There are lots of factors that can make wood harder to carve, like moisture, wood grain, knots, sap, and age, but one factor that needs to be considered is wood hardness. A common, and very practical, hardness scale to use is the Janka Wood Hardness Scale.
In short, Janka hardness measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. This plays a factor in how resistant the wood is to cutting with our carving tools. This is measured by seeing how much force is required to push a 0.44 in (11.28 mm) diameter steel ball into the sample of wood.
Using this measurement in addition to other wood factors can help you get perspective on how difficult the wood will be to carve before you buy it or even start the project.
Common Carving Woods and Their Hardness
There are lots of different types of woods out there, which will be shown further on, but these are some of the most common woods I see people carving with today. These are within range of what I find myself able to carve by hand and what most people use.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Janka Hardness (kN) | Janka Hardness (lbf) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balsa | Ochroma pyramidale | 0.4 | 90 |
| Pine – Eastern White | Pinus strobus | 1.7 | 380 |
| Basswood (Linden) | Tilia americana | 1.8 | 410 |
| Butternut | Juglans cinerea | 2.2 | 490 |
| Poplar | Liriodendron tulipifera | 2.4 | 540 |
| Lime | Tilia x europaea | 3.1 | 700 |
| Birch | Betula populifolia | 3.4 | 760 |
| Elm – American | Ulmus americana | 3.7 | 830 |
| Tupelo | Nyssa aquatica | 3.9 | 880 |
| Cherry | Prunus serotina | 4.2 | 950 |
| Walnut – American | Juglans nigra | 4.5 | 1,010 |
| Walnut – Europian | Juglans regia | 5.4 | 1,220 |
Wood Hardness Scale
Of course, there are hundreds of species of trees out there. So here is a list of species from around the world to help you find what you are looking for.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Janka Hardness (kN) | Janka Hardness (lbf) |
|---|---|---|---|
| African blackwood | Dalbergia melanoxylon | 16.32 | 3,670 |
| African Padauk – Vermillion | Pterocarpus soyauxii | 8.8 | 1,970 |
| Afrormosia | Pericopsis elata | 6.9 | 1,560 |
| Albarco | Cariniana spp. | 4.5 | 1,020 |
| Alder – European | Alnus glutinosa | 2.9 | 650 |
| Alder – Nepalese | Alnus nepalensis | 7.4 | 1,690 |
| Alder – red | Alnus rubra | 2.6 | 590 |
| Alder – white | Alnus rhombifolia | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| Andiroba | Carapa guianensis | 5 | 1,130 |
| Angelin | Andira inermis | 7.8 | 1,750 |
| Angelique | Dicorynia guianensis | 5.7 | 1,290 |
| Apple | Malus sylvestris | 7.7 | 1,730 |
| Ash – black | Fraxinus nigra | 3.8 | 850 |
| Ash – blue | Fraxinus quadrangulata | 9 | 2,030 |
| Ash – green | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | 5.3 | 1,200 |
| Ash – oregon | Fraxinus latifolia | 5.2 | 1,160 |
| Ash – pumpkin | Fraxinus profunda | 4.4 | 990 |
| Ash – white | Fraxinus americana | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| Aspen – bigtooth | Populus grandidentata | 1.9 | 420 |
