{"id":2069,"date":"2020-12-16T11:09:17","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T19:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/?p=2069"},"modified":"2021-01-07T11:30:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T19:30:41","slug":"student-spotlight-lucas-give-a-kid-a-knife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/student-spotlight-lucas-give-a-kid-a-knife\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight: Lucas – Profile of a Young Carver"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Give a Kid a Knife...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Last week I wrote about why you should consider giving your kid a knife. This week I want to show you the end result of that potential gift: you just might inspire that kid to become a carver!\u00a0<\/p>

As a Trackers parent myself, I have often wondered, \u201cWill this skill my kid is learning at Trackers stay with them?\u201d Ten years ago my then 6-year-old daughter did a Trackers archery camp where she carved herself a beautiful wooden bow. During camping trips over the rest of that summer, she taught her younger cousins to make easy bow and arrow sets using sticks and string, which they used for target practice for hours of entertainment. In another Trackers camp, my son learned to build a fire in the rain, a skill he still uses whenever he goes camping with college friends here in the rainy Pacific Northwest.<\/p>

Yep, Trackers teaches skills that stick. Take 15-year-old Lucas, as another example. Lucas has been going to Trackers homeschool classes every Wednesday for the last ten years. His mom and sister are serious crafters and for several years now Lucas has joined them, making crafts using his favorite Trackers skill: wood carving.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Lucas, carver, age 15<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A few days ago I sat down with Lucas in his backyard carving spot and asked him a few questions about his passion:<\/p>

Michelle: When did you start using a knife?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Lucas:<\/strong> I was 6 years old. That was when I started taking classes at Trackers and learning how to use a knife. For years I did Homeschool Wednesdays at Trackers. I\u2019d go every week and do different things. We used knives a lot\u2014to carve, to start fires, and to build shelters.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

M: Where did you learn how to carve?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

L:<\/strong> I learned the carving basics at Trackers, but when I really started getting into it, I kind of taught myself how to do more and got more artistic with it. I learned a lot just from practice. I also looked at pictures of other people\u2019s carvings to see what a piece looked like when it was done. That was helpful.<\/p>

M: Did you like it right away?<\/strong><\/p>

L:<\/strong> Yeah, I did. But I wasn\u2019t always good at it. It took a lot of practice. And I didn\u2019t start making cool stuff until about three years ago when I was twelve. That\u2019s when I started making spoons and knives and the other things I carve now.<\/p>

M: What do you like to carve?<\/strong><\/p>

L:<\/strong> Mostly I make spoons. That\u2019s my favorite. Actually yesterday I just finished my first bowl. I used some new gouges I got for my birthday and it took a while, but it turned out pretty good. I also carve butter knives and small salt bowls with spoons. My friend\u2019s dad, who\u2019s a bartender, asked me to make him a muddler. That turned out pretty good too. I like to carve designs as well. Some of my spoons have faces or feathers on the handle.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A few of Lucas’s spoon designs.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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M: What tools do you use for carving?<\/strong><\/p>

L:<\/strong> Here are the basic carving tools that I use to make my spoons, bowls, and other stuff. Most of my carving tools go in this leather bag, which I can bring with me wherever I want to carve.<\/p>