The Cheapest and Best Value Whittling Pocket Knife!

I've been hunting for the best whittling pocket knife I can find and have purchased thousands of dollars worth of knives so you don't have to. And now, I think I have found the best budget pocket knife for whittling, the Rough Ryder Classic Carbon Swayback Whittler!
00:00 Rough Ryder Classic Carbon Swayback Whittler
00:38 Steel
01:03 Blades
02:25 Price
03:03 Cutting Edge
04:49 Case Seahorse whittler (Not recommended)
05:39 Mastercarver Pocket Whittler 2 (Highly recommended)
06:18 GEC #62 Pocket Carver (Highly recommended)
Links to the Classic Carbon and Classic Carbon 2 in the video:
- - World Wide Shipping (from the US) - -
Discount Cutlery Carbon - www.discountcutlery.net/RR174...
Discount Cutlery Carbon 2 - www.discountcutlery.net/RR221...
- - US - -
Amazon Carbon - amzn.to/3a3Pq99
SMKW Carbon 2 - www.smkw.com/rough-ryder-clas...
SMKW Carbon -www.smkw.com/rough-ryder-clas...
- - UK / EU - -
Moonraker Knives Carbon - www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/sho...
Moonraker Knives Carbon 2 - www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/sho...
Heinne Haynes Carbon - heinnie.com/rough-rider-class...
Heinne Haynes Bone - heinnie.com/rough-rider-class...
Knives and Tools Carbon 2 - www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/...
Lamina Carbon - www.lamnia.com/en/p/38799/kni...
Links to Amazon above are affiliate links, for more information click here: carvingisfun.com/affiliate-li...
Here are the full reviews of the other knives shown in the video:
Case Seahorse Whittler Knife Review: • Beautiful Knife! But i...
MasterCarver Pocket Whittler II Review: • AMAZING Pocket Knife f...
Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) #62 Pocket Carver Review: • Whittling Pocket Knife...
Interested in a fun little whittling project? Check out this tutorial on how to whittle a Gnome: • How to Whittle a Gnome...
Want a comparison of $500 in different whittling pocket knives? Check out this video: • The BEST Folding Pocke...
New to whittling? Check out these videos for beginners!
Complete Beginners Guide to Whittling: • Start Whittling TODAY ...
Step By Step Beginner Wood Carving Project: • How to Whittle a Cute ...
Identifying the Wood Grain for a Better Carving: • Identifying the Wood G...
5 Ways to Whittle Faster: • 5 Ways to Whittle Fast...
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[@jphillips2471]

My grand dad was an old school pocket knife whittler, and when i turned 10, he gave me my 1st pocket knife. That was 39 yrs ago! Of course, he taught me to whittle, and been a pocket knife whittler ever since. Over the yrs, I've collected alotta pocket knives, and personally, as of 15 yrs or so, my favorite are 2 bladed pocket knives. Barlows, canoe's, middleman...My grand dad gave me a 3 bladed stockman style, but only ever used 2 of the blades. I only ever use the main blade blade as a general utility cutter, while the small pen blade was my dedicated whittler. I like Rough Rider pocket knives, and got 3 of their whittler knives, including that one. I personally favor the 2 bladed knives better.

[@joaquinvelasquez6252]

Perfect! This is what I was looking for to carve while camping. Man, great quality video too. The little bullet point window was a nice touch and referencing past knives was helpful to compare. Thanks!

[@CarvingisFun]

Glad you found the video helpful!! I'm trying to improve the videos and am glad that y'all are appreciating them :)

[@yourpalfred]

The before and after on the blades was a thing of beauty

[@CarvingisFun]

Gotta make em shiney :)

[@Rzulf]

Thanks for your help with my new hobby! Greetings from Poland!

[@CarvingisFun]

Thank you so much!!! Happy to help as best as I can :)

[@dirtysquiduk]

Just picked one up! Very excited to have it as my new everyday carry 👍

[@nothanks2266]

ive been looking for something like this!! thank you so much :)

[@CarvingisFun]

You're welcome!

[@John-wo5bp]

Brian u has the black one I loves the makarta I forced patina on mine stick blade in lemon for bit I also modified tips on small pen blades to sheep foot tip works way better after all blades got tune up 👍🇺🇲🇬🇧🇮🇹🐾🦊

[@2371Anita]

Got the yellow and this one. Love them!

[@gavincheddarparker]

I have this in black and love it

[@gillianreynolds9829]

Great video really helpful,

[@kommissarjupiter7667]

The GEC would be great if scalpers weren't driving their prices crazy up. Also shame on Case for being such a titan in traditional pocket knives and then not getting a whittler right. Which is a pattern with which they had lots o' expereince according to some old timers

[@CarvingisFun]

I hear ya on the GEC, damn good knife but hard to get at a good price. The case seahorse was a major disappointment, heck the Medium Stockman is a far superior whittling knife in comparison.