| Aspen – quaking | Populus tremuloides | 1.6 | 350 |
| Avodire | Turraeanthus africanus | 4.8 | 1,080 |
| Azobe | Lophira alata | 14.9 | 3,350 |
| Bald cypress | Taxcodium distichum | 2.3 | 570 |
| Balsa | Ochroma pyramidale | 0.4 | 90 |
| Banak | Virola spp. | 2.3 | 510 |
| Basswood – American | Tilia americana | 1.8 | 410 |
| Basswood – Carolina | Tilia caroliniana | 1.8 | 410 |
| Beech – American | Fagus grandifolia | 5.8 | 1,300 |
| Benge | Guibourtia arnoldiana | 7.8 | 1,750 |
| Birch – Alaska paper | Betula neoalaskana | 3.7 | 830 |
| Birch – Alder-leaf | Betula alnoides | 3.7 | 830 |
| Birch – downy | Betula pubescens | 4.1 | 930 |
| Birch – gray | Betula populifolia | 3.4 | 760 |
| Birch – paper | Betula papyrifera | 4 | 910 |
| Birch – river | Betula nigra | 5.6 | 1,260 |
| Birch – silver | Betula pendula | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| Birch – sweet | Betula lenta | 6.5 | 1,470 |
| Birch – yellow | Betula alleghaniensis | 5.6 | 1,260 |
| Blackwood – African | Dalbergia melanoxylon | 16.3 | 3,670 |
| Blackwood – Australian | Acacia melanoxylon | 5.2 | 1,160 |
| Blackwood – Burmese | Dalbergia cultrata | 14.9 | 3,350 |
| Blackwood – Malaysian | Diospyros ebonasea | 14.1 | 3,180 |
| Bloodwood – conduru – cardinal wood | Brosimum rubescens | 14 | 2,900 |
| Boxelder | Acer negundo | 3.2 | 720 |
| Bubinga | Guibourtia spp. | 12 | 2,690 |
| Buckeye – yellow | Aesculus octandra | 1.6 | 350 |
| Buckthorn – cascara | Rhamnus purshiana | 4.6 | 1,040 |
| Bulletwood | Manilkara bidentata | 14.2 | 3,190 |
| Butternut | Juglans cinerea | 2.2 | 490 |
| Catalpa – northern | Catalpa speciosa | 2.4 | 550 |
| Catalpa – southern | Catalpa bignonioides | 2.4 | 550 |
| Cativo | Prioria copaifera | 2.8 | 630 |
| Cedar – Alaska | Chamaecyparis nootkatensis | 2.6 | 580 |
| Cedar – atlantic white | Chamaecyparis thyoides | 1.6 | 350 |
| Cedar – Port Orford | Chamaecyparis lawsoniana | 3.2 | 720 |
| Cedar – yellow | Cupressus nootkatensis | 2.6 | 580 |
| Ceiba | Ceiba pentandra | 1.1 | 240 |
| Chalviande | Virola spp. | 2.1 | 481 |
| Cherry – black – American | Prunus serotina | 4.2 | 950 |
| Cherry – Brazilian | Castenea dentata | 10.4 | 2,350 |
| Cherry – wild – European | Prunus avium | 5.1 | 1,150 |
| Chestnut – American | Castenea dentata | 2.4 | 540 |
| Chinkapin – giant | Castanopsis chrysophylla | 3.2 | 730 |
| Cocobolo – Cocabolo – Cocobola | Dalbergia retusa | 14.1 | 2,960 |
| Coffeetree – Kentucky | Gymnocladus dioicus | 6.2 | 1,390 |
| Cottonwood – balsam poplar | Populus balsamifera | 1.3 | 300 |
| Cottonwood – black | Populus trichocarpa | 1.6 | 350 |
| Cottonwood – eastern | Populus deltoides | 1.9 | 430 |
| Courbaril | Hymenaea courbaril | 10.5 | 2,350 |
| Cuangare | Dialyanthera spp | 1.7 | 380 |
| Cypress – Australian | Callitris glaucophylla | 6 | 1,375 |
| Cypress – Mexican | Cupressus lustianica | 2 | 460 |
| Degame | Calycophyllum candidissimum | 8.6 | 1,940 |
| Determa | Ocotea rubra | 2.9 | 660 |
