Best Whittling Knives: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners

A lot of my website readers (including myself) love whittling and wood-carving our ideas. You need good whittling tools for your materializing your whittling ideas.

Last Christmas, I went hiking with my college friend, Nick. He was sitting next to the tent, sculpting a piece of wood. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the best whittling knife for sculpting the wood perfectly!

Immediately, I went back to my tent and checked my whittling kit, and luckily there was my best whittling knife “Flexcut Carving Jack.” He tried it and he absolutely fell in love with it — and I gifted him one.

People are often confused while choosing the appropriate knives for whittling. Some think that anything that can carve the wood shall get the job done. However, any work of art requires you to have the appropriate tools of the trade.

I know, a lot of you guys are looking for the best wood carving knife. I’ve made my list of best whittling knives for 2024 that will help you find the right knife to whittle the wood.

Editor’s Note: If you’re serious about whittling and wood carving then I would recommend you grabbing this awesome ideal Wood carving tools set by clicking here.


Model ImageModel NameCheck on Amazon
Morakniv Wood CarvingMorakniv Wood Carving 120Check Price On Amazon
Flexcut Whittling JackFlexcut Whittling JackCheck Price On Amazon
ElementalTools Wood Carving Tools SetElementalTools Wood Carving Tools SetCheck Price On Amazon
Flexcut Carving JackFlexcut Carving JackCheck Price On Amazon
Flexcut Tri-Jack ProFlexcut Carving JackCheck Price On Amazon
Flexcut Tri-Jack ProFlexcut Carving JackCheck Price On Amazon

7 Best Whittling Knives of 2024

1. Morakniv Wood Carving 120

I’m starting off the list with Morakniv wood carving 120 knife. It is an excellent all-around carving knife, and comes at a very affordable price but does the job nicely. The design of 120 is traditional’ 120’s handle is small enough to handle most of the detail carving you will likely do. It can be the perfect add-on to your arsenal of wood carving knife set.

Morakniv Wood Carving 120 Knife

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Features of the Morakniv 120 Whittling Knife:

  • Country of Origin: Sweden
  • Blade length: 2.4 inches
  • Overall length: 9 inches
  • Blade Material: laminated steel blade
  • Locking Mechanism: FIXED BLADE
  • Handle Material: Oiled birchwood handle

Mora knives arrive carving sharp right out of the box. The blade has a flat “Scandi-grind”, meaning there is no micro-bevel at the knife’s edge, which makes it a very sharp blade and easy to maintain. The traditional design of the knife keeps the blade and fingers safe. The natural wood grain provides just the right texture (comfortable & ergonomic) and grip.

It’s a decent knife with good value for the money. The handle feels nice in your hand and makes a good grip, but you’ve got to make sure it doesn’t come under contact with sharp objects—otherwise, that nice-feeling handle will be ruined! One customer reported that their puppy chewed through theirs (LOL!)

2. Flexcut Carving Jack Wood Carving Knife

Flexcut Jackknife comes with 6 carving specific edge tools built-in for right-handed carvers. The 6 different types of blade are — Chisel, Carving Knife, Hook knife, V Scorp, gouge Scorp. Straight Gouge. Flexcut Carving Jack includes sharpening strop and Flexcut Gold polishing compound so that blade and knife stay new as long as possible.

Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro

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Overall, I’d say that it is a good detailed wood carving knife for beginners who want to try whittling.

Features of The Flexcut Carving Jack

  • Assembling: USA
  • Closed length: 4-1/4 inches
  • Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.7 x 1.8 inches
  • Blade Material: High Carbon Steel
  • Handle Material: Carving Jack
  • Locking Mechanism: Folding

The knife comes with 6 tool blades which are constructed of High Carbon Steel. The blades are amazingly sharp and hold the for a good time. It’s easy to slice skin with minimal force. If you think that it must be hard to open the blades then it’s just your suspect. All the blades open smoothly. The carving jack handles are mostly small and medium projects, hardwoods, and soft. The handle fits really well in the hand

You have to be careful while opening the blade because blades are a little hard to open in the beginning but they opening mechanism becomes better over the time or you can just use oil. It’s a multi-carving tool and is very portable. All these characters make it the best whittling knife in the multi-blade categories.

3. Flexcut Whittling Jack Knife 

Flexcut JKN88 is a two-blade wood carving knife and is little over 4 inches long and fits nicely into your pocket or pack. Flexcut is designed keeping portability in the mind, for all outdoorsmen and women who like to whittle while enjoying nature.

Flexcut Whittling Jack

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Features of The Flexcut jack:

  • Assembling: USA
  • Blade length: a 1-1/2 Inch Detail Knife and a 2 Inch Roughing Knife
  • Closed length: 4 inches
  • Blade Material: hard carbon steel blade
  • Handle Material: aluminum Handle with Wood Inlays
  • Locking Mechanism: folding

The blades are constructed of hard carbon steel material having razor-sharp cutting edges to give woodcarvers maximum control over each cut. Each blade is precision-machined from high carbon content steel for a hard cutting edge that stays sharp. And, each blade is hand-sharpened at the factory and tested before shipping.

