Reviews of specific carving products by those who've used them.
By cuvers
#79142
Hi Everyone!
I saw these in the "shop" and was intrigued by them, has anyone tried them yet? and if so what do you think? if they work as advertised..wow! it couldn't get any easier than that, super expensive tho. for those of us that do 20+ kins each year
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By Kayo
#79170
they aren't in the shop yet but if you go into the shocking shop three you can see some info about them
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By SuperSonic
#80286
I imagined your voice a tad lower. Not bad if I do say so myself :lol:

Anyway, I was hesitant about this stuff at first, concerned about how placing the pattern might work. After that, I was pretty confident that something like this would stick. Even in the video this stuff surely proved how amazing it is. However, a batch with more sheets might be better for those of us who carve in bulk. Like me (30 Pumpkins is no laughing matter ladies and gentlemen). :lol:

I will certainly pick some of this stuff up in the off season. Were there more options for larger sheet quantities? Say maybe 10 to a package, rather than 4? I'd pay a bit more for more sheets.
By cuvers
#80421
Awesome, thanks for the video!! altho I am still a bit concerned about it dissolving on more intricate carves with a lot of more cuts tht are close together when the pumpkin starts "bleeding" for lack of a better word..lol but looking forward to trying it for sure, and in your opinion, instead of printing them can they be drawn on, and or put on a light table and be able to trace your pattern onto the sheets?
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By Raven
#80496
I got my Stick and Carve today and went right to work with it. I was so excited to try it out! Here are my thoughts on it. I only did the one pumpkin with it so far.

First, it prints out really well. No problem at all with the pattern lines not being nice and dark or crisp. It can be drawn on and I can imagine it would work just fine with a light table and tracing. Just make sure you know which way your printer paper feeds so that you are printing on the correct side.
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No problems at all sticking it to the pumpkin (real). It's very thin and was MUCH easier to place around the 'kin than regular paper is. It folds very easy where you need it to and almost stretches a little so you can fit it to the pumpkin easier. I had no problem peeling it up and resticking it where I needed to.

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Here was my only issue with it. As curvers brought up, when you are carving a detailed area or one with close pieces it does melt the paper away. However, I was able to carve each tooth before they disappeared, but it's something to keep in mind when carving areas like this. Also, the paper between the teeth would slide when I went to carve each new tooth. I wouldn't say it made tight places difficult to carve, but be aware it could happen. On this pattern the teeth were the only area I had a problem, but I'm not sure how good it would work on a pattern such as Pinhead where there are a lot of small areas close together.

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This is with all pieces carved out. You can see how far the edges melted away from the juice of the pumpkin. I used the ZP! Pro Carving Tool to carve with and had no issues with the blade not easily sliding through the paper. It peeled off super easy when I was done. It didn't leave a tacky residue on the 'kin but I still gave the pumpkin a bath after I peeled everything off. All in all it's nice stuff. It certainly was nice to just stick the pattern on without having to trace anything. My only other thought is that I like to refer to the pattern when carving sometimes after I have traced it with Saral paper. This is easily solved though by just printing out the pattern a second time on regular paper. I liked the stuff, will use it again, but I do wish there were more sheets in a pack.

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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#80549
Ravens, fantastic review and great photos! Very helpful to hear about your experience, so thanks for putting it to the test and sharing your experience. I totally agree with your thoughts.

With my watermelon test, I noticed that the Stick 'n Carve did "melt" away from the edges a bit. I wasn't sure if pumpkins would react the same (sometimes they have less moisture). With this in mind, you'd have to use caution with detailed designs that have small pieces close together. Make sure the sheet is pressed down very firmly in that spot, for maximum adherence. And carve carefully, so the pattern doesn't slide around too much. I'd suggest you quickly do these close-together pieces one right after another. Like with the Horseman's teeth in your example - you wouldn't want to carve one tooth, and then come back later after time has passed and the material started to dissolve.

