The mora frost looks like it is comfy in hand.  I just looked at these and am wondering it that grip looks as well thought out

http://woodbeecarver.com/helvie-knives-viper-and-viper-ii/helvie-kn... 

Ron, it seems to hold an edge well. It was sharp when I got it so I left it as is and have not resharpened it yet. Its suposed to be a good laminated steel.

Jan, those Helvies look very nice and purposful. 

Those Helvie knives sure look nice.

One aspect that I find appropriate is the downward tilt to the blade.  One reason I favor the Seahorse Whittler is because of the downward tilt on the wharnie main blade...

Coming up in February...

Queen Cutlery made folding woodcarving knives for my business.  I need to find a new source so if anyone or any company is interested in providing knives, please contact me ASAP.

According to Robert's website, he's scheduled to be at the Charlotte show, this weekend.

Type II Oar Carver?

OH, I hope so JJ!

Happy day, happy day.

I picked up what's possibly the Last stagbone Version II, Oar Carver.  Had to take it off of the display itself.

Happy day

!!! .. Congrats, JJ .. !!!

That Honey Amber Bone Stag is something else.

-<not my pic .. pulled it off the net>-

..but..

I've a few Queen in their Honey Amber Bone Stag. Just pulled their # 38 (split spring whittler) out of my pocket .. same scales.
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Have a happy "happy day".

DD

I wasn't the only one that came in looking for one.  Fellow came up from Charleston and after I got mine he chose the Walnut.

oooowhee! Now that is a pretty carver!  Congrats!

I was indeed lucky, Jan.

If I would have been 2 minutes later, it would have been gone.  

JJ did you get a chance to speak with Robert?  Is he having any luck finding a builder?

I did get a chance, Jan.

I passed Dales's suggestion to check with AG Russell,  though he's not having any luck elsewhere.

He did say someone had said that they could do one, with a commitment to buy 500, outright, and with a $5,000.00 set up fee.

Comment by Ron Cooper just nowDelete Comment

Thanks JJ.

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I also contacted A.G. Russell's firm & made them aware of the situation. I've seen similar (single-blade models) go through A.G.s inventory over the years. i.e. he already has a manufacturer tooled up & ready to go. The ramp up time might be long w/o commitments similar to those of his current quote. i.e. 500 pcs min & 5K set up fees.
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Frankly .. having worked in the steel fab industry .. those are not bad terms. For instance .. fabricating an "Oar Version II" would require a minimum of 4 sets of tooling .. 1 for each blade .. 1 for the frame .. 1 for the back-spring. So the setup fee is distributed among 4 different sets of tooling operations. Further .. no one's going schedule press time ..&.. only run 100 parts. I just don't see that happening. Running the parts could take a whopping 12 minutes ..BUT.. that press-line is down for 3 hrs. Setting up the new die. Changing out the material. Setting up the material feed system. Alignment of everything as an interactive system. That's an hr & 15 minutes .. easy. Same thing on the other side .. removal of die & material & prep for a new run of .. something/anything. And .. that leaves up to 30 min run time to punch out the required blanks.
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Then there's grinding & tempering of the blades .. assembly .. etc ...............
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SO0oo .. 500 parts min & 5K set-up fees is really not that bad. Hopefully .. he could get some decent terms i.e. 1/3 up-fnt .. 1/3 upon completion of some pre-agreed upon production steps (often half way ..but.. define "half-way") .. the final 1/3 upon completion, delivery, & QC acceptance.

This one probably won't get much use, Ron.  I use one of the single lockers (because I have 2) and it's sweet.  If I ever get the opportunity to find another version II, I'll jump on it and give it a whirl.

Still, the seahorse is my go to knife, for carving.

I'm sure it's not an unreasonable figure, Dale, but I'm just relaying information.

I'm not sure what the relationship was between Stadtlander and Queen.  I do know that the Oar Carver's filled a void between Carver's that liked to carve with a pocket knife as opposed to a regular carving knife.   Flexcut knives are an option, but I simply hate them.

It may be the "Knife Guy" in me, but they're downright ugly.

JJ, 

I agree on the Flexcut, just ugly.  Hey I know where there is a 2 blade that has been used and could take a trip to SC and back !

