[scbadboy]

I've finally found the perfect thing for doing these pumpkins, I bought from Michaels an heated knife, its for wood burning, leather work, and other things, but it includes a scalpel attachment, and it works awesome like a knife through butter, try it!!!!

[Nikki]

A heated knife? Hey, that might be cool if it singes the edges of the pumpkin so it won't mold as fast.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

A heated knife? Hey, that might be cool if it singes the edges of the pumpkin so it won't mold as fast.

I can see where it might work on a those foam pumpkins from Michaels, as scbadboy has done. Melts a foam a bit, maybe. But not sure it would do anything on a real pumpkin.

[scbadboy]

A heated knife? Hey, that might be cool if it singes the edges of the pumpkin so it won't mold as fast.

I can see where it might work on a those foam pumpkins from Michaels, as scbadboy has done. Melts a foam a bit, maybe. But not sure it would do anything on a real pumpkin.

yeah for the time and effort I've put in to making a lot of your stencils, I like the idea of keeping them for good, but until now I could only do some of the more basic carvings, because with the crappy foam (NON FUNKINS) you can't put anything too close together or it just breaks, so far since I've gotten this tool, I've done Sponge Bob, Freddy, and Alice Cooper, all of which I think are a little more detail than some of the others, keep up the good work ZP, and get us a Jason soon

I had an idea for a jason where you use the same kind of layout as the shaun of the dead pumpkin, so his body would be angled a bit, so you'd only be using 1/2 to 3/4's of his mask, because I think that would be the hard part to make a stencil out of.

[taber]

Beware "Fauxkins." I saw some at AC Moore or something, and the paint was chipping off of them - cheeeap! They also said they may be flammable so I'd be hesitant about using a heated knife on 'em!

[Nikki]

True Taber very true. The ones they sell over at our Safeway are too easy to get knicks and chips on them. I poked one with my nail to see how soft they were- too soft for my taste. You'd have to really store the 'Faux/Funkins' to keep it ...perfect.

[Jack]

The only fake pumpkins I have seen are cheap plastic ones at micheals,I have never seen a funkin up close but I think I would have to see one before I paid that much for one pumpkin

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Funkins came down in price this year ($20 instead of $30). I can attest that they look great. Molded from real pumpkins, you have to look close to tell they aren't the real thing.

But for the carving experience, I much prefer a real pumpkin, which is more soft and forgiving. It's sometimes sad to see them rot, but that's all part of the life cycle.

And because real pumpkins don't last forever, that gives you reason to carve again the following year (using the latest and greatest Zombie Pumpkins patterns, natch).

[taber]

Ryan, spoken like a true patchmaster. I am in concurrence!

[Jack]

Due to the lack of funkins in Canada and the fact that I like to have at least 10 pumpkins in my graveyard,I will always be carving the real thing