The back edge of the blades is square, which makes it uncomfortable when pushing with the thumb. It has ergonomically designed handles that enable extended periods of carving without fatigue in the hands. The blades are razor-sharp, handle quality if fine, two blades featured, blades are sharpened before the knife is shipped – what more you can ask, especially for this price? I highly recommend this whittling knife if your budget is around $50.

4. Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro Whittling Knife

The Tri-Jack Pro features three blades that lock in place – a roughing blade, a detailing blade, and a mini-cutting blade. The roughing blade is great for modeling surfaces and creating texture while the detailing and cutting knives gives you the option to makes your work better and easy.

Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro

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Features of the Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro

  • Assembling: USA
  • Blades length: 6 x 8 x 0.8 inches
  • Closed length: 4 inches
  • Handle Material: Aerospace-grade aluminum with a quarter-cut cherry inlay.
  • Blade Material: High Carbon Steel Blade
  • Locking Mechanism: Folding

Like other flex carving knives this tri-jack pro’s blades also consist of hard carbon stainless steel material. These are remarkably sharp blades you can use at home or while traveling outdoor for camping and hunting! This could be your favorite pocket woodcarving knife. Its handle is pretty different – It’s not a straight handle, it has curves on the handle because this design is specially engineered for the better grip purpose. The Pistol Grip design minimizes hand fatigue and gives a better experience overall.

Flexcut pro whittling knife has a sturdy, safer, and handy extra blade. It can also be used by the left-handed people. The blades quality is spot on and they are very safe as compared to other Flexcut models – which makes it special.  It’s pretty similar to other Flexcut carving knives but it has got three blades.

5. Morakniv Wood Carving 164 

The Morakniv Wood Carving 164 is a hook blade Knife for wood carving. It is single-edged with a carbon steel blade (RC 59-60) and has a single bevel making it suitable for pull cuts with your right hand or left hand. This carving knife is listed here because it can be used for special carving methods.

Morakniv Wood Carving 164

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Features of the Morakniv 164

  • Made in: Sweden
  • Blade length: 2.0 inches
  • Overall length: 5inches
  • Blade Material: Carbon steel or Sandvik Stainless Steel
  • Locking Mechanism: N/A
  • Handle Material: The oiled birch wood

The knife is single-edged, and made of a carbon steel blade (Also comes with an option for Sandvik). The blade’s length is 2.0 inches (50 mm). The back of the blade is thick and flat. It rubs on the spoon bowl as you cut, forcing the edge to dig in and chatter, leaving little speed bumps in the wood. After a little sharpening, it makes spoon carving much easier. The handle is good and light enough to keep it in the pack when camping/hiking and the birchwood handle is comfortable to use and durable.

The handle comes unfinished which we liked as you can put a nice finish of your own. This is a worthy woodcraft knife and makes a great addition to any woodsman’s kit. If you want a hook knife for spoon carving or detailed wood carving Morakniv is a good option.

6. Fury Nobility Raindrop Razor Edge

The Fury Nobility Raindrop 2-Inch Razor Edge is the best whittling knife for its price range. If you’ve little to no budget and just looking for a whittling knife for learning how to carve then Fury Nobility Raindrop could be a good choice – though, I don’t recommend this tool to anyone (unless he/she is a complete beginner.)

Fury Nobility Raindrop

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Features for the Nobility Rain Drop:

  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Blade length: 2 inches
  • Overall length: 5 inches
  • Locking Mechanism: Folding
  • Blade Material: 440 Stainless Steel Blades and Bolster
  • Handle Material: RosePakka Hardwood Handle with Stainless Pins

The blade is made up of 440 Stainless Steel and the razor-sharp edge of the blade makes it easier to carve woods with comfort. It cuts cleanly and is capable of making small inverted cuts. The handle is constructed of RosePakka Hardwood with stainless pins. The handle was smaller than I expected it to be; but it’s surprisingly easy to make grip and work, despite its small size.

You can use this for light projects, it will be smooth and get the job done. Customers have reported that the blade sometimes comes dull – no sharpened! The overall build quality is not good – only purchase it if you’ve little to no budget or you’re a complete beginner.

7. Case Cutlery 06246 Black G-10 Seahorse 

The #06246 is engineered for quality and durability with good material. The design is pretty impressive and designed very well for 3 blades — you’ve to be careful while using it else you’ll end up hurting your finger.

