1 X Brass and Walnut Pro Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit

Tired of killing my hands with the plastic "awls" and ridiculously-flimsy "saws" in pumpkin-carving kits (such as Pumpkin Masters - the best of a very sad bunch), I decided to try a fettling knife set. Am I glad I did! This product is fabulous! You can even cut very acute angles with it.I used the coarsest blade. There are about 5 more that are finer.Let the blade to the work. Almost effortless cutting. Just push it up and down and guide it the way you want it to go. Using this saw is NOT like writing your name or cutting a tuna fish sandwich in half. Takes a little getting used to.Blades are steel, so wash and dry thoroughly before storage; let dry overnight.To disassemble: untwist collar and chuck assembly; the blade will now come out.This is sold as a potter's tool, but it is fantastic for carving pumpkins. The $30 price was a little shocking, but I decided to go for it bcs of the brass fittings.For carving faces, this product rocks!mbPS 1. Use a fork to demarcate the cutting lines, not the little plastic awl. (I'm assuming you have a plastic set and have come looking for something better.)PS 2. I also bought the Pumpkin Gutter. This was a disappointment. Suggest you pass on that gadget (but what a fabulous idea!). I am trying to see if I can sharpen the blades on it. Not sure how this might be done - if at all.

Firstly, the product only comes with two (2) blade sizes. Essentially, you get 3 of each blade size.Next, the product was delivered WITHOUT the wrench. Fortunately, you can pretty much use any adjustable wrench to unlock the blade, but I still think that was a crap move on their part. Baiting unassuming customers into buying the wrench tool separately, much?Finally, the small blades have pretty good utility but the larger sized ones aren't good for any detail work. Plus they are a pain in the ass to clean since the blade teeth aren't straight (they kind of stick out on either side). Plus side, they didn't rust immediately like another reviewer said they did, but I clean all my equipment straight away and allow to air dry.Overall, this purchase was a total disappointment. I ended up doing most of the cut work on my pumpkins this year with the cheap, plastic handled saws you get in the kits. Here are my pumpkins in case you were wondering: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1UDjbACUAALpUC.jpg:large

This knife/saw is awesome! I really get into the spirit of Halloween every year and carve anywhere from 6-15 pumpkins to put outside of my building; but, I am by no means an expert. This tool dramatically improved my carvings! The detail saw is just about perfect for tight corners and lines - and armed with this tool I am now attempting "expert" and "master" graded templates with moderate success!! If you are like me, and this is just a hobby that you would like to do better, look no further than this tool!The blades are a little "bendy" and will probably snap if provoked - you just have to remind yourself to be patient - and saw with an up-and-down motion, holding the saw at about 90 degrees to the surface of the pumpkin. I only mention that b/c some other reviews (on this and similar products) reference "weak" or "cheap" blades that break easily. My opinion is that these blades are of above-average quality but I'm sure they will break if they are not used properly. It comes with 3 of each of the 2 blades - so if one does break at least you have 2 in reserve.I have used the same set of blades on 3 pumpkins now without any issue at all. I would suggest hand drying them immediately after you wash the blades though, to prevent oxidation - learn from my mistake. :(

I meant to come back not long after Halloween to review this set, but I guess it took me a while longer!For the last two decades, I have been using the ubiquitous plastic pumpkin carving sets. Shame on me for thinking that was as good as it gets!As soon as you open the package, you'll realize what you've been missing. From the heft of the handle to the sharpness of the blades (really, though, be super careful with those blades!), this is a high-quality set. I almost wondered if I was doing this set a disservice by getting it coated in pumpkin gore!The set comes with a roughing out blade and gradually finer blades for finer work. I initially thought I would only use one or two of the blades and quickly found myself switching them out more frequently! The blades sit very tightly in the handle, however, and might take a little OOMPH to get them changed out.I've attached a photo of the first two pumpkins I carved. It was significantly easier than with the plastic sets, and the whole set is easy to clean afterwards. Just be sure to clean the handle after the blade is removed, as the slots to slip the blade in can get goopy.I'm now a super-spoiled pumpkin carver. I'll never be able to use another carving kit!

This little kit did what it was set out to do, but not without some setbacks. The first one is the concept of screwing in the different blades when you need to switch quickly becomes time consuming and unwanted. Another drawback of this carving set is that the blades do bend somewhat easily. I found that after carving two pumpkins, 1/4 of my blades were bent to some degree. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some carving pro, but I'm pretty sure the blades should bend so easily. This set is nice for a quick carving session but shouldn't be considered for long-term use unless the user will be extra careful when using them.