Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Book of Whittling E-Book

Chris Lubkemann

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 101

Beschreibung

A good pocket knife is all you need to start whittling. Whether you're in front of a campfire or waiting for a bus, whittling is the creative way to unwind and have fun! In this pocket-sized book, world-famous whittler Chris Lubkemann shows you how to whittle 43 useful and whimsical objects with nothing more than an Original Swiss Army® Knife, a twig, and a few minutes of time. Learn to choose your wood, sharpen your blade, and control your pocket knife with dozens of easy, step-by-step whittling projects – from bow and arrows and spoons to magical little trees, animals, and so much more. Published in collaboration with Victorinox® AG, makers of the Original Swiss Army Knife.

Leseprobe

Carl Elsener, Sr. (1922–2013)

Dedication

Although I never had the privilege of meeting Carl Elsener, Sr., I know that during the many years he spent leading the Victorinox Swiss Army family, he contributed immeasurably to what this outstanding company is today. For many decades, his passion for innovation and quality and his enthusiasm for the excellent product that consistently came out of the “Swiss Knife Valley” were evident.

I would like to dedicate this book to this very special man.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

CONTENTS

PREFACE

INDEX

1 GETTING STARTED

Choosing a Knife

Sharpening and Honing

Basic Cutting Strokes

Wood

Other Tools and Supplies

2 EASY UTENSILS & TOOLS

Knife

Fork

Knitting Needles

Crochet Hook

Spoon

3 TOYS

Whimmy Diddle

Bow and Arrow

Sailboat

4 BRANCH ANIMALS

The Ideal Wood Fork

Owl

Alligator

Horse Pen

Bird

5 CURL CREATIONS

The Ideal Knife Blade Bevel

Wet vs. Dry Wood

Carving Curls

Flower

Tree

Rooster

Heron

Roadrunner

Squirrel

6 SIMPLE BUT STUNNING

Table Art

Utensil and Jewelry Trees

Simply Slices:Coasters, Checkers, Necklaces, Tic Tac Toe, Magnets, Napkin Rings

Acknowledgments

Any book is the result of the contributions by many people. This one is certainly no different. First, Brian Huegel, an outstanding cutlery expert and the owner of Country Knives, Intercourse, Pa., helped me touch base with Carl Elsener, Jr., the CEO of Victorinox Swiss Army, the best-known knife company in the world. Carl Elsener, in turn, by his own enthusiastic interest and encouragement related to what could be done with a pocketknife, contributed immeasurably to the fulfillment of this project. Alan Giagnocavo, the owner and president of Fox Chapel Publishing, was willing to commit to the project and has given full support all along. Then the editorial staff, and particularly Mindy Kinsey, Fox Chapel’s editor of magazines, has especially contributed, editing and fine-tuning the step-by-step directions and “map” of the book, helping to make it a clear, interesting, and fun presentation both to beginning whittlers (or carvers, if you prefer), as well as offering challenge to folks who have been carving for a long, long time. Scott Kriner, the very professional photographer, was great to work with, too. Thanks to ALL of you who were part of the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book team!

 

PREFACE

Chris Lubkemann

The son of missionary parents, I spent most of my first thirteen years in the rainforests of Brazil and Peru, surrounded by an amazing variety of trees and wood. I was always close to the chisels, knives, and other hand tools that my dad worked with. I remember making toys, boats, traps, slingshots … Even when I returned to the United States for school, I never lost my appreciation for wood.

In the summer of 1966, I was introduced to the forked-branch roosters whittled by Appalachian Mountain folk artists. Working with a pocketknife purchased at a country store and a few pointers from Dr. John Luke, I whittled my first branch rooster. It looked like it had gotten into a terrible fight … and lost! But, at least it looked like a rooster, not a pigeon, duck, or ostrich! I kept at it, and that same pocketknife helped me pay for my senior year of college, and more after that.

Now, closing in on fifty years later, the branch whittling concept has broadened to include many other projects, using branches from dozens of species of trees and bushes, scraps of milled wood, and even popsicle sticks, chopsticks, and toothpicks! Thousands of people in many countries have joined the whittling fun. I have given programs and demonstrations in schools, civic clubs, camps, shopping malls, churches, television programs, and countless other venues. It has been extremely satisfying to see folks from nine to ninety pick up the pocketknife/whittling concept and run with it!

I’ve used a few knives since retiring that first one, but nearly twenty years ago, my pocketknife of choice became a Victorinox Tinker Swiss Army Knife someone had given to me. To make it easier to work with the small blade, I removed the key ring and its tab, and tapered the small blade to a finer point. And, WOW! I discovered what a treasure I had! Since then, my Victorinox Swiss Army Knife has been my go-to tool for thousands of pieces, and a number of other popular models have joined my knife family. I’ve recommended to countless people the knives that have served me so well both in my carving and in many situations in regular life. (More on those later.)

To demonstrate my style of whittling to Mr. Elsener, I modified a new Swiss Army Knife (see pages 12 and 83) and used it to carve a small pile of twigs and bark (top photo). I sent the entire collection of branch animals, knifes, flowers, trees, name logs, and other projects—along with the knife—to Switzerland (bottom photo). That was the beginning of this book!

Chris Lubkemann whittles wherever he is—even while waiting for dinner at a restaurant. And he uses his Swiss Army Knife for much more than whittling; here, he is repairing a fan.

