When most people think of someone whittling, they usually come up with a mental image of an old man sitting out on a rustic front porch somewhere with his trusty old pocket knife in hand, whistling to himself while cutting away on a piece of wood or a stick. And, while such an image may remind one of simpler, more peaceful times, the actual process of whittling is considered, by many, more of an art form than a simple craft.
I remember trying to carve a wooden whistle when I was a kid in Boy Scouts. As I recall, I got booted out of the “scouting movement” before I was able to finish my project that would have earned me my wood-working badge. So be it.
More recently, however, I found myself watching a group of whittlers at a craft show in Sorrento.
Not only was I fascinated with the “art” they were able to produce from a small piece of wood, I was also impressed with the obvious amount satisfaction they derived from showing off their objects d’art to everyone that came by.
As explained to me, a fair amount of whittling is, indeed, done with a simple pocket knife. However, there are also any number of specialized whittling and carving knives and tools that are routinely used by more skilled whittlers, not to mention tools such as saws, chisels and awls.
It was also pointed out that another tool, often over-looked in whittling, is the lead pencil. It is used before any cuts are made and enables a whittler to not only pre-consider various different ideas and approaches to their project, but can also help develop an overall picture of what the piece will look like when completed.
In talking with some of the other whittlers, it was also quickly pointed out that safety is of extreme importance when using sharp tools.
Tools make no distinction between wood or flesh, one fellow said. (I could not help but feel that he had used that line on a fair number of people who had stopped to watch and chat.)
“The first rule of safety, when it comes to whittling, is to keep your fingers, or any other body parts, away from the cutting edge of your tools,” he said.
It was obvious, just from watching and listening, that all of the whittlers at the show take great pride of ownership when it comes to their tools.
Whittling tools are personal. They need to be stored with sharp edges wrapped and protected. Even the salt in the sweat from your hands can cause steel to pit and rust.
Sharpening is also important to the maintenance of tools and the safety of the person using them. The level of your sharpened edge is very important. If it’s too sharp, the steel will become brittle and break off. If it’s too blunt, the tool will be too dull to work with. Apparently, experienced whittlers have learned to tuck their elbows into their sides to reduce the amount of movement of the blade.
The safest way to whittle is to simply make sure to not point a knife at yourself.
The type of material you use to whittle on will depend on your project. Soft wood, such as pine, can be carved more easily, but lacks the ability to hold detail. Hardwoods such as ash, oak or maple are very difficult to carve but hold finer detail.
While I may not be much of a joiner of clubs or organizations, I could certainly see myself sitting out on the porch of the cabin up at the lake, whittling away on a piece of wood.
Maybe I could even try to complete my wood working badge project. It’s probably too late, but then again, it’s never too late to start something new.