I’m going to come right out of the gate in saying that if you are a beginner and want to pick up your first set of whittling knives, look no further than Flexcut!
After testing a bunch of different whittling knives, Flexcut stands on top for out of the box sharpness, high carbon steel blade, affordable price, and large selection of tool options. You could just use Flexcut knives for years and never feel like you need to find a better knife.
Quick Stats
Steel | High Carbon Spring Steel |
Rockwell Hardness (RC) | 59 – 61 |
Comes Sharp | Yes |
Sharp edge after 30 min | Yes |
Average Price | $18 – $23 each tool |
Recommended for Beginners | Yes |
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 Like About Flexcut Whittling Knives
There are so many things that I like about the Flexcut knives. Just from them being sharp and ready to use right out of the box to having a large selection of different knives and tools to choose from will keep me coming back and looking specifically for the Flexcut brand first.
Even with all of the things that these knives get right, there are a handful of things that were a little annoying and will be covered further down.
Ready to Use Out of the Box
First impressions can really set the mood for how you feel about something, and right out of the box these knives are sharp!
Flexcut knives come out of the box honed and ready to use, there is no need to have to sharpen or anything. Just wipe off the thin layer of oil protecting the steel and start chipping away at some wood.
There are plenty of whittling knives on the market that are dull and not ready for use from the beginning. Not these knives, they can shave the hair right off your arm no problem.
Excellent Edge Retention
Because of the high carbon steel that Flexcut uses for their knives, they have the right balance of edge retention for prolonged use.
You can easily whittle for 30 or more minutes without having to hone your blade. This is a major plus for beginners as you can continue to whittle without having to worry about your edge getting dull.
Even then, the knife is easy to hone on a leather strop and can be brought back up to ideal sharpness with basic maintenance. The steel is harder, so it may take longer to hone than some softer steel knives.
Comfortable Handle
Flexcut knows that their customers will be using these knives for hours on end and comfort is an important factor when whittling. If your knife is awkward shaped or just doesn’t fit your hand, eventually your hand will start to cramp and start huring.
Flexcut knives are very comfortably designed with their ergonomic handles that just fit your hand properly regardless if you are pushing away from you or doing a paring cut. I can easily hold on to the handle for hours with little fatigue.
This is especially important for me as I managed to break a bone in my hand when I was younger. If I over use my hand today, it will start seizing up and become stiff. I don’t have any of those issues with these knives what so ever.
Lots of Options
If you need a knife, gouge, or wood carving tool, Flexcut probably has it. It doesn’t matter if you want whittling knives, micro wood cutting tools, power carvers, or even bushcraft, Flexcut probably has a tool for you.
You can easily spend well over an hour looking over all of the different options that they have available. Let me tell you, my wallet is in constant danger whenever I start looking at all their tools!
You can buy the knives and gouges individually or save some money and buy them in sets. The savings of buying their sets can be substantial, mostly if you can find them on sale!
Offers Inside the Packaging
This may be internal advertising, but I love it when companies provide free offers, rebates, and coupons for their own products. Remember how I said my wallet is in danger? Well this helps lighten the load if you find something that you just cant live without.
If you buy a tool kit like I have pictured above, make sure to check the inside of the packaging for details on how to maintain your knife and special offers like the free 4 pocket tool roll!
Affordable
Flexcut knives are priced right at that sweetspot between $20 and $25 each. If you buy them in a kit, sometimes that can drop the average price per tool to about $15 each!
I feel like I can buy and use these tools without any buyers remorse. The tools are made of high quality materials and sometimes out perform tools that are more expensive!
What I Didn’t Like
Of course, there are a few things that may be considered a negative in everything you buy. Give it enough time and the flaws will start to present themselves.
Still overall these flaws I found are what I would consider to be minor, and probably fixable if I get around to doing so.
Back of The Knife is Rough
The main thing that bothered me was the lack of a smooth grind on the backs of the knives. As you can see in the picture, there are some bumps on the top edge of the knife that you can feel with your fingers when pushing the blade.
Now I say that I may fix this later on, but part of the reason why I wear gloves while whittling is to help cushion the thumb that pushes on the back of the blade. So I don’t feel this roughness unless I am whittling without a glove, and then it can be uncomfortable.
I will probably just take some sandpaper or a sharpening stone to grind it down, it is an easy fix.
Steeper Knife Edge Angle
Lots of the more expensive and quality made knives (talking about $35 and up) will typically have a thin blade with a very nice 12 to 15 degree cutting edge on the knife.
Flexcut blades seem to have a slightly steeper cutting edge than some of the other knives I have and use, which can make it just a little harder to slice off some wood in tight places.
Now don’t get me wrong, these knives can chip, slice, and cut away wood at a rapid pace. We are only talking a few degrees, and most of you probably wont notice anything.
This steeper angle does have one major benefit, especially to beginners. Because the edge isn’t so thin, you get a stronger and more robust edge that can hold its sharpness even if you accidentally tap it on something hard. This is key for anyone getting started to make sure they keep whittling and not worry about messing up their knife.
Best Places to Buy Flexcut Knives
There are loads of places to buy these knives but I would recommend checking out these three places first. Even though Amazon usually has the best average price year round, places like Rockler and Knife Country USA have amazing sales that can put Amazon prices to shame.
My suggestions for you guys if you want an affordable kit to get started with are the Beginner Palm Knife Kit or the 3 Knife Starter Set. Both will get you everything you need to get started whittling.
Amazon
There is no denying it, Amazon has the majority of the things we buy online in and makes it easy to buy them. Thankfully, it seems like the entire Flexcut line is on Amazon so you can find just about any knife they make through them.
Click here to browse Amazon for some amazing deals on Flexcut knives!
Rockler
Rockler is a company dedicated to woodworking as a whole. They carry a wide range of Flexcut tools and supplies plus quality wood to start whittling with!
Now the best part about this company is that when they put these knives on sale, they can blow Amazon right out of the water in terms of pricing. If you are going to pick up some Flexcut knives, check to see if they are on sale by clicking here to go to Rockler.com.
Knife Country USA
Knife Country USA is a family owned business that specializes in knives. They have just about every major brand on the market and carry a massive selection to choose from.
I often see that they put their Flexcut knives on sale and is worth checking out to see if they have the best prices available. Click here to go to KnifeCountryUSA.com to browse their selection of Flexcut knives.
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/