Classic Whittling

Book excerpt: In a fast-paced and noisy world that makes your head spin, the classic craft of whittling is the perfect antidote. It makes you slow down, take a breath, and live in the moment. Your hands are crafting instead of typing or texting. Best of all, whittling is simple to learn, lasts a lifetime, and requires only a simple knife. It’s no wonder it’s become more popular over recent years. No longer something only old men do, whittling has reached parents spending time with kids, techies taking a break from computer screens, and anyone who enjoys being outdoors. In Classic Whittling, author Rick Wiebe – a whittler for more than 60 years – provides the fundamentals for anyone looking to slow down and learn this classic craft. Classic Whittling begins with the basics of a good knife and how to keep it sharp. Wiebe then covers the best woods to use, ranging from sticks to blocks of wood, along with the basic techniques that will get you started. After that, there’s no limit to what you can do. Projects start out with toys, a whistle, and “treens” -- simple forks, spoons, and other utensils used while camping. From there, it’s on to the more challenging projects: the chain, the interlinking hearts, the ball-in-a-cage, the sphere-within-a-sphere and several other classics. This handy and fun guide covers them all step-by-step. By the end of Classic Whittling, your knife will become a magic wand that turns firewood into fun, fascinates your family and friends, and lowers your blood pressure.