'Dr. Carvenstein' digs into fall hobby

Dr. Carvenstein transforms pumpkins into monsters.

His alter ego is graphic artist Ken Clayton of Knoxville, Tenn. He's enjoyed carving pumpkins "ever since I was a small kid," he says. Over the years, he perfected the turn of the knife in pumpkin flesh.

Clayton has knifed pumpkins so long and so often, he cuts freehand without patterns or outlines. His tools are simple but sharp. Two stainless steel steak knives, a paring knife and a long-bladed knife used to fillet fish are his instruments. All have thin blades.

"Most people use a big blade when they cut a pumpkin, like a butcher knife blade," he says. "That's too wide, too thick and not flexible, so it splits the pumpkin instead of making a nice cut. Sharp knives are better because you are less likely to have to fight with a pumpkin."

The fillet knife's long, thin and flexible blade lets Dr. Carvenstein slide difficult curves into a pumpkin. As important is the heavy-duty glove that comes nearly to his elbow and that he always wears on his noncarving hand for safety.

Clayton's first cut is a V-shaped notch made to begin the lid. The notch is the guide to fit the lid on the pumpkin.

To clean the pumpkin, he cuts inside the top edge to loosen the stringy material. He scoops seeds and insides out using a silver ladle whose handle is bent so it doesn't get caught in the pumpkin. Pumpkin walls are left 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.

When carving out his monsters' mouths or eyes, he starts in the middle. For the mouth, he begins in the middle of the top lip and works down and out. His creatures' eyes and mouths are so large and elaborate, no space remains to carve unnecessary noses.

While Clayton slices curves to create more elaborate pumpkin faces, he says simple, straight lines can create a monster masterpiece. Straight diagonals, for example, make a zigzag mouth.

If the carving is done right, a cut mouth or eye lifts out in one piece. Clayton trims and flips those pieces to make pumpkin ears. He fastens the ears using toothpicks or slides the pieces into slits he cuts in the orange fruit's sides. He breaks one end of the toothpick to blunt it so he can push the pick without spearing himself.

Clayton often "skins" his creations' teeth and eyeballs to give them more depth. Using a sharp, short bladed knife, he slices 1/4 inch deep around the base of the teeth and eyes. He then slices off the outer skin of each tooth or eye. "It's almost like peeling an apple," he says. While slicing, he secures the tooth or eye from inside the pumpkin with his noncarving hand.

Dr. Carvenstein isn't hung up on pumpkin symmetry and prefers imagination to perfection. "It's a monster," he says. "You can carve anything you want. That's the best thing about pumpkin carving; you can use your imagination."