Best Whittling Knife for Child | 9 Awesome Choice

Last updated on December 3rd, 2022 at 10:18 am

On the market for a brand new whittling knife? 

Looking for a whittling knife for a child? Chances are, safety is of prime concern to you, as it should be.

As beautiful as whittling is as a hobby, most mothers would be mortified at their child using sharp objects in a creative endeavor. When done right, you can mitigate the risks. The first step to this is making sure that you have picked the right knife for your child. 

We have searched the web and spoken to experienced whittlers and manufacturers. Our goal was to find the best whittling knife for kids.

It had to be one that offered satisfactory performance paired with reasonable safety. As most children are just beginners in this art, we wanted a knife that wouldn’t be too pricy. There is a fickle balance between pricing and quality.

We chose to tread on it. After hours of research, we are happy to tell you that we have found some good knives for young whittlers. 

Here are our 9 picks for the best whittling knife for a child :

1. BeaverCraft Chip Carving Knife C6
2. Morakniv Rookie Fixed Blade Safe Knife
3. The Beaver Craft C4
4. Flexcut Whittlin’ Jack
5. BeaverCraft C2
6. Flexcut Right-Handed Carvin’ Jack, Folding Multi-Tool JKN91
7. Morakniv Wood Carving Junior 73/164 Knife
8. Opinel Outdoor Junior No.7
9. Opinel My First No.7 Stainless Steel Children’s Folding Pocket Knife

Depending on what you are working on, whittling requires different tools. Having the wrong type of knife will only serve to complicate matters. Most people get into whittling as a hobby that relaxes them.

The last thing that you need is to start getting worked up about something that you got into for the sake of chilling out. That defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? You can go about picking your new whittling knife in many ways.

We have tested some of the best knives on the market. Hours were spent researching to get information about other people’s experiences with these knives. This is done to understand that we will all have different experiences, all of which are relevant. 

Our Top Pick

Top 5 best whittling knife for child

For our top five, we wanted knives suitable for both beginners and seasoned whittlers. We chose ones that didn’t stretch our pricing point too far off, whether on the cheaper or more expensive side. 

Versatility was also to be considered. We asked ourselves if this was the only knife I had, how much whittling would I be able to do? This is not necessarily limited to volume. We considered this in the type of end products you would be able to produce.

Durability is important. The worst knives I have used were the ones where the blade snaps. In cases where the handle falls apart, there is room for repair. We, whittlers, love to tinker. We could carve ourselves a new handle. However, when the blade is gone, that is the end of the road. If a blade was performing well, this could be shattering. 

Lastly, as we are looking for a knife, it had to be singular. We did not consider any knives that come as part of a set.

BeaverCraft Chip Carving Knife C6

It has a very ergonomic design on the handle, allowing your child to use it for long periods without cramping or excessive fatigue. These handles are made of ash wood and finished with natural linseed oil.

You will need to be mindful that the knife is very sharp. Ensure your child is trained or supervised at all times while using the knife, at least for a while. It is sharpened and ready to work right out of the box. 

Most beginners would agree that this is a great knife to learn to whittle. They will love how easy it is to work with it. The more advanced users will find these features useful as well. It is a straightforward design that works. There is no need to complicate it unnecessarily. You will also be able to use it with either the right or left hand with no problem. 

Where the environment is concerned, you will be pleased to note that the knife is both eco-friendly and chemical-free. 

Beaver Craft C4

Like other Beaver Craft products, this is sharpened and polished before being boxed and shipped to you. The blade is made out of high carbon steel, which makes it firm. It is hardened to RC 58-60. 

The edge we mentioned earlier is very sharp. It would be ideal for cutting through soft pieces of wood in an easy motion. You can cut through oak and walnut.

This also has a hand made of hardwood oak. You will not be snapping this bad boy! Even with its hardness, it is designed to be ergonomic. For a finishing touch, it is processed with natural linseed oil.   

The handle is so comfortable that you will use it for long periods without feeling fatigued or uncomfortable. It is manufactured in Ukraine.

BeaverCraft C2

The blade is a high-carbon steel that has been hardened to ensure firmness. It is sharpened and finished with polishing. You can take it out of the box and put it right to work. Those whittling projects do not have to wait for you to sharpen the knife.

The cutting edge is designed to be sharp enough for cutting softwood. The miner’s sides of it are smooth and shiny. The sharpness is such that it must always be handled with caution. 

The handle is ergonomic. It is easy to hold and use for a long period. Keen whittlers tend to get stuck in their projects. No one needs to be stopping due to hand cramps. The handle is made of hardwood oak and finished with natural linseed oil. This gives it a fine look and a polished finish.

Flexcut Right-Handed Carvin’ Jack, Folding Multi-Tool JKN91

This jackknife has 6 carving-specific tools on it. It has a chisel, a carving knife, a hook knife, a v scorp, a gouge scorp and a straight gouge. All of these knives complement extremely well to give you an amazing tool. 

For maintaining it, you get a sharpening strop and a Flexcut Gold polishing compound. The two will cover all your stropping and polishing needs. It does come sharpened and ready to be used straight out of the package. 

This is another product that is manufactured in the US. The icing on the cake is the leather case in which you can store the knife. It is worth mentioning that this tool is priced much higher than other similar ones.

If you are on a budget, you may want to look elsewhere. There is an argument for buying a knife and getting the extras separately. The wisdom is that you would probably save some money. That being said, no one can argue with the quality of the product.

Flexcut Whittlin’ Jack

The actual blade is made out of hard carbon steel. It is ready to use straight out of the box. This is an American product through and through.

It weighs about 3 ounces. The two knives can be used as detailing and a roughing knife. The bigger one is the roughing one. The handle has a walnut inlay that allows the knife to sit comfortably. This is a great safety feature.

The only concern that we had was with the sharpness of the blades. If stored away, this should not be an issue.

The Buyer’s Guide for Best Whittling Knife for Child

I know how hard it can be to choose a kids carving knife. Buying anything for your child can be a complicated process. Some, if not most, of the things we think matter are things the kids do not even factor in their decision-making process. We are still responsible for their wellbeing. It is up to us to ensure that they do not fall victim to the folly of youth.

Safety

A few things can be checked to ensure that the whittling knife is safe for a child. We can start by considering the knife itself. The fewer pointed ends and sharp edges there are, the better it is for all of us.

We also need to consider its storage. A lot of knife accidents occur when the knife is not in use. Getting a knife that has a sheaf to store it away when it is not being used is essential.

The best way to ensure safety is to provide training and guidance. No matter how safe a knife is, it is still a knife. If used by untrained individuals, it can cause a lot of harm. Ensure your child understands the danger involved if a knife is not used correctly.

Laying down some ground rules will go a long way. One key is that the knife is not removed from the home or working area. Another would be to ensure they know not to use the knife around friends or other children.

Ergonomical

Kids are notorious for keeping at something that they get stuck in. This may be in the form of a game or entertainment. It will usually make it very difficult to secure their wellbeing.

Beyond safety, there is cramping and hand fatigue involved in whittling. Getting a knife that has an ergonomic design will go a long way.

Summary

Our top 9 picks will provide you with a good whittling knife for your child. The pricier one is the safest one that we could find. No price can be put on keeping your child safe. If you get a safe, versatile knife, they can also use it for a long time.

Enjoy Whittling!