Pumpkin carving party -- which knife!?

GhostAlpha0

GhostAlpha0

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I'm going to a "pumpkin carving party" and will be carving pumpkins for the first time in years and I can't decide which knife to take. Since it's a social setting I can't take something too intimidating but I also want to take something suited for the job. Afterall, how often do I get to go to a party dedicated to cutting and slicing all night. :D

BM940?
BM710-1401?
ZT0566?
ZT0770?
XM-18 3.5?
PM2?
Sebenza?
Umnumzaan?

What do you all think?
 
I would use the 940. Slim blade, slim handle, would be great for some detailed cutting yet big enough to carve anything you want.

I still don't know what I'll be using this year myself.
 
Buy one of those pumpkin carving kits with the little saws that are made for this....know one is going to care about your fancy pocket knife, and it's only going to get gunked up with pumpkin grime....
 
Pumpkin carver saws work great, but bring along a paring knife with a narrow blade. I wouldn't want to get all that gunk in any folder.
 
A Mora sounds like a good option but I dont have one. I only have a handful of fixed blades and most are way too big. I have a CRK Professional Soldier that might be pretty good candidate actually. It would be super easy to clean -- though I'm not really worried about getting one of my folders dirty. I'd much rather have fun using a cool knife and then have to clean it than use one of those cheap pumpkin carving kits.
 
I would imagine something with a tall blade (read spine to edge) would cause problems on turns and curves. Seeing how thick the material being cut is, thick blades will make you work more so a thinner blade stock would probably work best. So basically what you're looking at is something thin and short. any length of blade should work so long as it's manageable for detailed cuts for partial depth incisions.

Were it me I'd probably go with either my BF Congress Jack, or Northwoods #33 Conductor. Though that is my collection, not yours. Of that list probably the 710 or 940 but I would go with the 710 for the more acute point.
 
You don't want to carve a pumpkin with any of those, honestly. Too thick, too tall blades and pumpkins don't mix. If you have a SAK or a stockman pattern I find they work the best. Have fun.
 


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I carved the first one I have carved since I was a kid yesterday and used my Al Mar sere operator but I use it for pretty much everything as far as fixed blades go. From your choices i would say the 940 or PM2, both have slim blades for details.
 
Last edited:
arty said:
Pumpkin carver saws work great, but bring along a paring knife with a narrow blade.
Click to expand...

This has been my experience too- the little saws with handles work the best for cutting holes, then use a thin paring knife to detailed shaping.
 
Cheap fillet knife would be my choice. A Mora Companion would be my second. I would not want a folding knife for sure.

The little saws in the kit are only useful for small intricate cuts, the fillet is much more useful for the initial cuts.
 
This year I will be using a White River Filet Knife. We will see how it does!
 
Please don't use a good knife for carving a pumpkin. As long as it has an edge it will work great, I used a S&W $25 knife with a fresh edge and no other tools yesterday and got this.

But afterwards my knife was gunky and gross, has to run it under water and spray it out with compressed air just to get 75% of the $h!t out of it. If you use a knife like the 940 instead of a through-away your not respecting what you have. Just my opinion.
 
FWIW the lady on the left (sue beatrice) recommends a simple birds beak paring knife that you can get for like 7 bucks at the grocery store

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source: I took a pumpkin carving seminar taught by her


In MY opinion I'd use whichever of yours has the thinnest blade.
 
I tried using a Mora Companion last year. I thought it would work great. It did not. I went back to the pumpkin saw. And those pumpkins ^ are insane.
 
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