Description

The Narwhal is one of the most fun to carve since it has fairly simple lines, but also has a 3-D aspect lacking from the otter or dino. You can carve the fins at various angles and even add a playful twist to his tail. Almost all cuts provide plenty of space to hold while cutting away from yourself making it great for beginners. Only the final separation of the fins involves any difficult knifework and this is of course optional. The Tusk can be carved quite small, and care must be taken when doing so to avoid snapping it off. Of course if you do break it while carving, you can always glue it back on – or change it from a Narwhal to another kind of whale, or simply a tusk less Narwhal which are apparently very common!

The Narwhal’s Inspiration

Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are often called the unicorn of the sea are one of the most unique creatures. The long tusk that protrudes from their heads can grow over 10 feet long in a beautiful spiral. The tusk is a large tooth that includes sensory nerves. The tusk is most common in males with some having two tusks while others have none. Unlike many whales, narwhals don’t migrate, living in the Artic year-round. They can dive to a mile deep and hold their breath for almost half an hour. They feed on mostly flatfish during the winter and and Arctic Cod and Greenland Halibut during the summer. They can live to be 50 years old. To learn more about the Narwhal and protecting it and to see some amazing pictures check out https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/narwhal

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!