How to Choose a Pumpkin Carving Kit in the UK - Buying Guide
Now, we can dive into the details to find out what elements make a good pumpkin carving kit. From tools to templates and even materials, we'll teach you everything you need to know.
1
Consider the Family Friendliness of the Pumpkin Carving Kit
Pumpkin carving can be a great activity for any autumnal occasion, whether it's a cosy date idea or a fun Halloween party for kids. Either way, it's important to make sure that you use the tools with care. Some of them are quite pointy and sharp so if your child is young, it's best to supervise them.
To save you the stress, most brands have put age recommendations on to let you know just how dangerous their tools could be if left with an unsupervised child. A lot of them start from ages 9 and up but if you have young children, they can still help out by using simple tools like the plastic scoop and the poke tool while you handle the tricky bits.
2
Choose the Tools to Suit Your Carving Needs
To help you get to grips with the type of tools you'll need, you can take a look at this next section so you can get to the carving table, etching tool in hand, looking like a pro.
Poke Tools, Etching Tools, and Wheels Help You To Create Intricate Designs
We've all done it; accidentally poking out a pumpkin's eye or cutting through a tooth because we didn't properly prepare the pumpkin. To make sure that your design goes to plan, you can use a number of different tools such as the etching or poking tool, and the wheel.
The etching tool carves just the outer layer of the pumpkin, taking off the thick dark orange skin to reveal the lighter flesh on the inside so that you can create intricate designs with different layers.
The poking tool can work in two ways; poking little holes in your pumpkin to use as a guide when you carve, or to push and remove big shapes once you've cut them. If you like the idea of poking the holes to guide your path, try using a rugged wheel to run along the sides of your stencil.
Scoops Save Your Hands from Getting Messy
The messy part. Before you carve your pumpkin, you've got to go around and scoop out the slimy, seedy insides, or the 'guts'! If you've done this before, you'll know just how stringy and gooey the inside of the pumpkin can be so having a tool that can scrape away at the flesh and scoop it up is a blessing.
Our best advice would be to look for a steel scoop with teeth so that it's strong enough to scrape up every bit of pumpkin gunk. However, if you have young children, a plastic scoop might be the only way they can join in with the messy bit as they're safer to use.
Saws Can Cut the Shapes With Ease - But Be Careful!
The saws are what bring the whole kit together, cutting out the eyes and carving a ghoulish smile. Usually, these saws can have ridged teeth and a blunt end to easily slice through the pumpkin, but also to protect whoever could be using it.
The wider apart the teeth are spread, the longer it'll take to cut through the outer layer. While this can take time, it also means that it's safer for the carving newbies and might even help you to be more precise.
You can also find curved saws which are useful with the more challenging areas like the smile or the curve of a witch's hat!
Even the smallest of details Can Make a Difference!
The detailing tools will essentially be smaller versions of the regular tools, often in different shapes and sizes. This is so that you can add the finishing touches and get closer up to the pumpkin for better accuracy.
In the products below you'll see detailing tools that can be used for etching, cutting, carving, even scooping and if you feel like getting creative, who knows where the possibilities will end! If you like to carve spooky scenes or famous characters onto your pumpkin as opposed to the classic face, you'll definitely love the effect of a detailing tool.
3
The Material of the Handle Determines the Durability of the Tool
Generally, plastic is cheap to make and buy so it's commonly used for the handles of the carving tools. But they tend to become brittle as the years go by and if you tend to get vigouros with your carving, they might not last as long as you'd like. However, they're a good option for children and they're more affordable if you're buying for the whole family.
If you'd like something that's a little stronger than the average plastic, try wood, ABS plastic, or PP plastic. They're a lot more durable and they last much longer than normal plastic. If you can find a tool kit with rubber handles, that's even better as you can have a better grip of the tool so you don't slip!
4
Use a Stencil if You're Stuck for Ideas
Halloween comes every single year and yet we are still faced with the age-old question of "what should I carve on my pumpkin?!" This is where stencils come in useful.
You just need to press the stencil up against the pumpkin and either poke or draw your design with a marker. The products that we've chosen have a great range of faces, some cute, some spooky, and some are illustrations like ghosts or skeletons. This can be really helpful if you have young children or you're hosting a cosy pumpkin carving party.
