Mastercarver Pocket Whittler II folding knife

Before ordering, I was curious about where the knife is manufactured. This was not to determine if I wanted to buy or not, but because I like to know details about my knives. Information on this knife in general is scarce for some reason, even on the Mastercarver website. With that said, on the box, but not the knife itself, it does say “made in China” for the 555002 Pocket Whittler II, 440C Steel Blade. Perhaps the 555001 was made in the US, but I can’t find much info on that either and have only seen it on EBay for a ridiculous amount of money and no noticeable difference, at least to the eye. The blade is well centered, even if not quite perfectly. It doesn't rub the side. It has a nice snap, weight (2.38 oz) and the blade seems well made. No blade wobble and not too tight. It feels like I expect it should. There are no gaps or spaces between the liners and spring, as seen on the underside. Everything is flush and smooth. It did sound a little gritty when I first opened it, as most mass produced knives seem to these days and I could see some gray particles around the lock and inside, but nothing alarming. It may come through on the picture of the underside with a view of the lock release. With a couple of drops of oil and working the blade a bit, particles came out of the hinge and nothing is heard or felt now. The rest will come off with normal cleaning. The action is very nice and smooth otherwise. It doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap in the least. The “laminated wood grips” are excellent. Pictures don’t do them justice; they really look fantastic and have a mild textured feel to them. I wish Buck’s rosewood looked this good on the 301 I recently purchased. On the 301, the grips felt and looked like plastic. This could be mistaken for regular wood. The transition from grip to bolster can be felt, but not seen and there are no noticeable gaps. Not as good as my Buck 55, but not something to complain about either. The closest comparison I have is the aforementioned Buck 55, my favorite pocket knife to date and as perfect a mass produced knife as I’ve seen. Size-wise they are very similar, about the same length when open. The Mastercarver is slightly heavier and longer in the handle, the blade shorter. The longer handle allows a reassuring grip in hand; 4 fingers, as compared to closer to 3 with the 55. Out of the box it was decently sharp for common use. After some stropping, it was able to push-cut paper fairly well without having to slice. It won’t take much to get better for easier carving, so I have no complaints. I have other knives that are better known brands that required a lot more work to get as sharp as this one has with just some stropping. Time will tell how it will stand up to use, but at this point, I’m very happy with the purchase. I’ve sent back plenty of other knives at this point, but this one is staying. I’ll add some pictures if it becomes possible to do so (it doesn't seem to be an option right now) since there don’t seem to be many online, as well as of the box it came in. This is a great little knife with at lot of value, particularly at this price point. I can’t believe this knife doesn’t get more attention.

I wanted to get into whittling for relaxation and artistic expression. I’ll be honest, this wasn’t my first knife. I originally started with a Buck 55 thinking that the blade size would be ideal. It wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t feel like an extension of my hand. I decided to dive in and give the pocket whittler a try and let me tell you... it exceeded all expectations. It feels great and SAFE in my hand. This is thanks to the blade size, locking mechanism and beautiful handle. The screws are grounded down and smooth. It feels like some love went into this blade. Initially the blade wasn’t “whittling sharp”, but that was quickly rectified. It keeps a nice edge! If you’re looking for a folding pocket knife for whittling/carving look no further.

Beautiful. Fits well in my. Comfortable grip. Lock function works well. Knife lighter than expected. Worked well to carve on wood.

First thing that surprised me is the Fit and Finish. Very well made and looks better than in the photos. Dead solid lock-up. No blade play at all. The blade came sharp and after a few minutes of stropping, it shaved arm hair effortlessly (“hair-popping”). The blade geometry is great for general whittling/carving. It’s a zero-grind convex bevel with a very straight edge. The very tip of the blade is very usable but, some folks might want to refine it to a more precise point. I will do that but, as stated, it’s very usable as is. The knife is comfortable in hand (I have very large hands and my pinky rests on the “butt” (beyond the blade slot on the rear bolster which, is fine in my hand). Very satisfied with this knife and based on the one I received from Wood Carvers Supply, I happily recommend it.

So I apparently bought this in 2022. When it arrived, the first 1/4" from the tip was extremely dull. I contacted the manufacturer and alerted them that the item is too dangerous to use in this shape. They were good enough to send me a replacement or a refund - my choice. As I really liked the feel of the knife, I chose a replacement, which had the same problem. So I put a few hours into sharpening and honing the blade. It is NOT a true V, like someone else posted - on one side the blade is flat and on the other has a slight convex to it. Depending on your sharpening skills, it may take quite a while to get it to working state. Which makes it a rather expensive practice unit. I.E., if I wanted to spend time MAKING a knife, I would not be buying this one. Otherwise, scales are tight, there is almost no blade wobble, it locks safely. I have not really used it since I bought it, because that 1/4" tip gets terribly dull very quick and you would be spending half of your time honing it, instead of carving with it.

The pictures do not do this knife justice. It’s beautifully finished and a very well made knife. Definitely not your typical Chinese import knife. As for sharpness, my knife was sharp right out of the box. About ten minutes on a leather strop and I was shaving the hair off my arm. It’s a great pocket carry for the Wittler-carver who wants the ability to carve outside of the home workshop.

The knife blade arrived sharp and ready to work. The finish of the handle is poor. Blemishes on bolsters. Noticeable gap at bolster and wood handle.

Great carving knife, cuts like butter. Good steel with good geometry, good construction, what else do you need. An old family owned business creating quality wood working tools. I use this knife almost everyday, and with a little help from the leather strop, it's still razor sharp. I've even used it on some fairly hard wood. I have a lot of pocket knives and fixed blades, including quite a few whittling knives and this one is by far the best. I almost never write reviews but I had to say my piece and let y'all know I fully praise and condone this blade and this business. It's absolutely worth the money, go for it and take your whitt game to the next level!