[@kommissarjupiter7667]

@@CarvingisFun Speaking of the Medium Stockman: How do you most effectively use it for whittling? The Big clippoint for removing much stock, the sheepsfoot as the main blade, and then what do you do with the spey blade? Would a model with a standard pen blade instead of the spey better for detail carving?

[@CarvingisFun]

There is no rule that you need to use every blade, but personally I would only end up using the clippoint for stock like you mentioned and use the sheepsfoot for everything else. I personally like the versions with a pen blades over the spey blades for whittling.

[@kommissarjupiter7667]

@@CarvingisFun Awesome, thanks!

[@edday3194]

Hey man, nice video and good to see you're posting again. Looking forward to more videos from you!

[@CarvingisFun]

Thanks! I had to hire someone to help me edit so I can focus on actually filming the videos :)

[@edday3194]

@@CarvingisFun Cool -ooking forward to seeing the results

[@user-vg1bk9ux6r]

Nice one!

[@CarvingisFun]

Links to the Classic Carbon and Classic Carbon 2 in the video (This is an ongoing list as I find more international sellers) - - World Wide Shipping (from the US) - - Discount Cutlery Carbon - www.discountcutlery.net/RR1741-Rough-Ryder-Knives-Classic-Carbon-Yellow-SwayBack-Pocket-Knife_p_89620.html Discount Cutlery Carbon 2 - www.discountcutlery.net/RR2217-Rough-Ryder-Seahorse-Whittler-Pocket-Knife-Black-Micarta_p_109333.html - - US - - Amazon Carbon - amzn.to/3a3Pq99 SMKW Carbon 2 - www.smkw.com/rough-ryder-classic-carbon-ii-swayback SMKW Carbon -www.smkw.com/rough-ryder-classic-carbon-swayback-whittler - - UK / EU - - Moonraker Knives Carbon - www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/shop/folding-knives/classic-carbon-yellow-swayback Moonraker Knives Carbon 2 - www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/shop/folding-knives/seahorse-whittler-black-micarta Heinne Haynes Carbon - heinnie.com/rough-rider-classic-carbon-swayback Heinne Haynes Bone - heinnie.com/rough-rider-classic-cinnamon-bone-stag-swayback/ Knives and Tools Carbon 2 - www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/-rough-ryder-classic-carbon-ii-swayback-rr2217-pocket-knife.htm Lamina Carbon - www.lamnia.com/en/p/38799/knives/rough-ryder-classic-carbon-yellow-swayback-pocket-knife - - Other Markets to check out - - You can review your local Ebay merchants and sometimes Amazon to see if anything is available.

[@MinaRoy]

Love these videos - been super helpful as I plan my whittling adventures. Idea for future videos (if interested): it'd be great to see you try sculpting something simple with one whittling knife. Could even have a comparison video where you sculpt, say, a rabbit: once with a FlexCut, another with the Rough Ryder pocket knife, etc.

[@CarvingisFun]

Interesting thought for a video, but I actually do this quite often with the result looking the same. I carry my GEC #62 pocket carver and whittle at work, I use my Helvie and Flexcut knives at my bench, and if I'm going on vacation I take my OCCT knives. In the end it comes down to the whittler and their skill level. I have seen people create amazing pieces of art with the most rudimentary tools. Even then, sometimes the wood is a little different in spots and can cause a unique problem you may never run across again.

[@MinaRoy]

@@CarvingisFun Thank you! That makes a lot of sense. It's the same with painting; no matter what brushes you have, it's the skill that makes the end-result look great.

[@TheLittlehopeful]

Great video as always, I have very small hands so I find pocket knives to be the most comfortable to use. I use my flexcut tri-jack way more than my regular flexcut and bevercraft knives.

[@CarvingisFun]

Those Tri-jacks are really nice, but I could never get use to the finger grooves. It just felt funny in my hands.

[@TheLittlehopeful]

@@CarvingisFun I have tiny (but POWERFUL) fingers so the grooves do not bother me. The only blade I have trouble with is the smallest. I can get it out ok, but unlocking the blade can be tricky, seems like the lock gets jammed. No issues with the two bigger blades. Probably should have gotten the whittlin jack but the tri-jack was on sale. :)

[@Dudenobody]

I thought the pocket knife in the thumbnail was a real knife, haha. Anyway, awesome video as always. You and your editor are awesome!