| Dogwood | Cornus florida | 9.6 | 2,150 |
| Douglas-fir – coast | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 3.2 | 710 |
| Douglas-fir – interior north | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 2.7 | 600 |
| Douglas-fir – interior south | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 2.3 | 510 |
| Douglas-fir – interior west | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 2.9 | 660 |
| Ebony – African – Gaboon – Nigerian | Diospyros crassiflora | 14.1 | 3,220 |
| Ebony – black and white – pale moon | Diospyros malabarica | 7.9 | 1,790 |
| Ebony – Ceylon – East Indian | Diospyros cebenum | 10.8 | 2,430 |
| Ebony – Macassar – striped | Diospyros celebica | 14.1 | 3,220 |
| Ebony – mun | Diospyros mun | 13.4 | 3,000 |
| Ebony – persimmon – white | Diospyros virginiana | 10.2 | 2,300 |
| Ekki – azobe | Lophira alata | 14.3 | 3,220 |
| Ekop | Tetraberlinia tubmaniana | 4.1 | 910 |
| Elder – blue | Sambucus cerulea | 3.7 | 840 |
| Elm – american | Ulmus americana | 3.7 | 830 |
| Elm – cedar | Ulmus crassifolia | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| Elm – rock | Ulmus thomasii | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| Elm – slippery | Ulmus rubra | 3.8 | 860 |
| Elm – winged | Ulmus alata | 6.8 | 1,540 |
| Fir – balsam | Abies balsamea | 1.8 | 400 |
| Fir – California red | Abies magnifica | 2.2 | 500 |
| Fir – grand | Abies grandis | 2.2 | 490 |
| Fir – noble | Abies procera | 1.8 | 410 |
| Fir – pacific silver | Abies amabilis | 1.9 | 430 |
| Fir – subalpine | Abies lasiocarpa | 1.6 | 350 |
| Fir – white | Abies concolor | 2.1 | 480 |
| Goncalo alves | Astronium graveolens | 9.6 | 2,160 |
| Granadillo | Platymiscium yucatanum | 10.9 | 2,450 |
| Greenheart | Chlorocardium rodiei | 10.5 | 2,350 |
| Hackberry | Celtis occidentalis | 3.9 | 880 |
| Hemlock – eastern | Tsuga canadensis | 2.2 | 500 |
| Hemlock – mountain | Tsuga mertensiana | 3 | 680 |
| Hemlock – western | Tsuga heterophylla | 2.4 | 540 |
| Hickory – bitternut | Carya cordiformis | 6.7 | 1,500 |
| Hickory – nutmeg | Carya myristicaeformis | 5.74 | 1,290 |
| Hickory – pecan | Carya illinoensis | 8.1 | 1,820 |
| Hickory – pignut | Carya glabra | 9.5 | 2,140 |
| Hickory – shagbark | Carya ovata | 8.4 | 1,880 |
| Hickory – shellbark | Carya lacinosa | 8.1 | 1,810 |
| Hickory – water | Carya aquatica | 6.9 | 1,550 |
| Hickory. mockernut | Carya tomentosa | 8.8 | 1,970 |
| Holly – American | Ilex opaca | 4.5 | 1,020 |
| Honeylocust | Gleditsia triacanthos | 7 | 1,580 |
| Hophornbeam – eastern | Ostrya virginiana | 8.3 | 1,860 |
| Hornbeam – American | Carpinus caroliniana | 7.9 | 1,780 |
| Hura | Hura crepitans | 2.4 | 550 |
| Ilomba | Pycnanthus angolensis Exell | 2.7 | 610 |
| Incense-cedar | Libocedrus decurrens | 2.1 | 470 |
| Ipe | Handroanthus spp. (lapacho group), Brazilian walnut | 15.6 | 3,510 |
| Iroko | Chlorophora spp. | 5.6 | 1,260 |
| Jarrah | Eucalyptus marginata | 8.5 | 1,910 |
| Jelutong | Dyera costulata | 1.7 | 390 |
