Reddit reviews Morakniv Wood Carving 106 Knife with Laminated Steel Blade, 3.2-Inch, M-106-1630

SAK classic. I don't carry thick rope, so I don't need a knife to cut it! The only thing I've actually ever used a knife for while backpacking is cutting salami and cheese.

I've used the scissors several times however to cut out pieces of tenacious tape to repair rain jackets and water bladders. Ive seen a few people who just bring tiny scissors that are less than 0.5 oz and that makes a lot of sense to me!

Scissors are also nice for trimming nails.

If I was doing more camping that hiking I might bring a little knife for whittling or something, but it would be for entertainment/luxury, not as an essential piece of gear for me. I love the mora 106 for carving: Morakniv Wood Carving 106 Knife with Laminated Steel Blade, 3.2-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IW5YN8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_I9t4xb0J8FRYG

If I did want more knife, I'd definitely just get more knife rather than a full on multi-tool. I'm with ya there! If I was using a wood stove I'd probably want a bit more knife as well. A little fixed blade knife seems perfect for that sort of thing, like the one I use for carving, or one of the plastic handled Moras like the companion.

Opinel is the premier luxury salami cutting folder ;)

If you want to make spoons then that set isn't really want you need.

What you need is a hook knife for carving the bowl and a straight knife for all the other cuts.

It would be great to have a hatchet to rough out the shape of the spoon so it doesn't take you all year. I've seen lots of people do the roughing with a band saw though. You could use a coping saw if you don't have one.

I don't love the hook knife I have. If the wood is a little dry it kinda hurts my hand. It's this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00343VCCK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487362012&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mora+hook+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=31qGjXQoECL&ref=plSrch

I wound up grinding the bevel off mine to make a smooth curve and it worked a little better than new. But it works ok as is.

I've also got this straight knife https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005IW5YN8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1487362243&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mora+carving+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=31CuaoTEJGL&ref=plSrch

They have a shorter version that would probably have given more control, but I'm ok with it.

You'll also want to make a strop to maintain the cutting edge. You'll need a block of wood, a piece of leather and stropping compound. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000DD35C/ref=pd_aw_fbt_469_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YGCVJKF34JWCTN2MNFPV

Can't say about this compound. I got mine from lee valley.

All in all, if I did it over again I would have bought higher quality knives, but the ones I wanted (from a guy named Nic Westerman) were out of stock. And since you're on a budget they would fit in your price range.

I've done lots of pieces with nothing more than a pocketknife... but I was a kid, and if I'd had access to internet and a credit card then, I might have gone a little nuts with SHARP TOYS. A bigger blade for roughing out and a smaller straight blade for details is really all you need. I'd suggest maybe this and an exacto knife, assuming you can find one with a comfortable handle. If you decide you want to keep with the hobby, you'll figure out what other kinds of blades or chisels you want to add to your collection.

Basswood is a good wood to start with, it's fairly soft (but not balsa soft) and has a nice straight grain. I got mine from a downed tree on my grandpa's property, but hobby stores, Joannes, and the internet have it too. As you get more into it and want to make bigger pieces, I'm sure you'll find a lumber yard near you that has big blocks.

Good luck!

I just posted this above but here they are again. Also I used a basic leatherman knife at the very beginning and it definitely was nice to get a real woodworking tool, especially since it took me about 15 or 20 hours. Other than these I used sandpaper and a file (briefly).

Morakniv Wood Carving 164 Hook Knife
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00343VCCK

Morakniv Wood Carving 106 Knife
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IW5YN8

Heya! Thanks for stopping by.

It can be a bit tricky, depending on what materials and tools he has already.

• Amazon Shows a wide variety of books.
  
  If he wants more whittling-style knives, Amazon is also a place for this.
  
  
• This knife set isn't too bad. See, what you're wanting to look for here are knives that are comfortable to use. The curves and ovaloid shaped handles make them more comfortable for longer periods of whittling.
  
  
• Quite a few people swear by Mora knives.
  
