This image is the cover for the book Whittling Handbook

Whittling Handbook

A refreshed edition of a practical and delightful introduction to the time-honored craft of wood carving—now with brand-new step-by-step illustrations.

Whittling can help you relax even as you create useful and beautiful art with just a knife and some timber. The Whittling Handbook helps beginners explore this time-honored craft and learn foundational skills, from gathering the basic tools to choosing the right wood to keeping your knife sharp. Begin with straightforward projects like a kitchen spatula, and then progress to more complex and intricate items such as a linked chain and a whistle. Easy-to-follow and full of friendly guidance from seasoned woodcarver Pete Benson, this guide is perfect for first-timers.

Peter Benson

Peter Benson started carving shortly after the end of World War II, and on his retirement, he set up the Essex School of Woodcarving, which is now based at his home in the Essex countryside in the UK. He is the author of The Art of Carving Netsuke and Woodland Whittling.