| Juniper – alligator | Juniperus deppeana | 5.2 | 1,160 |
| Kaneelhart | Licaria spp. | 12.9 | 2,900 |
| Kapur | Dryobalanops spp. | 5.5 | 1,230 |
| Karri | Eucalyptus diversicolor | 9.1 | 2,040 |
| Katalox – Mexican Royal Ebony | Swartzia spp. (S. cubensis) | 16.3 | 3,660 |
| Kempas | Koompassia malaccensis | 7.6 | 1,710 |
| Keruing | Dipterocarpus spp. | 5.6 | 1,270 |
| Koa – Hawaiian koa | Acacia koa | 5.2 | 1,170 |
| Lacewood – Brazilian lacewood | Panopsis spp. (P. rubescens and P. sessilifolia) | 3.7 | 840 |
| Larch – western | Larix occidentalis | 3.7 | 830 |
| Laurel – California | Umbellularia californica | 5.6 | 1,270 |
| Laurel – mountain | Kalmia latifolia | 8 | 1,790 |
| Lignum vitae | Guaiacum spp. | 20 | 4,500 |
| Limba | Terminalia superba | 2.2 | 490 |
| Locust – black | Robinia pseudoacacia | 7.6 | 1,700 |
| Macawood | Platymiscium spp. | 14 | 3,150 |
| Madrone – Pacific Madrone | Dalbergia retusa | 6.5 | 1,460 |
| Magnolia – cucumber tree | Magnolia acuminata | 3.1 | 700 |
| Magnolia – southern | Magnolia grandiflora | 4.5 | 1,020 |
| Magnolia – sweetbay | Magnolia virginiana | 3.6 | 810 |
| Mahogany – African | Khaya spp. | 3.7 | 830 |
| Mahogany – Santos – Cabreuva | Myroxylon balsamum | 9.8 | 2,200 |
| Mahogany – true | Swietenia macrophylla | 3.6 | 800 |
| Manbarklak | Eschweilera spp. | 15.5 | 3,480 |
| Manni | Symphonia globulifera | 5 | 1,120 |
| Maple – bigleaf | Acer macrophyllum | 3.8 | 850 |
| Maple – birdseye | Acer saccharum | 6.4 | 1,450 |
| Maple – black | Acer nigrum | 5.2 | 1,180 |
| Maple – red | Acer rubrum | 4.2 | 950 |
| Maple – silver | Acer saccharimum | 3.1 | 700 |
| Maple – sugar (hard) | Acer saccharum | 6.4 | 1,450 |
| Marishballi | Lincania spp. | 15.9 | 3,570 |
| Merbau | Intsia spp. | 6.7 | 1,500 |
| Mersawa | Anisoptera spp. | 5.7 | 1,290 |
| Mesquite | Prosopis spp. | 10.4 | 2,345 |
| Mora | Mora spp. | 10.2 | 2,300 |
| Myrtlewood | Umbellularia californica | 5.65 | 1,270 |
| Oak – black | Quercus velutina | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| Oak – bur | Quercus macrocarpa | 6.1 | 1,370 |
| Oak – cherrybark | Quercus falcata var pagodifolia | 6.6 | 1,480 |
| Oak – chestnut | Quercus prinus | 5 | 1,130 |
| Oak – laurel | Quercus laurifolia | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| Oak – live | Quercus virginiana | 12.9 | 2,680 |
| Oak – northern red | Quercus rubra | 5.7 | 1,290 |
| Oak – overcup | Quercus lyrata | 5.3 | 1,190 |
| Oak – pin | Quercus palustris | 6.7 | 1,510 |
| Oak – post | Quercus stellata | 6 | 1,360 |
| Oak – scarlet | Quercus coccinea | 6.2 | 1,400 |
| Oak – shumard | Quercus shumardii | 5.8 | 1,290 |
| Oak – southern red | Quercus falcata | 4.7 | 1,060 |
| Oak – swamp chestnut | Quercus michauxii | 5.5 | 1,240 |
| Oak – swamp white | Quercus bicolor | 7.2 | 1,620 |
| Oak – water | Quercus nigra | 5.3 | 1,190 |
| Oak – white | Quercus alba | 6 | 1,360 |
| Oak – willow | Quercus phellos | 6.5 | 1,460 |
| Obeche | Triplochiton scleroxylon | 1.9 | 430 |