Case Cutlery 06246

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Features of The Case Cutlery 06246

  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Blade length: 0.44 x 4 x 1.25 inches
  • Overall length: 7-7/8 inches
  • Blade Material: Tru-Sharp(TM) Surgical Steel Blades
  • Locking Mechanism: folding
  • Handle Material: Black G-10 Handle

The Seahorse whittler knife comes with 3 blades. The main blade is thick and excellent for the quick carving of wood, and the fine tip helps to provide those small details. The other two smaller blades are remarkably thin and tend to bend a little so they’ll strictly be used for surface detail and removing little more than a layer of wood at a time. The main blade is absolutely strong enough to get your work done.

The handle is constructed of G-10 material which is one of the best materials to be used with-in quality knives by the best knife brands. Since the handle is made of G-10 material, there is no issue with the ergonomics and grip. Also, it can single-handedly work as a replacement of a whole whittling knife set.

There is no flex in any of the blades, cuts are cleaner, and the grip is comfortable. It’s not very pretty or light, but it’s good for whittling. The main blade is sharp enough to do indoor stuff as well. If you like to whittle and carve excessively then you might like to strop and hone for a better edge. Overall, it’s the best carving knife you can buy for the precise cuts that your artwork deserves.

Guide: Here’s What to Look For In a Whittling Knife

People who enjoy whittling can do so almost anywhere. This means that your knife should be portable, and nothing beats the convenience of safely slipping it into your pocket. Many brands create folding knives with blades that resemble classic carving knives—their handles are easy to grip securely as well.

While you might need to buy a specialty knife if you do a lot of whittling, it is possible to whittle with non-specialty knives. Knife carvers often use a second pocketknife for everyday tasks, such as opening cardboard boxes, to keep the knife they use for whittling sharp.

When selecting a whittling knife for carving, it is wise to consider these factors.

Carbon Steel Blade:

Because stainless steel is durable and doesn’t corrode, it’s a great material for pocket knives. But because the blades dull slowly and take forever to sharpen, many people prefer another kind of blade: high-carbon steel.

Though high-carbon steel blades are more expensive than their stainless steel counterparts, carving tools are typically manufactured from high-carbon steel, as this material is easier to reshape than stainless steel.

Location of The Blade:

Whittling knives often become uncomfortable after long sessions of carving, and the blades you want to carve with tend not to be at the center of their handles.

The blade of a carving knife should rest in the center of its handle, giving you greater control over your cuts. Instead, buy a knife that has two or three blades—not more.

The sheepsfoot blade (top) is better for whittling than the drop-point blade.

Shape of The Blade:

When choosing a knife and blade, opt for a sheepsfoot (a.k.a. straight) design: the tip of which should line up with the main cutting edge of the blade. The drop-point blade, although excellent for most cutting tasks, is not well suited to carving fine details. You can use sharpening stones and sandpaper to reshape a blade, but it is time-consuming.

Takeaway:

These are my recommendations for best whittling knives. These are the best ones out there in market. I’ve listed multiple models because not everyone can afford a $100 or $200 knife and everyone has a different purpose and choice.  

Also, don’t forget to check out our latest edition of best pocket knives – for both modern and traditional pocket folders.

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12 thoughts on “Best Whittling Knives: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners”

  1. Hello, Brandon. I’m kinda confused between Case Cutlery and Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro. I’m a complete beginner to whittling so can you please tell me the one. thank you!

    Reply
  2. I went for the Morakniv Wood Carving because I wanted to carve a soon. I’ll come back again after gaining some skills with Morakniv. 😉

    Reply
  3. I like a number of other experienced whittlers see the flex cuts as second best !
    The reason being that it has straight edged blades ,
    1- you can’t cut smooth gouge like hollows with a straight blade knife.
    2- a curved edge can take a lot less effort & therefore gives a lot more control using a slicing cut.
    3.- Using the same slicing cut leaves a much better polished/ burnished surface.
    Any vintage pocket knife type shape will carve better & more easily than a straight bladed knife – your carving will be more controlled & higher quality.

    Reply
  4. Hey Brandon, I just wanted to stop by again and thank you so much for this guide. I bought Case Cutlery 06246 last week after reading this post and it’s the absolute best for my needs.

    Reply
  5. I think the picture for the 1st Flex Jack 6-blade (just above — the second picture) is of a different Flax Jack 3-bladed knife.

    Otherwise, an extremely helpful and informative site.

    Reply
  6. Hello Brandon, I’m a volunteer with Red Cross. Veteran Marine. I visit a Veteran Retirement Center where in past to-date they could not have firearms or Knives and any other objects considered to be a weapon. They have been approved to set up an air-soft air rifle shooting range. This still needs to be constructed for access by wheel chair handicapped. They have been approved to have a knife for whittling. Hooray! I’m looking for a short list of good knives for these Veterans. Old hands need something to do. Some of these guys are well experienced in the art of whittling. Some not, but want to have a go at it. Your list here has help me considerable. If you have some other options please let me know. I have 10 acres of wood so I can find wood options for these guys . Thanks
    Semper Fi

    Reply
  7. Hello there.

    Very useful article. I love using razor-sharp knives on basswood too because I think that it’s one of the best wood for carving.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Reply

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