Around the turn of the 20th century our grandfathers whittled. They whittled on the porches of the old general stores and around the wood burning stoves, they whittled under shade trees and on Sunday after church, they whittled. They whittled on a whim, so the wooden chains and balls in cages became known as whimsies. The dictionary tells us a whimsey is something quaint, curious, or out of the ordinary.

I don't have a lot of stuff for sale at The Knife and Whittle Shop, after all, most of us have too much stuff already. I think the How to Whittle book, a few really good knives and tools are the perfect vehicle for a trip back in time where you will find a bit of the enjoyment they had in those bygone days. Using my How to Whittle book with 351 photos and 14 projects, including how to make and sharpen your own knives and how to modify store bought knives for a specific purpose, you'll be whittling wooden chains, balls in cages, and slider joints. The whimsie featured on the cover is the main project and is made from a 1 inch square, 18 inch long piece of Basswood which you can order from Woodcarvers Warehouse. The wooden chain is the foundation of the whimsie and I go into great detail with 70 photos in the basic chain section alone. If one picture is worth a thousand words, you may be able to do all the projects in the book without reading a single word.

At the wood carving shows I attend, whittlers say this is the best illustrated book they have found to learn the basics of old time whittling. The small hand drill and the scroll saw blades are very handy tools for the projects we'll be doing. So take a peek inside, place your order, get out the wood, sharpen your knives and revive this dying art and pass it along to generations not yet born.

May the Good Lord Bless,

Jack D. Jackson