When shopping online for your first whittling knife or even knife kit you will probably see two companies dominating the market, FlexCut and BeaverCraft.
Both FlexCut and BeaverCraft make great quality whittling knives and are priced perfectly for beginners and intermediate skill levels. If you want to start wood carving, I would look into either one of these companies.
Still, there are a few differences worth looking into before purchasing a wood carving set from either one of them, so lets cover that first!
Quick Stats
There are lots of things to consider when buying your first wood carving tool set, but as a general overview, the tools are pretty close in overall quality if you look at the tools themselves.
If you want an in-depth review video on most of the tools each company has to offer, I will have them at the bottom of the article, or you can just click here to jump down to the video reviews!
| FlexCut | BeaverCraft | |
| Steel | High Carbon Spring Steel | 30MnB5 Steel |
| Rockwell Hardness (RC) | 59 – 61 | 58 – 62 |
| Comes Sharp | Yes | Yes |
| Sharp Edge After 30 Min | Yes | Yes |
| Average Individual Knife Price | $18 – $23 | $13 – $20 |
| Recommended for Beginners | Yes | Yes |
Who Has a Better Wood Carving Tool?
Lets not bury my opinion on the page, you came here to see what is the better knife and why.
FlexCut makes a slightly better overall tool than BeaverCraft when comparing similar knives side by side. FlexCut’s steel quality is a little better, the handles are more refined, and they have thinner blades than BeaverCraft knives.
However, if you are on a budget and want to buy everything you need to get started for a good price, BeaverCraft sells better complete wood carving kits. BeaverCraft kits come with just about everything you will need for about 30% cheaper than buying similar FlexCut versions.
Still, there are dozens of other companies out there so if you want to see my absolute favorite whittling knives you can see them here: https://carvingisfun.com/best-whittling-knives/
What Type of Carvers are BeaverCraft and Flexcut For?
Both BeaverCraft and Flexcut wood carving tools are designed for beginners to intermediate carvers alike, but both companies have some specialties that they focus on more than the other.
Beavercraft tools are great for beginner wood carvers wanting to get into whittling, but they are also great for those looking to get into spoon carving and kuksa carving. This is primarily because BeaverCraft sells much more ridged hook knives and gouges to really get into and scoop out wood.
Flexcut Tools are great for beginner wood carvers wanting to get into whittling, but also great for those looking to get into figure carving and shallow relief carving. This is primarily because Flexcut sells thinner knives that allow for great detail as well as more variety of chisels and gouges.
BeaverCraft and Flexcut Blade Comparison
The side profile between the two companies are very similar to each other and have similar handling. Lets dive deeper and compare the differences.
Steel Quality
Both companies use quality, hardened steel for their blades. This improves edge sharpness and allows you to hone the knife to a super sharp edge.
– FlexCut
FlexCut uses a High Carbon Spring Steel blade with a Rockwell Hardness (RC) of 59 – 61. This steel is very durable and allows you to create a razor edge quite easily.
I can easily whittle for 30 minutes straight without worrying about honing the knife. Compaired to most of my other whittling knives, these are one of the best knives I own for edge retention.
– BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft uses a 30MnB5 Steel blade with a Rockwell Hardness of 58 – 62. This is a good quality steel that both allows you to create a razor sharp edge and is quite durable.
When compared to the Flexcut knives, I find that they need to be honed more often and wear down faster. These knives may be around 58 – 62 RC, but they seem to be more on the lower end of the hardness scale.
Edge Grind
The knife edge on both FlexCut and BeaverCraft have similar flat grinds with no secondary bevel. Both are super easy to sharpen and can easily hold a razor sharp edge.
The only real difference between the two knives on how the cutting edge is formed is that the BeaverCraft knives have a slightly steeper edge angel. This does make the BeaverCraft knives a hair more difficult to whittle with, but not by much.
For most people, this may be purely asthetic, but I really like how the FlexCut Knives come honed smooth out of the box. The BeaverCraft knives have a bit of a rougher grind on the edge. A smoother edge may translate to a better cutting edge, but the BeaverCraft knives can still remove wood quite quickly.
Blade Thickness
Part of the reason for the steeper edge angle on the BeaverCraft knives is due to the blade thickness. BeaverCraft whittling knives are nearly twice the thickness of the FlexCut Knives and can make it slightly more difficult to wedge into tight spaces.
I personally stick with the FlexCut knives for just this reason alone. FlexCut’s nice thin blade has helped me make some pretty nice detailed cuts into wood without any struggle.
If you want to see how these compare when slicing through wood, check out this video below.
Handle Comparison
Both FlexCut and BeaverCraft have similar shaped handles, but the FlexCut knives feel more refined.
FlexCuts’s Whittling knife handles are more rounded and form fitting to the hand. Plus they finish them in what feels like a clear lacquer that still shows the wood grain and protects the wood. The only down side is that it may get a little slick if your hands get sweaty.
BeaverCraft uses what feels like a generic handle that seems to match the economy priced wood carving knives. They aren’t anything special but are still somewhat formfitting to the hands and provide a better grip than some other knives I have used.
Available Tools
Both BeaverCraft and FlexCut have a massive selection when it comes to whittling knives and they both seem to have similar knife styles available. While they may not be a direct copy of each other, they will have tools designed to do the same exact task.
BeaverCraft will have the more affordable options in every knife style, but I think the FlexCut knives are still better quality for just a little more money.
I have some videos at the bottom of the page with a general overview of what both companies have to offer.
Knife Kit Comparison
Both companies have their own knife kits, but this is where BeaverCraft products really shine when compared to FlexCut.
BeaverCraft Whittling Knife Kits
My favorite thing about BeaverCraft is that you can buy an entire whittling kit that will have all you need to get started for less than $45. Some of these kits also come with wood to carve and band-aids in case you accidental poke your finger (I’ve used a few of mine already).
FlexCut tools come in small kits but currently don’t sell a full kit complete with rolling tool bag and sharpening tools like a strop, along with the tools. Some of the knife kits come with some polishing compound to put on an old piece of leather, but that’s it.
They do sell all the extras you may want separately but that can really start to raise the price. The FlexCut knife kits do come with offers inside the packaging to pick up free mail in items or rebates, so that does help a bit.
Full Knife Reviews
If you are looking for more information on each knife, feel free to check out my complete review on each brand by clicking the link below. I honestly believe that you will enjoy the FlexCut tools better than BeaverCraft, but still feel like BeaverCraft tools will still more than get the job done.
BeaverCraft Review
FlexCut Review
If you want to pick up some for yourself, check out the Amazon links below.
Click here to check out everything BeaverCraft has to offer.
Click here to browse Amazon for some amazing deals on Flexcut knives!
Video Reviews
If you want to see a video on the differences between the knives themselves, check this one out!
I also went in detail on different tools offered by each of the companies as well. For a good idea of what BeaverCraft has to offer, this is the video for you!
To get a great look at what Flexcut has to offer, I show a good portion of everything they have in this video!
Full FlexCut Review: https://carvingisfun.com/flexcut-review/
Full BeaverCraft Review: https://carvingisfun.com/beavercraft-review/
Best Whittling Knives: https://carvingisfun.com/beginner-whittling-knives/
If you want to see more cool carving tools, tips, and projects, check out my YouTube Channel Below!
