(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best carving knives & forks

General Suggestion I love Dremels, they are great tools, but I am not sure they are the right tool for this job. While they are great for small detail work, as you discovered it is hard to use one to make a large smooth curve. You might to pickup a cheap palm sander, and experiment with different grit sandpapers. I do know that EVA is not real keen on getting sanded.

I am going to go into some details here, because I do not know what you have experiance with and what you don't but the way I would tackle the prop:

• Test - start with building one, maybe even 1/2 scale, odds are you will learn on this one and not use it anyway.
  
• Styrofoam - I would glue white styrofoam sheets together to make a block large enough to make the prop, make the stacked a little thicker than you want the prop to be. Standard white glue works as does a special foam glue, do not use hot glue or it will mess up your sanding later. Test with any other glues you want to use as most will dissolve Styrofoam. White Styrofoam is cheap, and makes for firm, but light weight props. You can usually get sheets cheaply in home improvement stores. Some people like the blue foam, but I prefer the white because it sands nicely. (Tooth picks will help hold things together while the glue dries... will take days by the way)
  
• 2D Template - I would make an outline of the general shape of the spiral. I would do this by blowing up a picture to the appropriate scale.
  
• Trace on foam - I would then use a sharpie and transfer the outline to the foam.
  
• Carve - Using a HotWire cutter, or even an cheap electric knife I would carve out the shape I traced from my template. Cuts will be straight down through the foam (perpendicular to the pattern lines I traced).
  
• Ridge - I would then sketch in the ridge line on to the flat surface of the foam. This is the center line that represents the thickest part of the prop.
  
• Roughing in - I would then use the hotwire or knife to start tapering the corners in. The idea here is to remove bulk material, not to get it perfect or even that close to perfect. Rough it in.
  
• Rough Sanding - Now I start sanding the angles down into curves. A few warnings here: This makes a mess. The mess is light weight and floats around, so I suggest doing it outside. I sand with a torn sheet of sandpaper just larger than my hand, so I can hold on to as it move it across the surface. You can also wrap it around a block. Start with a lower grit 100 - 200. Power sanders can be used but they will move through the foam very quickly.
  
• Finer Sanding - Move up to finer grit sandpaper 200-300. This will smooth out the surface, so as smooth as you want it. Again using your hand so you are sanding over a large surface area. Avoid temptation to break out the Dremel.
  
  
• Surface Coating - Styrofoam can not take standard spray paint, it will dissolve the foam. Several options on surface here depending on how durable you want the prop to be. For ultra durable you can coat in Epoxy and fiberglass, for medium durability you can just brush a layer of epoxy on. For somewhat durable you can coat in a layer of modpodge or one of the foam friendly primers they have out now.

Thank you :)

These are the two kitchen knives I use 99.9% of the time. They're stainless steel, but they're good quality as long as you treat them right. (No dishwasher)

8 inch chef's knife

7 inch nakiri

I intend to get something like this

Professional Pumpkin Carving Kit - Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Tools with Carrying Case (8 piece set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLCWG8N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yoZvDbX3VVR3K

You might just want to invest in a large knife to slice it yourself after curing. I agree with some of the others, it probably got waaaaaay overcured by being pre-sliced. I got this one a while back, and it made pretty quick work of a whole pork belly.

You mentioned a carving knife and a filet

Here is a flexible filet

Here is a more rigid boning knife

And I would personally go with this slicer over the carving knife

They are all quality and a great price particularly for something that really doesn't get used that often where it might be worth spending large amounts for the premium knife. The particular style of blade you choose is a personal choice for they way you cut and what task you are asking of your life.

If you want a show peace to carve at the diner table with then I would go with an F. Dick 1905 series

Bear claws!
Meat injector, silicone heatproof gloves, wireless thermometer...I just went through the same thing! My BF just got a smoker in the fall and he is going crazy with it! Good luck!

The one that comes to mind is the Yoshihiro Sujihiki. It's a tad longer than your requirements and doesn't have a matching fork that I'm aware of. Otherwise, it should meet the rest of your requirements, including the bling factor.

Unfortunately, it seems to be out of stock at the moment, but I believe that is recent. Might be worth contacting a couple sellers.

I personally would pair this knife with a simple fork.

Edit: Here's one from ebay from a good seller.

And

Here's a similar one from Sakai Takayuki.

This is the only kit worth a damn:

Messermeister Pumpkin Carving Kit, Stainless Steel Heavy Duty Halloween Set, 3 Piece, Orange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O2C2FGY/

It’s made by a company that makes kitchen knives.

I also have the drill attachment to make cleaning out the pumpkin easy. Also worth the purchase:

Dakota Products PG001 Pumpkin Gutter & Carving Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YH9ECG/

It looks like a [rada](http://www.Rada.com/ Cutlery Slicing Knife – Stainless Steel Blade With Brushed Aluminum Handle Made in the USA, 11-3/8 Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H26D2U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_59zbAbYA15QAB) my handles are dark like the one in op's pic

Fruit carving knife, not meant to be disposable like an X-acto blade.
Like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Carve-Fruit-Vegetable-Carving-Knife/dp/B007AGJ8KA

Price History

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As as chef, this is my most favourite knife for slicing proteins, especially when very tender and they want to fall apart. Yes, it's pricey, but very worth it.

Shun DM0720 Classic Hollow-Ground Slicing Knife, 9-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007D6GSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z7VgDb5CQMGEJ

A MUCH better knife than the Mora, is this Stubai. Stubai is a top notch tool maker, where the Mora knives are nothing more than mass marketed beginner knives.

If you don't have money/space (or just don't want to go through the effort of setting up, tearing down, and storing) a meat slicer, then you need a knife with a long thin blade

A long knife provides more control, and thew ability to make thinner slices because you;re actually spending more time slicing rather than sawing (with a shorter blade).

I make pastrami all the time, and used to have to either slice it thicker than I wanted, or basically chunk/shred it. But, two years ago I bought this knife and while it is still not "deli counter thin" it is plenty thin enough to easily use for sandwiches.

Possibly this one
Hard to say as the brand stamp on the blade itself is facedown and the mark on the handle is covered by tape.
I personally prefer the Grand Prix II Series, as the handles are one solid piece and they've always felt more ergonomic to me.

I used a tool similar to this green plastic scraper.

This kit has pretty much everything else that I used.

Got this Wustof one for $40, have been pleased using it for brisket and roasts

Here’s the one I bought for use with brisket. Not expensive or probably high quality but it has worked well for my use. Ergo Chef Prodigy Series Slicing... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GO7HCR2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Here every chef I ever knew had a serrated that looked much like the one I posted. Just fucking everybody has a serrated, either the very one, or this cheaper alternative.

Handle looks like a victorinox to me

edit - https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Skinning-Blade-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B00062AE76/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_79_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7N2QGEPXNGV4Y62C59FY

14" Granton Edge Roast Beef Slicer - Columbia Cutlery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZGJB24/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4PiADbCQPX70T

You can cut memory foam with one of these

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Electric-Carving-EK500B/dp/B01K1JJAI2?ref_=fscpp_m_electric_carving_knives-foam_dp_1_t_p

Oh nice. Lately I have been doing last minute batches. So I roll over to the grocery store butcher case and pickup 4-6 pounds of round stakes. The consistency isnt the best but for Last minute I cant complain.
Thst being said my normal butcher (the place I go to for my freezer packs) will cut a roast down for me to what ever sized I ask. So I generally dont need something like that. I am thinking of https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Electric-Carving-EK500B/dp/B01K1JJAI2/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=electric+knives&qid=1570729413&sprefix=electric+knifes&sr=8-6.