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While those inexpensive pumpkin carving kits<\/a> you see at the grocery store may seem appealing (they promise everything you need \u2014 and when is the last time a plastic saw ever hurt anyone?), they\u2019re actually not your best bet. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI don\u2019t use them,\u201d says expert pumpkin carver Hugh McMahon<\/a>, who heads a team that makes 300 jack-o\u2019-lanterns<\/a> a season (including portraits of Michael Jackson and Albert Einstein!). Not only do those chintzy orange knives break too easily, but they\u2019ll also never give you very detailed results. They\u2019re not always the sharpest, and you know what they say about using dull knives (they\u2019re more dangerous than sharp ones!). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Instead, McMahon says there are only two tools you need to carve a pumpkin safely. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The best tool for cutting the eyes, mouth, and nose out of your jack-o\u2019-lantern is something that\u2019s probably already sitting in your kitchen: \u201cI use a fruit and vegetable knife with a serrated edge,\u201d says McMahon, who notes that his chosen knife is eight inches long. \u201cYou want one with a thin blade so you can turn it easily, which will give you a more precise shape.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Just as when you\u2019re cutting fruits and veggies to eat, a sharper knife is a safer knife. \u201cYou want to saw through the pumpkin with it,\u201d says McMahon, explaining that the motion should be a slow back and forth \u2014 not a pushing one. This way, the knife has a better grip on the pumpkin and makes easier cuts, which means you\u2019re less likely to have an accident. We like Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife<\/a>, which you\u2019ll get plenty of use out of the rest of the year to slice through everything<\/a> from tender tomatoes to hearty root veggies. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n You know how those plastic pumpkin-carving kits always come with a scooper meant for scraping out the seeds? McMahon has a much better suggestion: \u201cI go to the 99-cent store and get a soup ladle \u2014 and then I break off the handle,\u201d he says. It\u2019s deeper than those kit scoopers and it can hold a lot more pumpkin guts at once. Note: You don\u2019t have to break the handle off; doing so just makes it easier to really get in there. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Bonus tip: McMahon actually likes to cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin (instead of the top, as is more traditional) and scoop from there. \u201cThen you can hide the electric cord to a light, and it keeps the shape of the pumpkin better,\u201d he says. Our editors<\/a> love GIR\u2019s inexpensive silicone ladle<\/a> for soup season, and it\u2019s sturdy enough to make scooping out all those delicious pumpkin seeds<\/a> (and the corresponding pulp) a breeze. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n You really don\u2019t need<\/em> any extra tools, but if you\u2019re looking to create a super-intricate design this year, there are two other instruments that will come in handy for your carved creations. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The best way to take your carving skills up a notch is to invest in an X-ACTO knife<\/a> (you can buy one at any art supply store) for detail work. McMahon says he uses these artist\u2019s knives when he wants to cut into \u2014 but not all the way through \u2014 the pumpkin\u2019s skin. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A word of warning, though: It is much easier to accidentally poke yourself with an X-ACTO knife than with a paring knife, so you\u2019ll want to be extra careful. That said, a sharp paring knife could also be used. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Only 2 Tools You Need for Pumpkin Carving<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1. A Serrated Vegetable Knife<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n