Pikes Peak Whittlers teaches KRDO13 the basics ahead of 40th annual show

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Three of the 40-plus whittlers who will show their wares at the Pikes Peak Whittler Club's 40th annual show and competition this weekend sat down with KRDO13's Bradley Davis to show him the basic cuts.

"That's why we wear a thumb guard. Carvers who don't use it are really good because they have years and years of cutting themselves," said Pikes Peak Whittlers President Steve Gurnett while walking Davis through a basic "pull cut."

"So, he's saying he's really good right now," Davis said, as Gurnett did a pull cut of his own without a thumb guard.

"Well, I'm saying I always use a thumb guard, but you have my thumb guard right now."

Over the course of the morning, Gurnett whittled a face on a pumpkin, while Davis attempted to whittle a face on a practice wood piece. The two other professional whittlers, Mark Goodman and Gary Fenton, worked on their projects as well.

"People tend to relieve stress when they're carving. The creative part is what really gets people interested. You lose track of time," Fenton said.

"The mission of our club is to promote wood carving in the community, and so this show, it's an annual thing, and it's our big thing to do because people will come to the show to see what we've got," Gurnett said. "It's very unique. You just don't see the stuff in stores or in shops."

Fenton also posed a challenge to people at home. A man of many puns, he said the first person to correctly guess the joke behind the carved ornament below at this weekend's show will get one for free.

The show is at the Colorado Springs Shrine Club, on the corner of Pikes Peak and 33rd Street on the West side of Colorado Springs. The whittlers will be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday. They'll have items available for purchase, will engage in whittling competitions, and will have information for how people interested in learning to whittle can get involved.