Is this an alright buy to start out whittling?
Are gloves/finger guards necessary if I want to keep my fingers? In which case, which properties should the gloves have? I'm warned that most kevlar/leather gloves are too bulky to use for whittling.
I particularly need input about the knife, I'm totally unfamiliar with the brand, anyone got some experience with it?
other than that, just general whittling thread
Omg. Delete this basket. Learn about knifes first. Learn about sharpening first. And get wood from practically anywhere else.
>>985712
thank you for your contribution
>>985697
Disposable-blade utility knife. Spring for one with good ergonomics.
A bulk pack of blades.
Wood from a hardware store. Any wood will do, but start with a softer wood for practice. Cut workable chunks with a saw.
>>985697
>Are gloves/finger guards necessary if I want to keep my fingers?
No. Position the knife, grip, and movement so that if anything slips, nothing gets cut. Basically, cut away from yourself.
>>985712
Nah. The wood is fine. The knife is fine.
The only ghey thing in the basket is that leather strop. Looks like it's for one of those pivot based Lansky sharpening jigs. Use an old belt and get a chunk of chromium oxide instead.
>>985740
>chromium oxide
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-107889-Green-Polishing-Compound/dp/B002QS1M7E/ref=pd_bxgy_60_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=GR2Z51MFJ7TDJGB5JAK0
Is this good enough for that purpose?
>>985795
Yes that will do.
>>985800
cheers bro, I'll buy this and use my belt for sharpening instead.
There wouldn't be an issue using a lighter to heat up the belt when loading the compound, right?
Can someone tell me the pros and cons of going for a larger or smaller knife for whittling? Is it worthwhile to have both handy for different jobs on the wood?
Sorry for the stupid questions, this is my first diy hobby and my first time using knives proper.
>>985814
Ok just to be sure, you already have and know how to use a stone to get the knife initially sharp, right? Because the strip will not make a dull knife sharp.
You don't need to use heat to apply the compound. It is a big block of wax+ abrasive particles. You just need to rub it on the leather.
I think a curved knife like that would be difficult to use for uniform depth cuts and the point looks like it'd be difficult to use with precision. A curved blade will be harder to sharpen without a shaped stone, too. I'd recommend a straiter one. I have an Opinel No. 08 (pictured), which is unnecessarily large for whittling but it works well enough. I also use a Flexicut whittling knife a lot, though I'm not so sure I'd recommend buying them; they're expensive and, though come very sharp, the tips of mine broke off very easily after only little use. The handle is very nice though and the smallest of my 2 is by far my most used knife. I mean, I would recommend Flexicut but I've only used these mentioned knives, maybe one or two i've forgotten about.
Any piece of leather can be used as a strop, with or without stropping compound (though with has better affects, obviously). Also consider fine grade sandpaper for sharpening.
The sharper your blade, the less you'll accidentally cut yourself. With a dull blade, you need to use a lot of energy to push it through the wood. When the wood finally gives way, the energy continues through into your fingers.
Don't bother buying wood, the stuff grows on trees.
>>985899
yeah bro, I got pic related for sharpening it initially, then I'll strop it afterwards.
>>985953
Yeah, I went and got myself a longer, more regular blade which I had lying around. It's more straight. I would tell you the model, but it's not on the blade and I can't find it from the brand name which is carved into the handle.
Got it from my dad who got the knife from his dad.
Thanks for all the tips.
Personally I'd suggest a knife with a flat cutting edge and a curved back for your first.
>>986204
Stropping isn't going to do much if you sharpen on a stone like that. You need to go finer first. If you don't want to invest in another finer stone (I'd suggest an Arkansas or something between 3000-6000 grit waterstone), you can do it with abrasive paper. Lots of vids on yt for paper sharpening.
>>985697
A cut proof glove is a must.
You can get them from restaurant supply houses.
Knife wise. Get a Flexcut or a Pfeil.
Get a king combo water stone (800/4000 , or 800/6000 ) and a flexcut strope
Pic related is the knife i talk about in >>986204
Thoughts? Can someone identify which model it is?
It says 'Normark' on the shaft and 'stainless steel - sweden' on the blade. I tried looking online, but couldn't find it. My grandpa owned it, so it might be quite old.
>>986319
What this guy said.
Cut proof glove. I used to work the first aid shack at a boy scout camp and I saw more than my fair share of kids who decided to whittle a a stick in their tent.
You WILL fuck up, you WILL slip, but if you're wearing something to protect your hand, you'll get to keep all your fingers.