I feel the same way about certain models .. one manufacturer just excels. Others do a "good" job ..but.. one excels. I like lock-back whittlers ..but.. I've seen some ugly ones too.

Comment by J.J. Smith III 2 minutes ago

I have been meaning to buy an Oar whittler for quite some time now, I have had the Flexcut for some years and have never liked it.  As JJ say's they are ugly but to my mind, a far worse failing is that they are very uncomfortable in use. The other blades to the ones in use are always trying to make their way out of the frame and into my hand.

Having said I have been using it for a while now as I sometimes do a little whittling in my lunch break at work. I work on my own and inhabit an old van so no-one knows what I am up to.

No particular reason for whittling a couple of mushrooms with an oakleaf stuck to them as they emerge, just took my fancy. May get finished in another month or two of lunch breaks!

Love the mushroom carving, John.

Sometimes it's the wood that determines the finished piece.

The only flexcut jack, that I own, is the whittling jack.  Bought it to review.

You are right JJ I collect a few burls that I find on trees, mostly Grey Alder around here. It isn't sensible because there tends to be so many faults inside them that Its no use planning on something just see what comes out ...if anything! 

I only really persevere with this knife cos I paid good money for it, if I lost it then it wouldn't be replaced.

Picked up this beautiful Schatt & Morgan wharncliffe half whittler, at the Dalton show, this past weekend.

Boy, that is sweet, J.J.!

Those appear to be walnut scales topped-off with S&M's striking and unmistakeable Keystone shield...Beautiful, indeed! And a wharnie master, to boot! Yippy Skippy...Great score!

Congrats, my friend!

Schatt & Morgan

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!!! .. Bet you did the happy dance .. !!!

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I've a whopping 2 S&M .. my favorite being a humpback lockback whittler of their Premier series. I've a very nice leather purse for it. Still can't bring myself to carry or use it. Just .. one of those knives.
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Congrats, JJ.

I loved that, Jan.

Very nice, Jan - thanks for sharing!

Amazing video! Thanks Jan!

When I was growing up my mother used to tell us about when she was a little girl.

Every christmas she would ask for a pearl handled pocket knife and she said it seemed like she got one almost every christmas.  Then just a few weeks after christmas here knife would disappear and her grandmother would tell her someone stole it.  The problem was my mother was a tom-boy and her father would get her that knife and her grandmother hated a little girl having a knife.  Momma said that after her grandmother passed away they found a half dozen knives in her dresser.

My mother used to carve things all the time and while she was alive I gave her a new pocket knife for christmas every year.  I can remember she used to carve wooden pistols for her grandboys to play with.  And she could make a pretty good sling shot too.

Thanks for sharing, Rome.

Rome,

That is a GREAT story.  I love that you gave her a knife for Christmas every year.  In my heart  of hearts I hope you have one of the pearls and one of the knives you gifted to her.  What an awesome display that would make with one of her guns or slings!

"HEADS UP !  Great Eastern Cutlery will be making #62 "Easy pocket carvers" soon.  These knives should be released in February.  "Cocobolo wood & natural bone" 

Glad to see these in a micarta. it may help keep the cost down

aesthetically, I'm not fond of 3 wharnies on one knife, but I'm liking the natural micarta.  The muslin looks like a nice Sunday carry. 

Would be nice if one of the small blades was a flat ground version of their punch blade or something similar to get in the tight spots  or even a small spey blade or rounded belly blade instead of two identical blades. They look pretty though...

Which is why I say that the Seahorse is about the ideal whittler, Tom.

The DLT Trading SFO #62 Easy Pocket Congress knives in snakewood (100 pieces) I just bought one and some HEAVY KPL pivot lube.   The Pocket Cavers are in production now. The GEC employees are complaining about finger cuts and the final sharping has not be completed yet. 

I just snagged some GEC#62 white bone "pocket carver" production photos. 

The Great Eastern Cutlery #62 Pocket Carvers are almost completed. 

I'm gonna have to go natural micarta.

That's a terrific looking knife and would be very tempting as I am looking for a new whittling knife. The only trouble is that I have decided on a fixed blade this time.

Great Eastern Cutlery is producing a very short GEC#33 Conductor 1/2 whittler run.  I hear rumors that GEC is a little short on materials and they are using NOS parts to fill in the void.