Native American Survival Skills by W. Ben Hunt

Author:W. Ben Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2011-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

WHITTLING

Although the definition of whittling is “cutting away the surface of wood with a knife,” to me it means using a pocketknife to make any project that requires material that can be cut with a knife. In other words, it is the ability to use a knife effectively. Whittling tools must be kept very sharp.

The best woods for whittling are softwoods. One of the nicest is green basswood. Kachina dolls, peace pipes, awl handles, and many other things can be whittled easily from green basswood. Whittling a lacrosse stick or a pack rack with a hand ax and a pocketknife can be more satisfying than making a fine chair with power tools.

It takes practice, however, to become really skillful with either ax or pocketknife. Just to be able to trim down a half-inch stick for a cane and do a neat job of trimming off the branches may be a hard job for the beginner. Do not use a knife for every kind of work. Where large things are to be made of wood, it would be foolish to do it with a jackknife when other tools are handy. But there are times when it is useful to know how to whittle. There are times when a certain tool is badly needed; being skillful with a knife is very valuable at such times.

Echo mask; British Columbia. Photograph courtesy of Milwaukee Public Museum.

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