Flexcut 2-piece Whittler's Knife Set

As advertised: incredibly sharp and stays sharp for maybe thirty minutes of whittling on Pine, ten or fifteen on Maple. I made my own sharpening strop by stapling a 2 1/2 inch section of a heavy leather belt to a bit of wood. Rub the sharpening compound on it, several passes of the blade, and the knife is as sharp as ever.Some reviewers have mentioned the handles being bulky for smaller hands to hold without fatiguing. I haven't had a problem. My hands are average size-to smallish (female, 5' 5", medium build), and I've found them very comfortable for an hour or more at a time. It helps to keep the blades good and sharp so they slip through the wood like cheese.On the company website, many reviewers say never, never cut towards yourself with these blades. I find it easiest and most comfy to cut in "paring" position, pulling the blade with my fingers, towards my thumb, but I've been cutting this way since I was a kid, I was taught to pare veggies like this, and have never cut myself doing it. It may be an individual thing, but I was taught that this "paring" method offers more control and less likelihood of cutting yourself, and for me it's been true.

Great product, I love using them!

Knife is good. But compound is really hard to use. I don't know if it's too old or not. When I apply to the strop it gets dark and really slippery and doesn't stick to strop any more .

I bought these as a gift for my son, who was using his cheap pocket knife to whittle wood scraps with good results. So I figured with a good blade and some basswood he could get better than good. Boy, was I right ! If you have an amateur whittler out back, like me, you should get them this kit ! It has the two blades they'll need most AND the stone to keep them sharp ( actually safer to use sharp tools ). He is getting really good with these and being busy keeps him out of trouble (well...out of more trouble, anyway ).

Quality

I got these knives just for some basic woodcarving. They came very sharp and after many carvings, they haven't lost an edge at all. The handles are perfectly carved to fit in my hands and I think I have average size hands. The stropping compound is great also for keeping a good edge on these knives. The steel has a good flex to it as well. I push pretty hard when I carve and the blade has never broken or chipped. It is a great starter set for carving that works great.

I have been using Rough Rider whittler pocket knives, and love the addition of the flexcut. I have small hands and the 2 different handle sizes help with adjusting my grip. I am new to carving and really enjoy using all the knives I have bought so far. I have bought all my knives from Amazon, the price and service can not be beat. I have just ordered 3 more knives for gardening and bonsai hobbies, can not wait to get them. Happy carving!

After considering several choices, my husband and I purchased this as a Christmas gift for a 13-year-old granddaughter who was interested in whittling. We based our decision on the fact that it looked like a quality product, not on our own experience with whittling. She loved the gift and spent Christmas vacation using it. We also purchased a book of simple projects to get her started.