reading

Some of the projects in this book can launch objects through the air or shoot objects at a fast pace. Be extremely careful not to aim at any people or animals. If you want to shoot at something, line up some action figures or cans and bottles. You can even create your own wooden target using some of the skills you learn in this book.

Big Book of Whittle Fun is an original work, first published in 2012 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. No part of this book may be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

Note to Authors: We are always looking for talented authors to write new books.
Please send a brief letter describing your idea to Acquisition Editor,
1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520.

Because carving wood and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

Dedication

This book is lovingly dedicated to my six grandchildren—Sophia, Ava, Katarina, Isaac, Kennedy, and Riley—all of whom have inherited little bits of my carvings over the years, and do seem to appreciate them. Well, maybe not Riley, yet. At the time of this writing, she was only four days old! Don’t worry, Riley, you’ll get your share too!

Acknowledgements

While I consider myself at least fairly proficient in my knowledge and experience with what is explained in this book as related to wood and the use of a pocketknife, I can’t claim expertise in all aspects of history, games, and camp recipes. For these super-interesting little additions scattered throughout the book and which add so much to it, all credit goes to Katie and the Fox Chapel Publishing team.

A child of missionaries, Chris Lubkemann grew up in the forests of Brazil and Peru, where sawing, planing, hammering, and building were a part of daily life. He quickly developed an appreciation for wood and entertained himself—and others—by handcrafting rafts, tree houses, traps, and slingshots from scrap wood. Since that time, he has continued to integrate his woodworking skills with good old-fashioned fun.

Chris’s first writing on whittling appeared in 1972 in the form of published notes, which have since been produced in both English and Portuguese. Since that time, Chris has produced three books: Whittling Twigs and Branches, The Little Book of Whittling, and Tree Craft: 35 Rustic Wood Projects That Bring the Outdoors In. For many years, Chris was a regular contributor to Chip Chats magazine. His work has been featured in Wood Carving Illustrated magazine and on the DIY network. He has carved some of the world’s smallest branch carvings, and his smallest branch rooster was given a Guinness World Record Certificate in 1981.

Currently, Chris demonstrates whittling as the resident woodcarver at the Amish Farm and House in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Some time ago, when Alan Giagnocavo and I were talking on the upstairs floor of Fox Chapel Publishing’s book warehouse, he slipped a sentence into his conversation; something to the effect of, “Chris, why don’t you come up with another series of projects to make a sequel book to The Little Book of Whittling?” (I had just finished writing Tree Craft: 35 Rustic Wood Projects that Bring the Outdoors In.)

I responded quite quickly, as I recall, “Alan, I really think my idea tank is quite empty at this point!”

When I went home, I told my wife, Sheri, both about Alan’s question and my response. “Hah!” she said. “You’ll come up with plenty of ideas. There’s no way you’re done!” (I’m sure I’m paraphrasing, but that was the gist of her reaction.)

To make a long story short, that night, while I was half asleep and half awake, ideas started popping into my head right and left—and in the middle, too. By morning, the project list exceeded twenty, and they kept coming. I called the folks at Fox back, turned in a proposal, made a bunch of samples, and, rather surprising (to me at least), here’s the book.

Here’s hoping the ideas that are described and illustrated in the following pages will provide lots of fun to many who try them, and will “prime the pump” for many more ideas to come.

Helpful tips and fun facts.

The Little Book of Whittling was filled with helpful camping tips, fun facts, and interesting information, and you’ll find this book continues the tradition. Look for these helpful blue boxes to discover delicious recipes, new games, and to learn a little extra about the projects you’re whittling. Also, don’t turn a page without looking at the bottom for some little facts and tips. These tidbits are meant to remind you of the fun and relaxation whittling should provide. Share some of your favorites with your friends and family.

The Little Book of Whittling, besides being smaller than the average woodcarving book (easier to carry around and stick in a backpack), describes and illustrates nineteen projects, most of which are also on the small side.

The Big Book of Whittle Fun follows the same format and basic theme—a small book with generally small, and quick, projects. (We’ve even added some new fun facts and camping tips). While some of these projects are different scale variations of projects in several of my other books, most are new and different.

Because we’re still dealing with wood and knives and a few other tools, and some who are reading this book don’t have access to the others, let me repeat a few basic bits of information, some suggestions, and maybe even several instructions that apply across the board as related to whittling, carving, and woodworking in general.

At my shop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I have visitors from all over the world. Just for fun, here is my main, all-important rule for whittling that I try to get across to folks in a few of the many languages I encounter:

And to make sure the rest of the readers get the idea, let me express this rule a few more ways:

• You’ll be a lot more successful at carving and have a lot more fun if your knife is sharp!

Outside of these rules, it wouldn’t hurt to be reminded that the order followed in the step-by-step instructions generally follows a certain logical sequence, and if you stick with that order, the project is likely to come out well and you won’t end up painting yourself into some corner that’s hard to carve yourself out of without messing up.

A good knife is pretty much all you need to start whittling. Materials for your projects can be found almost anywhere.

Since that summer day in 1966 in Glendale Springs, North Carolina, when I hatched my first branch rooster, my primary tool for the majority of my whittling and carving projects has been a two-bladed pocketknife. As I recall, my first knife was a brown-handled, two-bladed Barlow made by Imperial in Providence, Rhode Island. That $2.95 (maybe less) knife from one of the local Ashe County country stores actually helped me pay my way through my senior year of college! And, if my memory serves me right, that same old knife helped keep paying the bills for several more years.

While I’ve happily used a fair number of other pocketknives since then, the knife that has been my mainstay for the past decade or so has been the Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker. Actually, I started using it more or less by default. The knife I had been working with for a number of years developed an irreversible weakness, and being the super-conservative spender that I am (I believe “skinflint” is too strong a word), instead of springing for a new knife, I decided to try the Swiss Army Tinker someone had given me. I made a couple modifications to it and began carving. And here I am, all these years later, still using the Tinker. In fact, I just pulled it out of my pocket.