Pumpkin56 wrote:Silly question, I'm sure, but do either of you think that your really big pumpkins will be any tougher to carve than just your average standard sized pumpkin? I'm wondering if the shell is significanly thicker or harder to cut through. I've never tried to carve a huge one, but my niece likes to bring me super small ones to carve and they damn-near kill my knives they're so tough. They're practically bullet-proof.
I actually like the thicker shells better-- they're certainly better for sculpting. Just make sure the insides are still moist-- when pumpkins dry out, they get really stringy and less pulpy. Stringy pumpkins are harder to carve.
Another good thing about thick shells is that you can shave the shell down to a thickness you like, depending on how you're going to carve. This means, you can better control the thickness and have fewer thin spots. If you're doing a traditional, not-too-detailed carving, you can shave it down to 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thick to carve. If you're doing something more detailed, it helps to leave it thicker (~3/4-inch) and then trim it down after you carve-- the thickness can help keep those details more stable as you carve.
I'm not sure about the skin being thicker or thinner-- I think the thickness of the outer shell/skin remains the same on small or big pumpkins.
What sort of knives do you use to carve?
