The First One

This was the first whittlin' I ever did. A few years ago, my belly full of ice cream, I found myself holding a popsicle stick. For some reason I didn't throw it out. Instead I took out my pocket knife (a green Kershaw Scallion if memory serves) and carved that popsickle stick into the shape of a rifle. I'm glad I still have it!

I think it's a Remington. I'm not sure what model.

Bushcraft USA Spoon Carving Contest

The BCUSA Spoon Carving Competition IV is happening right now! Stop over and check out the entries. This time there's 20 beautiful hand-carved spoons, in all levels of experience and many types of wood. Voting is open to any registered member, and registration is free.

While you're there, look around BCUSA. I love the Self Made Gear subforum as well as Trips & Expeditions. It's a great place to share one's love for the outdoors and despite the name, Bushcraft USA is an international community.

A slideshow of past whittlins

Here's a slideshow of some of my carvings. There's all sorts of stuff in here, from the rustic little spike trolls to the painted and finished toy soldiers. I'm proud of the variety and feel like I've made progress toward a higher level of detail and control. Let me know what you think!

St. Patrick's Day party favors (part 2)

As you can see, some of these pins and fridge magnets are soaked in linseed oil while others are painted with acrylics. It's a nice break to carve these simple little items, plus I'm using up scrap wood from other projects. (and yet the clutter continues to build.) Next I'll add pin backs and glue on magnets.

St. Patrick's Day party favors

I love making little pins, magnets, and other carvings for guests at our annual St. Patrick's Day party. Last year I made shamrock pins out of basswood and cedar. This year I'm adding some more variety with flags, harps, and pints of stout. Here's an early in-progress look at this year's giveaways.

Toy Horse- from start to finish

Here's some photos of my latest toy horse project. From rough sawing with a coping saw, to carving, sanding, and finishing with lindseed oil and acrylic paint. The final step is to apply a few coats of shellac. This horse will be a gift at an upcoming baby shower.

Review: Case XX Seahorse Whittler

I really like my Seahorse Whittler. I purchased it a couple of years ago on a visit to the Case/Zippo headquarters in Bradford, PA. (About one hour south of Buffalo.) It's a nice drive especially in the fall. The Zippo/Case museum is well worth the trip.

The Seahorse comes equipped with three blades: a pen blade, a coping blade, and a wharncliffe master blade. The master blade does the heavier carving, while the two smaller blades are excellent for detail work and for getting into tight spots such as carving a ball-in-cage.

For this knife Case uses it's "tru-sharp" surgical stainless steel, which is as good as any stainless I've used. I find it easy to sharpen and maintain, and while I'm not as hardcore about steels as some people, I do wonder what a difference a Seahorse in Case's classic Chrome Vanadium might be. They have yet to release a CV Seahorse, and there's no word of any plans to do so.

I've done plenty of carving with my Seahorse and have few complaints. The master blade's wide spine gives my thumb a comfortable place to press, and it's straight edge is a snap to sharpen. It is a folder, so it's grip size is small compared to my larger fixed blade knives. Small grip size can contribute to hand cramping during long-term use. My solution to this is simply to take frequent breaks for stretching. Also, holding a hot cup of tea or coffee seems to ward off muscle fatigue.