| Okoume | Aucoumea klaineana | 1.7 | 380 |
| Opepe | Nauclea diderrichii | 7.3 | 1,630 |
| Osage orange – horse apple | Maclura pomifera | 12.3 | 2,760 |
| Ovangkol | Guibourtia ehie | 5.9 | 1,330 |
| Para-angelim | Hymenolobium excelsum | 7.7 | 1,720 |
| Parana-pine | Araucaria augustifolia | 3.5 | 780 |
| Pau marfim – Patagonian maple | Balfourodendron riedelianum | 6.7 | 1,500 |
| Paulownia – royal paulownia | Paulownia tomentosa | 1.33 | 300 |
| Pedauk – African | Pterocarpus soyauxii | 8.6 | 1,970 |
| Peroba de campos | Paratecoma peroba | 7.1 | 1,600 |
| Peroba rosa | Aspidosperma spp., peroba group | 7.7 | 1,730 |
| Persimmon – common | Diospyros virginiana | 10.2 | 2,300 |
| Pilon | Hyeronima spp. | 7.6 | 1,700 |
| Pine – Caribbean | Pinus caribaea | 5.5 | 1,240 |
| Pine – eastern white | Pinus strobus | 1.7 | 380 |
| Pine – heart | Pinus resinosa | 5.5 | 1,225 |
| Pine – jack | Pinus banksiana | 2.5 | 570 |
| Pine – Jeffrey | Pinus jeffreyi | 2.2 | 500 |
| Pine – limber | Pinus flexilis | 1.9 | 430 |
| Pine – loblolly | Pinus taeda | 3.1 | 690 |
| Pine – lodgepole | Pinus contorta | 2.1 | 480 |
| Pine – longleaf | Pinus palustris | 3.9 | 870 |
| Pine – Monterey | Pinus radiata | 3.3 | 750 |
| Pine – ocote | Pinus oocarpa | 4 | 910 |
| Pine – pinyon | Pinus edulis | 3.8 | 860 |
| Pine – pitch | Pinus rigida | 2.8 | 620 |
| Pine – pond | Pinus serotina | 3.3 | 740 |
| Pine – ponderosa | Pinus ponderosa | 2 | 460 |
| Pine – sand | Pinus clausa | 3.3 | 730 |
| Pine – shortleaf | Pinus echinata | 3.1 | 690 |
| Pine – slash | Pinus elliotti | 3.4 | 760 |
| Pine – spruce | Pinus glabra | 2.9 | 660 |
| Pine – sugar | Pinus lambertiana | 1.7 | 380 |
| Pine – Table Mountain | Pinus pungens | 2.9 | 660 |
| Pine – virginia | Pinus virginiana | 3.3 | 740 |
| Pine – western white | Pinus monticola | 1.9 | 420 |
| Pine. red | Pinus resinosa | 2.5 | 560 |
| Piquia | Caryocar spp. | 7.7 | 1,720 |
| Poplar | Liriodendron tulipifera | 2.4 | 540 |
| Primavera | Tabebula donnell-smithii | 2.9 | 660 |
| Pulgande | Dacryodes spp. | 3 | 666 |
| Purpleheart | Peltogyne spp. | 8.3 | 1,860 |
| Ramin | Gonystylus bancanus | 5.8 | 1,300 |
| Red cedar – eastern | Juniperus virginiana | 4 | 900 |
| Red cedar – southern | Juniperus silicicola | 2.7 | 610 |
| Red cedar – western | Thuja plicata | 1.6 | 350 |
| Redwood – old growth | Sequoia sempervirens | 2.1 | 480 |
| Redwood – second growth | Sequoia sempervirens | 1.9 | 420 |
| Robe | Tabebul spp., roble group | 4.3 | 960 |
| Rosewood – Amazon | Dalbergia spruceana | 12 | 2,700 |
| Rosewood – Brazilian | Dalbergia nigra | 12.4 | 2,790 |
| Rosewood – Burmese | Dalbergia oliveri | 12.1 | 2,710 |
| Rosewood – Honduran | Dalbergia stevensonii | 9.8 | 2,200 |
| Rosewood – Indian – East Indian | Dalbergia latifolia | 10.9 | 2,440 |
| Rosewood – Siamese | Dalbergia cochinchinensis | 10.8 | 2,430 |
| Rosewood – Yucatan – Madagascar | Dalbergia madagascariensis | 12.1 | 2,720 |
| Rosewood – Yucatan – Panama | Dalbergia tucurensis | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| Sajo | Campnosperma panamensis | 1.9 | 425 |
