Here’s another answer to the question: What did geeks do before computers? They whittled.
Clearly whittling is not for the very young. But is a worthy endeavour for older Geeklets and, of course, for those of any age who wish to know what is inside the wood and … inside themselves. (Yes, I said it.)
Here are the top 5 reasons to give it a try.
5. Thanks to Kevlar gloves you can carve without cutting your hand. An adult really only needs one — a left-handed glove if you’re right-handed, or vice-versa. You might want your Geeklet to use two, though.
4. Other than the glove, it’s cheap. An X-ACTO handle and a pack of curved X-ACTO blades will get you started.
3. In this hectic, insane, breakneck, donnybrook-a-day world of ours, whittling is a gateway to inner peace. You will discover patience and focus as you single-task for a long, long time to make something of no value whatsoever.
2. The wooden chain. Whittled wooden chains are carved from a long solid piece of wood, such as a broomstick. The links are not cut open and glued back together. They are solid, but free to move and twist — just like metal chain. This chain and anchor hang in Mr. Whippy’s ice cream parlor in Chincoteague, Va.
1. The endless wooden chain.
Getting started:
Here are instructions for carving a chain. A little cryptic, but you’re a Geek, right? See if you can figure it out…
Or try this classic book on the subject.
Here are instructions for carving a ball-in-a-cage.