[@CarvingisFun]

Thanks! She is doing a great job and it lets me just focus on filming videos :)

[@Dudenobody]

@@CarvingisFun That is awesome! Also, you’ve mentioned before that we can leave you video ideas, so I’ve written a few. - How to Carve a Pawprint - How to Carve a Frog -How To Carve a Rocket Ship -How To Carve A Miniature Saturn (emphasis on miniature. If you tried to carve Saturn, you would die.) -How To Carve a Fish -How To Carve a Leaf -How To Carve a Sword -How To Carve a Crown - How To Carve a Camp Fire -Knife Safety/Safety In General -How To Carve a Flag -How To Carve a Detail Knife (just for lols) -How To Carve an Army Man -How To Carve a Lego -How To Carve Cthulhu (Just Don’t go Crazy) -How To Carve the Autism Symbol! (A.K.A; The Infinity Symbol. I have autism so I think this would be a nice idea) That’s all the ideas I have. I apologize if they’re a lot.

[@CarvingisFun]

All good stuff and will add them to my list if they arent already there :)

[@tomevans4402]

I have the flex cut carving multi tool, nice, I take it with me if I’ll be carving waiting for people. Got to be careful pully blades out Iv nicked myself a few times

[@CarvingisFun]

them blades are indeed sharp!

[@matesematese1572]

Brian i concure with your content very true i has exactly same black makarta scales knife i got mine crazy scary sharp got a kitchen paper towel soaked in malt vinegar for blades to force a patina does protect blade makes it look grey too 👍🦊🐾

[@CarvingisFun]

Oooooo! Now I have to do a force patina on one of mine!

[@matesematese1572]

@@CarvingisFun brian best way is use paper towel use malt vineger not any other vinegar soak towel in the vinegar wrap blade tightly cheak after 4 mins keep cheaking till desired colour is acheived atb dude 👍🍀🦊🐾

[@UltimateHulk32011]

Great Video try the Rough Rider Cinnamon Bone Stag Swayback whittler version no R or shield and also non carbon steel Denham Swayback 😉 ROUGH RIDER CLASSIC CINNAMON BONE STAG SWAYBACK

[@CarvingisFun]

I've been trying to find a place locally with the bone one, it looks so nice!

[@serrotnodnarB]

i always want to start carving, but never know where to start. thanks for the video, now i just need to get the knife and some wood to practice on. any recommendations on wood/sizes to start with?

[@Rzulf]

Watch other videos on this channel and you'll know everything ;) Even from where you can get wood for your new hobby. For the starting "masterpieces" you can get those little bricks - 1 inch wide and 6 long(I think - in Europe they're 2,5cm wide and 15cm long :P). All those beginner projects here are measured for those blocks.

[@serrotnodnarB]

@@Rzulf thank you. just subscribed this morning and i'm excited to learn more

[@kommissarjupiter7667]

Basswood all day

[@Rzulf]

@@serrotnodnarB oh, yeah - basswod, I forgot to mention that. Cheap, soft, the best. Good luck! You chose awesome hobby!

[@serrotnodnarB]

@@kommissarjupiter7667 thank you all :) i appreciate the kindness and quick replies

[@rjvcescobar]

Do you ever want to modify the pen knife blades ??? Thank you for the videos and the links to purchase the blades... What is the difference between the Carbon 1, or carbon 2 collection

[@CarvingisFun]

Sometimes I want to modify the pen blades but never actually get around to it. No real difference to be honest, but I think the carbon 2 comes in more colors

[@jphillips2471]

I've always used the pen blade as my primary whittler, and ya do gotta reshape the blade a bit. There's a few tutorials on YT on how to do that. Just strop the blade regularly and that blade will do just fine.

[@deathbyastonishment7930]

I bought this knife and the main backspring snapped in half! It was a shame because I really liked it

[@CarvingisFun]

Oh wow!! How long did it take for that to happen?

[@deathbyastonishment7930]

@@CarvingisFun it was about a week after I got it, after I had gone to the trouble of reshaping one of the pen blades into a sheep’s foot and reprofiling the edges haha

[@CarvingisFun]

Oh no!! That really sucks.

[@MrBlannon]

can you say a little more about how you shaped the blade up? how much sanding do you do on each grit?

