Great book or the hobbyist! Filled with easy to understand instructions, many projects, and interesting information about swiss army knives.

I happened to have been in Barnes and Noble perusing very similar titles, just days before seeing this one for review. I'm very interested in pursuing the whittling hobby and was overjoyed when a crafting title about whittling was available under the Victorinox Swiss Army moniker. What better source of the hobby than the Swiss Army name? I found the chapters to be extremely informative and written in such a way as to appeal to the casual hobbyist as well as the more serious. I could easily see this being packaged with a basic Swiss Army knife for the holiday season. Terrific book, great detail, and wonderful pictures. This is permanently staying out and available on my bookshelf!

This book was very beautiful and highlighted different elements of whittling. It was a great read for beginning wood carvers who want to learn how to make better use of their Swiss Army Knife. The projects are interesting, and the advice on how to choose and modify a swiss army knife for better carving were greatly appreciated.

You know those amazing people who can look at a branch and think to themselves, 'Gee, this would make a brilliant bird' and then go and whittle that branch into something that actually looks like a bird? I'm not one of those people, but Chris Lubkemann certainly is! I page through books like Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book, Gift Edition in jaw dropped awe and wish I was a tenth as talented as this man.

I grew up coveting my Dad's Swiss Army Knife and felt like I was super special whenever he'd let me play with the toothpick - carefully, so I didn't break it. The day that I was judged responsible enough to have my very own Swiss Army Knife I felt like I'd achieved a major rite of passage. I love these little marvels of engineering and currently have my grandfather's but am eyeing off this gorgeous purple one that I may be forced to purchase.

So, this book. From the dedication to Carl Elsener, Sr., complete with a lovely photo of him with one of the happiest smiles I've ever seen, leaning on a table filled with upstanding Swiss Army Knives in battle formation, I began smiling and the only times I wasn't smiling after that was when my brow was furrowed in astonishment at what author and whittler extraordinaire Chris can create out of so little.

Chris is passionate about his craft and there's something contagious about passion. After learning about the history of the company and seeing some of the incredible variations of the models, I almost feel like a Swiss Army Knife evangelist now. From the basic model to the extraordinary Swiss Champ XAVT with 118 parts to the adorable limited edition ones with designs like bees or an astronaut dog in space, I never realised how many different functions these tools can achieve or how cute they can be. Also, in just their Ibach factory alone, 60,000 Swiss Army Knives are produced per day! Who knew?!

Onto the whittling. Not only do you get step by step instructions, you get coloured photos to support them. You will learn how to customise your knife to make it easier to whittle with, safety instructions, how to choose your branches and the other tools you will need. The projects will show you how to make tools, toys, animals and household items such as coasters. My favourite creation has to be the rowboat, complete with oars! So, have I converted you yet?

I am all too aware of my own klutz level so you won't be seeing any updates from me with photos of my marvellous creations. I'd prefer my fingers to remain attached to my hands. For those of you like me this book is simply incredible to look through. You will gain such an appreciation for the talented non-klutzes of the world.

For those talented or soon to be talented whittlers, I applaud your artistry. This book would be perfect for anyone looking for a new hobby or for current whittlers looking to master new projects.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

A gem of a book! Very clearly organised and easy to follow. You are taken through the process of learning to whittle with thorough picture guides. You are well informed on the preferred choice of wood and the best types of Victorinox Swiss Army Knives to use. It is full of ideas and little projects and it tempts you to try them out. A great gift for anyone interested in having a go at whittling. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.

Who knew you could do so much with a Swiss Army Knife? This book is packed full of fun projects that you can do with minimal tools and just a little time.

The author has done a lot of whittling and it shows in the quality of the pieces he creates for this book. Each creation is unique and each one shows his skill! If you want to learn to make similar creations, there are detailed directions provided for each. The projects start out easy and work up to the more difficult ones. That gives the reader a chance to gain skill in working with the Swiss Army Knife and the more simple cuts, then build on those skills to take on more challenging projects. The projects are also very cute, so you will be making something that will bring someone else joy. My favorites were the owl and the egret.

Throughout the text, there is also a neat history of the Swiss Army Knife and the company that makes it. It was interesting to learn that this company has been in business for so long and has been making these quality tools exclusively. The history section includes photos of some of the early models, and they look similar to the familiar ones we still use today.

These projects use branches from a variety of species of trees. The author gives you recommendations on types of wood, and how to choose your wood and the particular shape of branch that will make your project most successful. He even recommends how dry or moist the wood should be when beginning each project. Copious high-quality photos illustrate how to make the cuts and trim the wood down to make whatever project is being featured. There are tips to make the work go more smoothly and to help you get through making some of the more delicate cuts. The author shows you how to preserve the wood too, so that those delicate features of your carving won’t fall off once they dry out.

The author uses a slightly modified blade for his carvings and he shares directions on how to modify yours, should you want to try it. He also gives you plenty of tips on how to take care of the blade and the tool itself, so it will last you a long time. There are many models of Swiss Army Knife to choose from and the author gives you some recommendations on which models work best for whittling.

I was amazed at the variety of things you can make with just a Swiss Army Knife. Not only are these useful items, but they are decorative too, and conversation starters. Whittling is an underappreciated art form. After reading this book, I want to try to make some of these projects. Although I have no experience at all, I think the directions given here are good enough that I could make something!

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. There were lots of details of different knives to buy for woodcarving but mostly American based.
The actual carving seemed overly complicated and I wouldn't say for beginners which is odd considering the first few chapters seemed to assume you were a beginner. Still very educational and for those interested in woodcarving, survival crafts or honing their skills I would give it a solid 4/5

Victorinox Swiss Army® Knife Whittling Book, Gift Edition is the perfect book for any hands on people who want to try out some fun carving projects.
From making practical utensils to decorative statues the book provides a descriptive guide on how to produce great handmade items with only your pocket knife and some imagination.
This is the perfect gift for anyone who likes to get their hands working.

wonderful crafting using knife skills on wood to gift........

Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book, Gift Edition by Chris Lubkemann is a great book of unique whittling designs and plans. I was impressed with the creativity of many of the designs, and with the different varieties of Swiss Army knives.

When I was a kid, I loved to whittle away and had a whole set of woodcarving knives.

This book shows how to sharpen you swiss army knife just right for whittling and tells you a number of tricks and things worth knowing if you want to make some amazing and pretty things.
What is more important - you learn that you don't need more than this one knife to have fun and to make some great stuff. You just have to sharpen your knife and start whittling - after chosing the right kind of wood, of course.

This book includes many examples of things that you can create just by using some wood and your swiss army knife likes forks and spoons, sailboats, owls and other things to name must a few of them.
Any question you might have, will be answered in this book and it'll help you create wonderful and unique things for yourself or as gifts for friends and family.

I really liked this book and can recommend it!