What tools don't work well.
Some tools just don't work very well.
Big Knife - Only a hack would use a giant knife to remove the top of a pumpkin. If you don't have a sawzall handy and must use a knife to get through the thick area at the top of the pumpkin, use a boning knife. The blade is thin enough to carve a somewhat round cap. Otherwise your cap will look like a retarded stop sign.
Dremel tool / Roto-zip - Man, I thought these two would be great at carving. I even bought a "carving" tool for my dremel. I had high hopes. Unfortunately, I never considered the fibrous nature of the pumpkin. As you try to carve a straight line using a spining carving tool, it will slide through some spots and then snag a fibrous spot and jerk to one side. These two tools just don't work. Use a jig saw for carving and you'll be much happier. The in and out motion is much easier to use.
Note: In 2007, I started to use a dremel stylus tool to do some fine carving work (like detailed teeth and such). It works fairly well, but I wouldn't suggest it. The dremel stylus is held in your hand, like a pencil, so it easy to keep steady. For this reason, I have started to like it.
It is mostly useful for super-fine detail work and not good for actually carving a pumpkin. I still suggest a jigsaw for most work. Besides, the dremel stylus costs something like $75.00, so unless you have to do a special pumpkin for a talk show or something, I suggest you invest your money in the beverage market.
A Torch - Trying to burn a pumpkin is like trying to light a block of ice on fire. They are mostly water. A torch doesn't do much.
Circular / Miter / Radial Arm Saw - If you want to slice a pumpkin like a loaf of bologna these might work, but for anything else, forget em. If you want to take a slab off of a pumpkin to make it sit or lie flat, a cross cut hand saw will do the job in no time. Pumpkins are soft and easy to cut.
Here are some links to pumpkin carving tools that I like to use. I tried to spend some time to find you guys great deals. I think I did a good job of it.
Big Knife - Only a hack would use a giant knife to remove the top of a pumpkin. If you don't have a sawzall handy and must use a knife to get through the thick area at the top of the pumpkin, use a boning knife. The blade is thin enough to carve a somewhat round cap. Otherwise your cap will look like a retarded stop sign.
Dremel tool / Roto-zip - Man, I thought these two would be great at carving. I even bought a "carving" tool for my dremel. I had high hopes. Unfortunately, I never considered the fibrous nature of the pumpkin. As you try to carve a straight line using a spining carving tool, it will slide through some spots and then snag a fibrous spot and jerk to one side. These two tools just don't work. Use a jig saw for carving and you'll be much happier. The in and out motion is much easier to use.
Note: In 2007, I started to use a dremel stylus tool to do some fine carving work (like detailed teeth and such). It works fairly well, but I wouldn't suggest it. The dremel stylus is held in your hand, like a pencil, so it easy to keep steady. For this reason, I have started to like it.
It is mostly useful for super-fine detail work and not good for actually carving a pumpkin. I still suggest a jigsaw for most work. Besides, the dremel stylus costs something like $75.00, so unless you have to do a special pumpkin for a talk show or something, I suggest you invest your money in the beverage market.
A Torch - Trying to burn a pumpkin is like trying to light a block of ice on fire. They are mostly water. A torch doesn't do much.
Circular / Miter / Radial Arm Saw - If you want to slice a pumpkin like a loaf of bologna these might work, but for anything else, forget em. If you want to take a slab off of a pumpkin to make it sit or lie flat, a cross cut hand saw will do the job in no time. Pumpkins are soft and easy to cut.
Here are some links to pumpkin carving tools that I like to use. I tried to spend some time to find you guys great deals. I think I did a good job of it.
When I am not carving pumpkins, I run the world's most private drugstore. ShopInPrivate.com
Also, last year, my company took over RomanticGifts.com, so if you need a romantic gift for Christmas, a birthday or an anniversary, please consider our wonderful store.
My co-workers and I run the biggest store for bachelorette party items in the world. It is lots of fun. We have fun jobs.
Look everyone, My Book, Extreme Pumpkins - At Amazon
and My Second Book, Extreme Pumpkins II is there too.Ok, this is just getting silly. My books are now at Barnes and Noble's (Extreme Pumpkins and Extreme Pumpkins II, Borders (Extreme Pumpkins and Extreme Pumpkins II), and a ton of independent book stores, (see BookSense.com.)