[@CarvingisFun]

Sure, I can give a little more of a breakdown for ya: From the manufacture with with manufacture edge, I take it to my 600-800 grit stone to reprofile the edge/bevel to have a 12 to 15 degree edge profile on it. This is essentially shaping the edge and it is nowhere near sharp, but it has the profile I need to get started with. Depending on the hardness of the steel, it can take up to 30 to 50 passes each side until I have a consistent edge profile that I am happy with. This stage I am typically doing a back and forth motion with the goal to quickly remove metal. Then I take it to my 800 - 1000 grit stone to start the refining process. my goal here is to remove the deep scratches created from the last step and start to bring the edge smooth. I keep the edge at the same exact angle and typically do 20-30 passes on each side in a back and forth motion and then an additional 20-30 passes flipping sides each 10 passes in just one direction with the cutting edge trailing (ie, pushing the blade on the stone with the spine of the knife leading and the cutting edge trailing, no back and forth motion) After the deep scratches are removed, I take the blade to a 1000 - 2000 grit stone for refinement. This is designed to further align the edge and remove as much of the burr as possible that is created in the previous steps. This is sometimes seen a a small thin flap of metal or what looks like a very fine wire running up the edge of the blade. Continue the same movement in one direction with the cutting edge trailing (ie no back and forth motion) about 30-40 times each side and flip sides every 10 passes. You may at times see the burr that looks like a wire detaching from the edge of the blade, this is desirable. Finally, I take my edges to the leather strop. This is where the true refinement happens. Repeat the same exact motions as the previous step about 30-40 times each side, flipping sides every 10 passes. Sometimes you may see the burr come off at this step too, this is also desired. Continue till crazy sharp. Unless you damage the blade (like a chip, blunt, roll) you can simply maintain the edge every 15 to 25 minutes of whittling to maintain the sharpness of the edge by just using the leather strop. Very rarely do I take the blade down below my 1000 - 2000 grit stone as most minor chips are easily fixed with this grit and then I take it back up to my strop to finish off. Hope this helps!

[@MrBlannon]

@@CarvingisFun is stone grit roughly equivalent to sandpaper grit? I only have one stone, and i think it's in the 800-1000 range. Could I use sandpaper for the 1000-2000 step?

[@CarvingisFun]

Yeppers! I actually use automotive sandpaper for the higher grit ranges

[@MrBlannon]

@@CarvingisFun thanks!

[@westbsa7424]

👍👍👍👍

[@scottmorris4914]

Have you looked at the Narex knives and chisels?

[@scottmorris4914]

I see links are not allowed. I found the chisels and knives, under Tools, Carving, knives and chissels.

[@CarvingisFun]

Ya I have links disabled as I saw lots of spammers and scammers. I have a few Narex knives that I have been messing with but am trying to get more to create a better conclusion. So far they are just ok.

[@scottmorris4914]

@@CarvingisFun I would hope they are as good as their regular flat bottom chisels have been rated.

[@maevblog9955]

Hey

[@CarvingisFun]

Howdy!!!

[@gillianreynolds9829]

Could you give me a link for the carbon 2 (the blackish one) on ebay please? Thanks

[@CarvingisFun]

not seeing it on there anymore!

[@bige5565]

Please take this as constructive criticism . First of all love your channel and have gotten so much from it but a Rough rider pocket knife doesn't even come close to just about any flex cut knife pocket or fixed blade Sorry but really bad advice. My humble opinion

[@CarvingisFun]

Your opinion is my opinion as well, but this video was primarily for those who may not be able to afford the nicer options. All I'm doing is just giving someone a decent, more obtainable option especially in countries that flexcut costs double or more than what it is here in the US.

[@bige5565]

@@CarvingisFun just bought this knife because of this video one of the small blades was hitting the main blade when closed. Grind was way off really rough edges all away around the knife. 23 dollars on Amazon save up the money and get a flexcut. Even if ya have to pay double. Rough rider really bad quality control. Take care

[@marty1685]

How can you recommend this when everything you said about the Case Seahorse is 10X worse on this knife? The main blade is way too thick, and the thin blades are flimsy and flexible. Also, the quality is very low, even for $15 I would expect WAY better! There is no way this is 58 hrc, maybe, MAYBE 52-54! This knife is a piece of gas station level trash! DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY USE IT!! Dude, I bought this because of this video, which is not at all an accurate assessment of this knife. BUYER BEWARE!

[@CarvingisFun]

Interesting, well maybe the quality control went to poop after this? I know the one I have is still pretty nice, the main blade is about half the thickness of the Case, the smaller blades aren't anywhere near as flexible as Case, and the carbon version I have seems to hold its edge similarly with the rest of my knives. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I can only relay my own experiences handling the two side by side.

[@marty1685]

@@CarvingisFun I don't disagree with your assessment of the Case, but the knife I got from RR is not even close to as good as the Case. Just tell everyone to get an Opinel 6, 7, or 8, lol ;-) Sorry, I re-read my above comment, comes off way harsher than I meant to be, but the RR I got is a really bad knife that I don't think anyone would be happy with. I like your channel though, you're a better whittler than I, and I will continue to enjoy your content!

[@CarvingisFun]

I agree with ya on those opinels, they are absolutely wonderful knives... and I may or may not still have all of the sizes in my toolbox. Except for a number 1, dono if they made one really, but I wants it.