You brought up some good points I forgot to mention in my video. Make sure you print on the right side of the sheet. You wouldn't want to waste a piece because you printed on the wrong side. Although, I suppose you can just flip it over and reprint. And because the sheets are thin and like fabric, they do almost stretch and can curve to the surface very easily! I love how you can move it around and re-stick it if necessary.

Also, I didn't think about the fact that you don't have a pattern to look at for reference, since it's ON the pumpkin as you're carving. I suppose you can print out a reference copy, look at it on the computer screen, or maybe look at the small sample image in the bottom corner of the pattern page.

If I can recap some of our thoughts that seem notable....

PROS:
  • Makes the carving process faster, since you don't have to trace to transfer.
  • The thin flexible material curves easily to the pumpkin surface.
CONS:
  • The pattern can melt away in detailed areas where pieces are close together.
  • For prolific carvers like us, there aren't many sheets in a package.
I have many tools in my pumpkin tool box. Each one has its pros and cons, and its specialized purpose. I can easily see Stick 'n Carve being a valuable part of my arsenal, especially in certain instances like foam pumpkins and designs that aren't super complex. Seriously, I can't wait to plow through some foamies I've been meaning to do, now that I have this option to skip the transferring tracing step and get more done faster.

I look forward to hearing other people's thoughts on this (positive or negative), once you get a chance to try it out. And listen... I've been working directly with the owners of this company, so any feedback you give me will go directly to the top. If you want a material that doesn't dissolve as fast, or wish it came in bulk packages for a discounted price, we might be able to make things happen. Keep the reviews coming.
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By Raven
#80585
cuvers wrote:Ryan,
I found packages of this product that contain 15 sheets
I saw that package as well. I think a lot of people are really going to love this product. There are a whole lot of carvers out there that still use the old school hole poking method, this stuff is going to blow their minds!
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#80588
cuvers wrote:Ryan,
I found packages of this product that contain 15 sheets
I'm pretty sure that each package that was manufactured this year (meaning, its in a bag with cover art) has just 3 sheets. So anyone selling "15 sheets" is probably going to ship you five 3-packs. Their price seems to indicate this too. Doesn't seem to be any bargain in that bulk amount. You can order five 3-packs from me for $18.75. :thumbsup:
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By CorpseBride
#80597
Fantastic review Raven! Thanks for doing that. I scooped up 5 packs of the paper and cannot wait to give it a go. I will be mindful of the detailed areas when carving and be aware when choosing my pattern.

That is great that you are working so closely with the company Ryan! Brilliant really, a direct line to the manufacturers is always golden. I will be sure to post a full review as well after I use it. Off the top having more sheets per package would be nice...but really...you can just purchase more packages :D
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#80616
This company (Sulky) is known for making products related to the sewing markets. "Decorative threads, stabilizers, books, thread storage devices..." A product aimed at the pumpkin carving artists is something new for them, so I hope to provide them insight into what we carving fanatics want and need.

Consider the average parent who might be browsing a crafting/sewing store - If they see this 3-sheet package of Stick 'n Carve they may think, "Oh, this is a neat idea. I'll buy this and try it with my kids." For this consumer, 3 sheets is probably all they need. But... what about those of us that carve 10, 20, 30 pumpkins every October? For us, a single package with more sheets might be nice. If packaged with more sheets, maybe the price would be slightly less per sheet? It's a thought. Typically you do get a better value, the more you buy.
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By matspud
#80623
Can't actually comment on the product as mine hasn't arrived yet but I might be able to help with the melting issue. Up to now I have generally glued the pattern on and cut through paper and all. The paper comes away on "juicy" kins and can make small areas difficult however this is reduced if I have gutted my kin's in advance and they have dried out slightly. I try to gut all I plan to carve at the same time but don't get time to carve until the following day. Once gutted I rinse them and either leave them to drain or with some kitchen roll inside to dry them. After carving a good wash gets rid of loose bits, highlights ragged edges and plumps up the pumpkin again.

BTW the varieties my local farm grows are usually VERY juicy. :?
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By amandap80
#80798
Matspud - this is precisely my method as well. I use the paper print/glue stick method. Also, I keep a rag handy while carving to dab at the juicy bits that might soak the paper.