Whittling has been by far the most known way to carve wood and by carving small pieces of wood you can create spoons, whistles, or other small figures. As a beginner, you should have this knowledge in the back of your mind that in whittling, a mallet is not used and this craft only involves the use of different shapes of knives and gouges. Most people have a hard time differentiating between carving and whittling and the best way to understand the two is knowing that whittling is under carving and unlike carving where you have the freedom of using power tools and mallets for faster results, whittling only uses the hand tools.
When looking for the best whittling kit for a beginner, make sure that you check whether it has a polishing compound to clean and shine your blades, detailing knife, cutting knife, roughing knife and a tool roll for storing instruments. If you need the best whittling kit for a beginner, by the time you finish reading this article, you will have a clear picture of what to look for.
What to look for when shopping for the best whittling kit
When looking for the best whittling kit for a beginner, knowing what to check will guide you in choosing the best whittling kit that will suit you best as a beginner. So what should you look for in the best whittling kits for beginners?
Material
The material of the blades comes a long way when looking for the best whittling kit for a beginner it determines the durability of your blades. Three main materials are used in whittling tools and they are; enhanced stainless steel, high carbon steel, and laminated steel.
Enhanced stainless steel is stronger than stainless because it has more concentration of elements.. This gives it strength and durability, and it is resistant to corrosion. Buying any tool made from this material, will give you quality and you won’t have to keep sharpening it over a short time because it retains its sharpness.
High carbon is the most common material used in making whittling tools. It gives strength and durability. It also retains a sharp edge for a long time and you won’t have to frequently sharpen it. High carbon material needs a consistent check-up and maintenance and it should be stored in a cool dry place.
Tang
Buying whittling tools, look for tools with full tang. This means the metal of the blade goes through the entire handle. Whittling tools should have a full tang because unlike other methods of carving whereby you will use other methods to apply force, in whittling when you need extra force, you will add pressure with your hand and if the tang is not long enough, your knife might break or come off the handle at some point.
Full is the best option when looking for the best whittling kit for beginners but also a half tang that is thicker which adds strength will do, The aim is to choose a durable knife.
Handle
The handle of the whittling tools is a very important aspect to check when looking for the best whittling kits for beginners. It should have good ergonomics to give comfort and avoid fatigue when you whittle for a long time. As a beginner comfort and efficiency in tools will help you learn to whittle faster than tools with poor ergonomics.
A good handle should have a good grip to avoid it from slipping from your hands when you are busy whittling.
1. Beaver craft whittling kit
The Beaver craft kit is my overall best whittling kit I would recommend a beginner to consider buying. The kit includes a detail knife, cutting knife, roughing knife, a leather polishing compound, and a tool to keep your tools organized.
The blades are made from high carbon steel and this gives the knives the right strength and firmness to whittle. The blade retains its sharpness for a long and you won’t have to sharpen it after a short period. The polishing compound will give a good polishing after you are done with your projects and it will add an aesthetic appearance to the project whittled.
The ergonomics of the tools have good design and this enables you to whittle for a long period without your hand going numb. If you are a beginner you won’t have to worry about how you’ll start sharpening your blades once they arrive because they come already sharpened and ready to use.
2. Hutsuls Wood Whittling Kit
This is one of my favorite tool kits I would recommend a beginner to buy because it’s great when a beginner starts with tools that will make whittling comfortable and give a great experience as they continue learning the skills. The kit contains a whittling knife, a hook knife, a detail knife, a leather strop, a polishing compound, cut resistance gloves, and a rolling bag.
The handles are ergonomically designed and made from Ashwood giving you a very comfortable feeling that will make you whittle for longer hours without having fatigue.
The blades are made from carbon steel and are ready to use once they are bought, so you won’t have to deal with the thought of sharpening when you buy the kit before whittling.
This kit also has finger guard gloves that will protect you as a beginner from cutting yourself. Gloves are very important for a beginner to own because you have not yet familiarized yourself with the knives and the chances of you cutting yourself are very high.
3. Flexcut whittling kit
The flex cut whittling kit is undeniably a good kit for beginners and trust me and my findings that you will enjoy using this kit.
It includes 2 knives, One detail, and one mini-detail knife made from carbon steel.
The ergonomic ash hardwood handles fit comfortably in your hand and this will also give a feeling of practicing for longer because of how comfortable you feel.
The kit also has a bar of flex cut gold polishing compound, and the razor-sharp hard carbon steel blade is ready to use right out of the package.
One issue I came to find out is that it doesn’t have a pair of gloves and you will be forced to buy. Other than that this kit is good for a beginner.
The handles are ergonomic and this is by now one of the most important aspects of whittling tools.
4. Pumentiua Wood Whittling Kit
This kit is amazing and that’s why it is on my top list. The Puimentua whittling kit includes a working carving knife, hook knife, Whittling Knife, Leather Strop, and Polishing Compound. The blades of this kit are extremely sharp and made from hard carbon steel blades which contain high strength and hardening components. The blade also contains a high corrosion resistance meaning it doesn’t rust giving you a long life of service.
The blade is ergonomic making it to be very comfortable to handle when whittling, and it will give you that feeling of wanting to whittle for a long, and it is made from carbon steel giving it the strength you need when whittling.
This kit comes with finger guard gloves that will protect you as a beginner from cutting yourself. Even veterans use gloves to protect themselves from cuts and blisters on their hands.
5. Elemental tools whittling kit
The elemental tools whittling kit is also on my top list of whittling kits that a beginner should consider buying. This kit includes a hook knife, sloyd knife, detail knife, polishing compound, and strap, wood spoon blank, cut resistance gloves, and a display box.
This kit will help you a beginner to kick start this interesting craft. The blades are made from high carbon making them very strong and firm, and you will not have to keep on sharpening after a short time.
The handles are ergonomic and this feature is very important because it will make you practice whittling for a longer time
This kit also comes with a pair of finger guard gloves that will help protect yourself from cuts, and also prevent your hands from blisters.
6. Zeromx Wood Carving Tools Kit-K
When buying my top featured reviewed kits you will enjoy whittling because these kits are amazing from blade material to the type of handles made. Zeromx kit comes with, a hook knife, whittling sloyd knife, and detail knife. polishing compound, blank spoon wood carving that will help you start off whittling, cut resistance gloves, and frosted sponge.
The blades are very sharp and unlike others, the manufacturing engineering team added more Mo. V alloy into stainless steel during the smelting process to create a firmness, anti-corrosive, and more durable whittling blades. this feature keeps your tools hard enough to keep them razor-sharp and not curling after several wooden carvings.
The handle is made from black walnut and its ergonomic style gives your hand the comfort you need to whittle for a long. The ergonomic handle will release your hands from fatigue and you don’t want your hands to be fatigued when whittling.
This kit also has finger guard gloves that fit most hand sizes that will protect you as a beginner from cutting yourself. The company also has good customer service of replacing the gloves if you don’t like them.
Best whittling kits for beginners: A summary
When looking for the best whittling kit, The standard tools it should have is a whittling knife and a detail knife and some have a hook knife for whittling spoons.
Whittling is part of carving and the difference between carving and whittling is that whittling uses only uses hand tools for carving.
You should note that when talking about hand tools in whittling, we are excluding the mallet because it does not directly carve but used for additional force.