| Sande | Brosimum spp., utile group | 4 | 900 |
| Santa maria | Calophyllum brasiliense | 5.1 | 1,150 |
| Sapele | Entandrophragma cylindricum | 6.7 | 1,510 |
| Sassafras | Sassafras albidum | 2.8 | 630 |
| Sepetir | Pseudosindora palustris | 6.3 | 1,410 |
| Serviceberry | Amelanchier spp. | 8 | 1,800 |
| Shorea | Shorea spp., baulau group | 7.9 | 1,780 |
| Shorea – dark red meranti | Shorea spp., lauan-meranti group | 3.5 | 780 |
| Shorea – light red meranti | Shorea spp., lauan-meranti group | 2 | 460 |
| Shorea – white meranti | Shorea javanica, lauan-meranti group | 5.7 | 1,140 |
| Shorea – yellow meranti | Shorea spp., lauan-meranti group | 3.4 | 770 |
| Silverbell – Carolina | Halesia carolina | 2.6 | 590 |
| Snakewood – letterwood – amourette | Brosimum guianense | 16.9 | 3,800 |
| Sourwood | Oxydendrum arboreum | 4.2 | 940 |
| Spanish-cedar | Cedrela spp. | 2.7 | 600 |
| Spruce – black | Picea mariana | 2.3 | 520 |
| Spruce – Engelmann | Picea engelmanni | 1.7 | 390 |
| Spruce – red | Picea rubra | 2.2 | 490 |
| Spruce – Sitka | Picea sitchensis | 2.3 | 510 |
| Spruce – white | Picea glauca | 2.1 | 480 |
| Sucupira | Diplotropis purpurea | 9.5 | 2,140 |
| Sucupira | Bowdichia brasiliensis | 12.2 | 2,750 |
| Sumac – staghorn | Rhus typhina | 3 | 680 |
| Sweetgum | Liquidambar styraciflua | 3.8 | 850 |
| Sycamore – american | Platanus occidentalis | 3.4 | 770 |
| Tamarack | Larix laricina | 2.6 | 590 |
| Tanoak | Lithocarpus densiflorus | 6.3 | 1,420 |
| Teak | Tectona grandis | 4.4 | 1,000 |
| Tornillo | Cedrelinga cateniformis | 10.2 | 2,299 |
| Tree-of-heaven | Ailanthus altissima | 7.7 | 1,731 |
| Tulapueta | Osteophloeum platyspermum | 2.3 | 512 |
| Tupelo – black | Nyssa sylvatica | 3.6 | 810 |
| Tupelo. water | Nyssa aquatica | 3.9 | 880 |
| Wallaba | Eperua spp. | 9.1 | 2,040 |
| Walnut – black | Juglans nigra | 4.5 | 1,010 |
| Wenge | Millettia laurentii | 8.4 | 1,930 |
| White-cedar – northern | Thuja occidentalis | 1.4 | 320 |
| Willow – black | Salix nigra | 1.6 | 360 |
| Witch hazel | Hamamelis virginica | 6.8 | 1,530 |
| Yellow poplar | Liriodendron tulipifera | 2.4 | 540 |
| yew – Pacific | Taxus brevifolia | 7.1 | 1,600 |
I’m not going to beat around the bush here, Pfeils has high quality steel but the edges they put on their knives are terrible! If you have the time to sharpen and reshape the blade, they may be worth it to you but there are better choices for the same price.
Quick Stats
| Steel | Special Alloy Steel |
| Rockwell Hardness (RC) | 57 – 60 |
| Comes Sharp | No |
| Sharp Edge After 30 Min | Yes |
| Average Price | $19 – $36 |
| Recommended for Beginners | No |
Video Review
Click the link below to see my favorite knives and full overview on all of my knives:
https://carvingisfun.com/best-whittling-knives/
What I Liked
There are a few things that I liked about these knives, and if you can get over the negatives you may have a great whittling and chip carving knife on your hands.