  If he's the outdoorsy type, then any nice range pocket knife will work (as long as it looks / feels comfortable to hold!). The spirit of Whittling is in the doing, not so much in the materials used.
  
  Other accessories that could go well could be safety gloves (no one wants to cut themselves !), A place for him to store wood, or even a bench perhaps.
  
  Really, it's up to what he already has and his wants. Hope this helps!
  

Carving and turning go together pretty well- what you learn in one will help you with the other and vice versa. (Technically turning is a type of carving- the lathe is a rotary, reductive carving tool). Turners and carvers also share an affinity for using green wood that is relatively rare in the modern woodworking world as a whole. If you're not going to be able to get in to turning right away because of the cost, you could always get a couple knives (a hook knife and a straight knife) and go find some green wood & whittle some spoons.

Morakniv 106, get the short one and the long one for about $50 total. Great multi purpose knives.

They're about $25 each, so you can start with one and add as you can.

In order of purchase, here's where I started:

BeaverCraft Carving knife

Strop

Detail knives

Flexcut Cutting knife
Flexcut Detail knife

Mora 106 carving knife (upgrade from the beavercraft)

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-3-2-Inch/dp/B005IW5YN8

I'm sorry for leading you down this rabbit hole... It's a great hobby but it's a really niche one that's massively popular, so every Instagrammer has a book. My favorite book is The Artful Wooden Spoon as it's really cheap for a craft book, has beautiful designs and photography, and it goes over every possible method to carve, whether traditional hook knives and wet wood, or dried wood and power tools. Spon is another great book but I haven't gotten a copy yet so...I don't know if I could honestly recommend it.

I got started in my summer before first semester of college, so I went the cheap way which is following many instagram accounts, youtube videos, and buying Mora knives off Amazon rather than having a hand-forged one made for me. (The price point and waiting list of blacksmiths is insane). This is my knife, not the best for spooncarving as it has softer steel and is more meant for rough bushcraft, but it was given to me when I turned 16 and is now on my hip whenever possible: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/ref=twister_B07H1138CR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This one comes more highly recommended by the pros: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-3-2-Inch/dp/B005IW5YN8?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_6501052011

Then you'll need a hook knife: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Stainless-0-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B01N4FNUX4/ref=pd_sbs_468_2/130-9218892-1730051?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01N4FNUX4&pd_rd_r=8d8fce0c-2c9d-11e9-8a86-1d7479451c7c&pd_rd_w=cqTt0&pd_rd_wg=78jDF&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT&psc=1&refRID=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT

A hatchet is of course also necessary, but those are very common to find. Almost any will do. Sharpening is the most important part, regardless if you have a hook knife made by a blacksmith who makes his own charcoal for his forge and only uses recycled steel, or if you use a knife forged in Mora and bought from Amazon. Especially with the odd shapes of hook knives, sandpaper is the best way to go- try googling the "Scary Sharp Method"- but it basically comes down to working the bevels and steel with progressively finer grit. Autobody shops will have the wet/dry sandpaper in the grits you'll need, from 100grit for rough work and customizing your blades, to 6000 grit when you're finishing up.

https://www.instagram.com/michigansloyd/ is one of my favorite spooncarvers to follow on instagram, he's a professional and can create a beautiful spatula in less time than it takes me to split a branch. https://www.instagram.com/klipnockywoods/ is another good one.

http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/ this is probably one of the best blogs, there is a scroll on the side with links to posts for beginners, from what knives are the best to what oil to use.

https://www.emmetvandriesche.com/blog/how-i-carve-wooden-spoons is another good blog.

I'll try to stop now, but there's just so much going on in this niche.

You need something in between the axe and the sandpaper. If you're doing small stuff like this a Morakniv 106 knife is cheap and handy. Get it sharp enough and you won't need any more than a few minutes with some 220 grit to smooth it out, or you can leave the knife facets if you like the look.

Get this book to learn safe and effective methods so you don't stab yourself.