Description

The Dachshund has more definition than the otter, giving it a bit more interest while making it slightly more challenging. The most difficult area is probably the face, and defining the ears. Like all the critters, separating the legs (which certainly is not required) can be a challenge. And of course you must be careful not to be too aggressive or you can easily split off too much and give it a flatter back or shorter tail than intended.

The Dachshund’s Inspiration

The Dachshund, German for “badger hound”, was bread in Germany to hunt badgers and other burrow dwelling animals. They are known for their loyalty and devotion and are generally of average intelligence. The American Kennel Club describes them as “clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.” For more information on the Dachshund visit https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dachshund/ If you are looking to add a dog to your family we would encourage you to check with your local Humane Society (https://www.humanesociety.org/), ASPCA ( https://www.aspca.org/ ), or other animal shelter and help save a pet in need.

General Description (applies to all our Critters)

All our Critters are made from basswood and roughly 1″ thick, 1.75″ tall and 10″ long. They can all be made into nifty letter openers (just carve their nose/tail into a flatter shape with sharp edges) or carved more true to their namesake critters. While they vary in difficulty (which we try to describe in the description for each) their long, slender shape lends themselves to easier whittling and safe, easy holding (never cut towards yourself or have any part of your body in the path of the knife).

The time it takes to carve will of course vary by Critter but even moreso by experience. Most will take many hours to get right, but if you’re skilled at whittling and “hurry” they can be carved to 90%+ within a few hours. These make excellent projects for learning to carve. They’re excellent gifts both carved and uncarved.

These whittling “kits” are perfect to learn to whittle with. These make excellent carving projects whether you’re looking for a project to do with your kids, grandkids, cousins, friends, or just to do yourself. There’s no easier way to learn carving in wood. We offer ones of varying difficulty to satisfy everyone from the novice to expert. As you get better at carving you’ll be able to add more details to help make each one uniquely yours.

These make excellent group activities whether it’s for your scouting group looking to learn to carve, or your book-club looking for a new activity. All you need is a sharp knife (a locking knife and safety gloves are highly recommended) and a Critter! All of our Critters are designed to make excellent letter openers for those wanting a fun and practical project. They can just as easily be carved into a more natural shape if you don’t need a letter opener. These make excellent gifts, either as blanks to introduce whittling to someone, or fully carved to give them a piece of art. These make an excellent craft project as a stand alone activity, or provides something fun to do while sitting around the campfire talking.

Whittling is an excellent way to relax and slow down. A chance to make something truly yours and explore your artistic side. Our Critters are designed around being easy to carve but there’s no limit to the details you can add. You can easily stop once you’ve roughed the shape with a knife, or you can take it further, sanding off the whittling marks. You can leave it as the natural wood, stain it, or paint it to truly bring out the character of the critter. Carve a single critter, or carve them all, it’s all up to you!