Thin Blade
Pfeil chip carving knives have a decently thin and strong blade when compared to other knives in its price range. It may not be as thin as the FlexCut or OCC knives, but it is pretty close.
This allows for easy removal of wood and the with little force behind the blade. If you use them for chip carving, they easily sink into the wood and produce nice, clean cuts.
Perfect Blade Length
I have both the #1 and #2 chip carving knives. The #1 is more ideal for general whittling and wood removal while the #2 is designed for chip carving.
Both knives are just the right length for optimal use. Neither one is too long or too short in and is easy to control.
Good Edge Retention
Pfeil uses high quality steel in all of their tools, and these knives are no exception.
Once sharpened and honed, they retain their edge for a long period of time and aren’t too difficult to maintain the edge. But on that note, lets move on to the next section.
What I Didn’t Like
Now to the part that I’m sure some of you are curios about. Like I said at the beginning, I like Pheil’s chisels but not their knives. I had issues with their knives from tip to tip and felt that I just paid way too much for mine.
Not “Pre-Sharpened for Immediate Use”
Despite that these knives are advertised to be sharp and ready for immediate use, the edge they put on these knives are terrible. Not only was it an uneven grind, but it was super rough and wouldn’t even slice through a piece of paper.
Thankfully I had the foresight to take pictures of the #1 knife to show you, but the picture above is straight out of the packaging. What I want you to look at is the beveled edge on the knife. See how it’s uneven?!
This took a while to even out properly and will be covered below why it was such a pain to sharpen.
Handle Felt Too Simplistic
The handles on both the #1 and #2 were very simple and uncomfortable after long periods of use. They just didn’t fit the palm nicely and aggravated the hand that I broke when I was younger very quickly.
I can whittle with knives like FlexCut all day long, but I literally couldn’t do it with these knives. I had to stop and finish the wood carving another day using a more comfortable knife.
Uneven Blade Grind
This is where I was the most frustrated with my knife. The #1 knife had a terrible grind on the edge that actually prevented me from putting on an acceptable bevel on the edge!
Check out the picture above, the dark spot in the middle is where metal was actually being removed on my 400 grit stone. The lighter spots on the left and right are untouched and not sharpening.
My knife had dips in the knifes edge that actually made the straight cutting edge dip near the tip. If you look at the picture, you will see a noticeable dip in the edge right by the tip of the knife. It took me about an hour to shape and correct this issue so that I could actually use the knife.
Price
These knives can get a little expensive for some versions. I see the #1 knife range between $23 to $27 depending on where you get it and this one gave me the most problems! I can buy other knives for the same price that are perfect and ready to go right out of the box.
The #2 chip carving knife was less than $20 and is actually ok for the price that I paid for it. I just wish it came sharp like originally advertised.
What to Buy Instead
I have nearly a dozen different brands of knives from my testing and can tell you that you can get a lot more knife for the same price through other manufactures.
If you want a chisel, yes pick up a Pfeil but stay away from their knives! Here are my suggestions for knives in the same price range.
Butz Carving Knife
For $ a $20 knife, the Butz Carving Knife is hard to beat. It comes with a comfortable handle, high quality steel, perfect blade length and it just slices right through wood like it’s nothing.
There is one thing you need to know, this knife does need to be sharpened before use and they tell you this in the item description. Sharpening mine took very little time (especially compared to what I had to do for the Pheil knife) and you end up with an amazing blade for whittling.
Check out my full review by clicking the link below:
https://carvingisfun.com/butz-knife-review/
FlexCut Whittling Knives
If you are looking for a full range of wood carving tools, look no further than FlexCut. These are truly out of the box sharp and ready to use, unlike Pfeil.
Flexcut offers a ton of different knife styles, gouges, scoops, and even some folding variants for whittling while you are traveling or camping. Their tools are in the same price range as Pfeil and provide a much better user experience overall.
Check out my full review on FlexCut Knives by clicking the link below:
https://carvingisfun.com/flexcut-review/
More Knife Reviews
If you want to see more knives I reviewed, click the link below and find what whittling knife is best for you!
https://carvingisfun.com/category/whittling-knife-review/