Can You Carve Wood With A Swiss Army Knife?

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Whether for the creation of tools or just a fun DIY art project, carving and whittling wood is a pretty accessible hobby. While it takes time and practice to perfect, so long as you have a decent blade, solid wood, and some time to spare, it can be picked up relatively quickly. Speaking particularly to the blade in use, you want to ensure it's sharp, sturdy, and maneuverable; this way, you get the desired look for your project. If you're just starting out and want to get the hang of the hobby, though, there's no shame in going for a small, simple type of knife for your early efforts.

For instance, throughout the long history of the Swiss army knife, it has been used to great effect as a wood carving tool. Of course, elements like tweezers, bottle-openers, and others intended for specific jobs might not be the most handy; many Swiss army knives are equipped with a few knives of differing size and shape. This makes it a prime tool for learning the basics of whittling, allowing you to do so on a small, safe scale with similar yet quite different tools. So long as the blades are sharp and the knife as a whole isn't too thick, which could make it cumbersome to use, wood carving with it should be a breeze.

On top of all this, those behind Swiss army knives have taken notice of their whittling tool potential. Some kits are specifically designed with this form of woodworking in mind.

From the moment of its creation, the entire idea of a Swiss army knife was to keep you prepared for any situation. With its numerous attachments, it met the needs of those enlisted in the Swiss Army and has since become a staple of keyrings, toolboxes, and desk drawers everywhere. In keeping with that mandate, the historic company behind the original Swiss army knife, Victorinox, has listened to the needs of the people. Thus, there are now numerous Swiss army knife models that are designed especially for outdoorspeople and casual campers alike, with enhanced wood carving capabilities in tow.

One example is the $39.00 Victorinox Camper Swiss army knife, which has wood carvers in mind. Along with a bevy of other useful attachments, it features a wood saw and a large and small knife. Digging through Victorinox's offerings, other wood carving-friendly knives can be found in different sizes, blade types, and looks to consider. Once you've chosen a Swiss army knife to use for your wood carving endeavors, you can get some guidance in the hobby, too. Victorinox offers reading material like the "Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book" by Chris Lubkemann, further driving home the point that wood carving isn't just possible with such a tool, but encouraged.

As great as Swiss army knives can be for wood carving, they may not be everyone's first option. Fortunately, there are different tools on the market — and those that aren't as hard to open as Swiss army knives — that can help you accomplish your wood carving goals.

There are many alternative uses for Swiss army knives that most don't even think of, and while wood carving isn't the most secretive or innovative, it's doable all the same. With that said, using these multitools for such tasks might not be everyone's intended use for them. One may want to seek out other tools more consciously designed for wood carving. Naturally, getting hold of a designated wood carving knife is a great idea. Not only are the blades suited for wood carving and come in a range of shapes for different tasks, but the handles are smooth and meant to fit within the contours of a hand. Thus, wood carving becomes easy and comfortable to practice.

For those with bigger jobs on their mind and a bit more experience under their belt, going electric could be the right call. Tools like the Ryobi 2.0 Ah power carver are excellent for larger, more tedious, and power-intensive jobs. They come with different attachments, are fairly lightweight, and can move at thousands of RPMs to help you get your work done swiftly. On top of all of that, as a battery-powered tool, it's cordless, so you don't have to worry about pesky cords getting in the way. Still, it should be said that such tools can get pricey — Ryobi's unit costs around $70 — so it might be best to avoid this option if that sounds too expensive for your needs.

At the end of the day, a good knife and some patience can get you through simple, straightforward wood carving jobs. If you have a Swiss army knife around, it should serve you just fine.