My personal connection with Victorinox Swiss Army began in 2013, when I began corresponding with Carl Elsener, Jr., the company’s CEO. To make a long, interesting story short, I sent a modified Hiker pocketknife to Mr. Elsener, along with a number of pieces I had whittled with it. As we corresponded about knives, the idea arose to create a book about whittling with a Swiss Army Knife. I most often use the Tinker and Hiker, but the projects in this book are applicable to any model that has the standard small and large blades. They are all sharp enough to begin working with directly out of the original package. Hence, this book is for anyone who owns, or will own, a Swiss Army Knife. (If you want to do my modifications, you can—see pages 12 and 13. They are especially useful if you want to do the mini-mini-miniatures!)

Naturally, in the photos throughout the book, I’m carving with my own knives. Here’s hoping that you, too, will use your knife and apply what you find in the pages that follow to discover the pleasure and satisfaction of creating your own special pieces, and to add your own chapter to this very rich and rewarding story of whittling.

Enjoy your knife, and happy whittling!

This is one of my first roosters, carved in 1966.They really do get better, and fast!

CHAPTER ONE

GETTING STARTED

Whether you are new to whittling or an experienced carver, it’s always a good idea to start with the basics—or, if you are in the latter category, to at least review the basics. In the following pages I’ve described a few tips and techniques that I think will make your whittling easier and more enjoyable. We’ll talk about choosing a knife, sharpening it, the basic cuts you’ll make with it, the types of wood you’ll use it on, and the other supplies you’ll need to complete the projects in this book.

The most important rule for carving, and one I can’t emphasize enough, is that your knife must be sharp—really sharp, not “sort of sharp”! It is definitely safer, easier, and more fun to carve with a truly sharp knife. Please take my word on it!

Choosing a Knife

I have been carving for almost fifty years. I started with an inexpensive pocketknife from the country store and have acquired dozens of different pocketknives since then. But for nearly twenty years, my main carving knife has been a Victorinox Tinker Swiss Army. (I use the Recruit and Hiker, too.)

There are several reasons I really appreciate, use, and recommend Swiss Army Knives. The models I use have at least two blades: a small blade that is 1"–11/2" (25mm–38mm) long and a larger one that is 2"–21/2" (51mm–61mm) long. (I use the small blade for the majority of my carving, but the larger one comes in handy, too.) I’ve found the stainless steel to be excellent; the blades sharpen well and hold an edge. These knives are built with a strong handle and tight connections between the handle and blades. And while the main working parts of my knives are the blades, I constantly use the other features—the awl, screwdrivers, saw (on the Hiker), and, after lunch, the toothpick! And, finally, these knives are available in many stores at a reasonable price for such high-quality and extremely useful pocketknives/multi-tools.

Modifications

I doubt that most people will end up carving as much as I have, and many of you will be happy to leave the knife just as it is and merely learn how to keep the blades “whittling sharp.” However, if you do find yourself carving a lot, and especially if you want to make the really miniature pieces, there are two modifications I make to my knives. Both are simple and practical; one is related to comfort and the other to actual cutting:

1. Remove the key ring. If you’re going to use the small blade a lot, the way you will in carving, the key ring will get in your way. Remove the ring and saw off the little tab that holds it, and then file off any sharp edges.

2. Taper the blade’s point. A thinner point is better for carving tight turns. Use a sharpening stone to (gently!) taper the top and bottom of the small blade to a thinner point. Then, follow my instructions on pages 16 and 17 to resharpen and hone the blade.

LEFT: A new Tinker, fresh from the box.

RIGHT: My Tinker, modified for carving. Note the difference in the shapes of the blades.

There are more than 100 styles of Victorinox Swiss Army Knives. All of them have a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

Swiss Army Knives for Carving

TINKER

Carving features:

■ 31/2" (89mm) handle

■ Small knife blade

■ Large knife blade

■ Reamer/punch

Other useful tools:

■ Phillips screwdriver

■ Large screwdriver

■ Small screwdriver

■ Bottle opener

■ Tweezers

■ Can opener

■ Wire stripper

■ Plastic toothpick

HIKER

Carving features:

■ 31/2" (89mm) handle

■ Small knife blade

■ Large knife blade

■ Reamer/punch

■ Wood saw

Other useful tools:

■ Phillips screwdriver

■ Large screwdriver

■ Small screwdriver

■ Bottle opener

■ Tweezers

■ Can opener

■ Wire stripper

■ Plastic toothpick

RECRUIT

Carving features:

■ 31/4" (8.3mm) handle

■ Small knife blade

■ Large knife blade

Other useful tools:

■ Large screwdriver

■ Small screwdriver

■ Bottle opener

■ Tweezers

■ Can opener

■ Wire stripper

■ Plastic toothpick

A NOTE ABOUT THE SMALLEST KNIVES

Some knives, such as those in the Classic series, are terrific for carrying in your pocket or on your key chain, but the 21/4" (57mm)-long handle is pretty small for carving. Save these for light duty and use a larger knife for carving.

Sharpening and Honing

The first and most important rule of carving is that your knife must be sharp. The Victorinox Swiss Army Knives are among the few pocketknives that I’ve found to be sharp enough right out of the box to do decent carving. However, as with any good-quality knife, you will need to know how to sharpen and hone the blades in order to do the most precise and detailed carving.

There are all kinds of methods and devices for sharpening knives. I will share with you my own very simple sharpening system, but feel free to experiment and find what works best for you. Like any method or system, mine takes a little practice, but it does work, and I’ve been satisfied with it for quite a few years. The price is pretty good, too—practically nothing, after a very small initial investment.