Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Teach knife safety before you teach anything else, especially when teaching a young person how to whittle. Instruct your student to never leave the knife lying around and to always fold it up and put it back in his pocket. Also, teach the importance of a sharp knife, and to always make slow, small and controlled movements when whittling.
Show students how to find wood that is good for whittling. Demonstrate that hardwood stands up better when making fine detail and that softwoods are easier to shape. Also show the student how to find suitable woods by finding pieces thick enough that you will have a suitable base after peeling away any bark or green material. Finally, remind students that resin and sap are to be avoided in whittling wood and to not get sap on knives, or if they do, to clean them immediately.
Demonstrate the two most basic cuts in whittling. The push cut is when you hold the knife in the dominant hand with the thumb on the back of the blade. The other hand holds the wood and you push the blade away from yourself. The pull cut is when you reverse the knife and use your thumb to stabilize the wood and you carefully draw it toward yourself. This is also called a thumb cut and should only be done by beginners if wearing a thumb pad for protection.
Show some more advanced techniques that provide students with the tools they need to create more detailed pieces. Tell the student to shave the wood by holding the blade nearly on the same plane as the wood and gently shaving off a thin layer to create more detailed shapes. Also, show how you can use the dull side of a blade and scrape it along the wood to polish it.
Provide some ideas for basic projects that a beginning whittler can attempt. It is easier to have some direction when you're starting to learn. A small wooden knife or letter opener is a good beginning project.