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INTRODUCTION

This book is an introduction to whittling, or carving wood with a knife. I whittle in a simplified flat-plane style, in which I establish the shape of a piece with angular facets; you won’t find many rounded edges in this book! Using four basic knife cuts, I’ll show you how to whittle a menagerie of animals, from the proud lion to the adorable Scottie dog.

Along with the aesthetic appeal, I whittle in the flat-plane style because it doesn’t take much time. Every project in this book is portable and can be completed in under 20 minutes! Even those with a busy schedule can take a few moments out of their day to carve one of my animals.

Whether you are a beginner or more experienced wood carver, I encourage you to check out the Getting Started section, as well as the Appendix in the back. These two sections cover everything from whittling safety to picking the right knife. Once you know the basics, move on to the exercises. They will help you warm up and get comfortable with the knife before you get started on the projects.

What is Whittling?

I define whittling as carving wood with just a knife; whittlers don’t use chisels, gouges, or power tools. When some people think of whittling, specific projects come to mind: pointed sticks, wood chains, and a ball-in-cage. But when I think of whittling, I think of any carving that involves only a knife.

Whittling doesn’t require a large investment in tools or wood. All you need is a good knife, a good piece of wood, and a decent strop to keep your knife edge sharp. I give suggestions on knives and wood to use in the following sections (pages). If you aren’t sure how to sharpen a knife, check out the Basics of Sharpening section (page) in the Appendix.

Whittling is a great hobby that you can take anywhere you go. While some pull out their cell phones when they’re in a waiting room, I work on my latest project! This is why most of the projects in this book are small—I like to choose pieces that can fit in my pocket. I also enjoy doing projects that can be completed quickly. This is what makes whittling fun for beginners—they get immediate satisfaction and are anxious to keep on whittling more pieces.

My whittling often attracts attention from the people around me, especially children. Children are the best audience for whittling because they like small things and they don’t need too much detail to figure out what the whittled animal is. However, even if everything you make is for children, your piece will need some distinguishing characteristics. For example, lions are known for their thick, bushy manes, which are easy for both children and adults to identify quickly. The projects in this book will show you what features to leave in and what to leave out when depicting an animal. Hopefully, it will inspire you to design your own whittled animals, too!

What is Flat-Plane Woodcarving?

Flat-plane woodcarving is a Scandinavian folk art form that employs flat edge cuts rather than rounded edge cuts. Using one knife, the carver establishes a shape using very few cuts, letting the carved facets remain rather than sanding them smooth. Harley Refsal, a master at the flat-plane style, calls it “the difficult art of simplification.” Flat-plane carving often falls under the umbrella of “whittling.”