tune and again at 8:09, for a lenghtier play of the tune. Is that Flatt & Scruggs? What is the name of the tune? Thanks for any help yo can give me on this!

Until right now I've never thought about the difference between whittling and carving. Now that I have put some thought to it, in my definition, I would consider whittling as removing wood shavings with a knife. Whether you're just making small wood or anything else for that matter. Carving wood be when you introduced the use of specialty tools.

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carvin don wrote:yessir, TJ, makin' shavings is good ole fashioned whittling I heard one feller say, when asked what he was makin', reply...a smaller piece of wood! Whittlin' is a great stress reliever and keeps yer hands busy.

Ya' know, you might be able to help me out with a bluegrass tune that I'm trying to figure out the tune and the band. I think the tune might be Earl's Breakdown? Here is a link to a video by a carver friend...http://www.youtube.com/user/allengoodma ... kSEufQZSNo ... listen to the opening tune and again at 8:09, for a lenghtier play of the tune. Is that Flatt & Scruggs? What is the name of the tune? Thanks for any help yo can give me on this!

I listened to that Don and I have no idea who it is or what the name of the tune is, but I like it. A really smooth fiddler, really pulls the tone out of the fiddle. The banjo player is not Earl Scruggs, way too smooth and doesn't sound like a Gibson banjo, maybe a Stelling. Earl has always played Gibsons. Sorry. I'll go back and listen again to see if anything comes to me.

Much appreciated TJ, thanks fer listenin', my buddy doesn't know either. I like it too, kinda' reminded me of Earl's Breakdown, a lil' bit. I agree, smooth fiddler!