This month’s Man vs Tool episode is our Halloween special, it pits traditional hand carving techniques against a Dremel pumpkin carving kit and a Dremel electric rotary tool deluxe kit to see who can create a pumpkin masterpiece.

We highlight the fierce hour long competition that took place at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch near Gretna Nebraska as well as take a tour of the facilities. Will traditional hand carving styles prevail or will the mechanical advantage of the Dremel rotary tools take the prize?

We pre-prepared the six pumpkins used for the competition the Man vs Tool way. We first used a Bosch jigsaw to remove the top. We then cleaned out the innards with a Marshalltown ribbon mixing bit and a Skil 1/2” electric drill. The process made quick work of the six pumpkins.

The carving competition consisted of two rounds. Round one was based on precision, and the contestants worked off of a standard Dremel Jack-O-Lantern template. The second round was a free for all and was based on technique, creativity and presentation. We had two judges, Bill Hoover a professional artist and Dale Williams a tool executive.

You can check-out pictures of the finished pumpkins on our Man vs Tool Facebook page, as well as post your own master creations.