Whittling as a real constructive effort and not just cutting shavings from a stick requires practice, patience, and persistence, but its reward is a deep satisfaction and pride in a job well done. It provides an outlet for creative and artistic faculties.

The origin of whittling is lost in antiquity. The art grew out of man's impulse to express his innate love for decoration, even if crudely, and can be found on the earliest weapons and ornaments.

You as a beginner in whittling may bear in mind that it is a hobby with a tradition; that it numbers among its followers such famous men as Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, and Will Rogers, who turned to it as a relief from their daily routine.

Whittling can be classified as a hobby for almost anyone except, of course, very young children. My projects are planned so as to give a picture of the finished job, even before it is placed on the block.

This book is destined for anyone who may be interested in a hobby that pays big dividends in satisfaction to the worker. It is my hope that the diagrams and illustrations will be interesting as well as instructive and will stimulate your creative imagination so that you will want to continue with your own projects.