6 Best Pumpkin Carving Kits and Tools to Cut Like a Pro

As a kid, the first time I carved a pumpkin on my own was a harrowing experience. I apologized to it as I sliced out its little eyes and scooped out its tasty seeds. Every year it got easier, and every year, I found myself enjoying it more. To pumpkins, I’m probably a monster. A boogey-girl, the stuff of nightmares. They tell their children tales of the red-headed witch who will come claim them and carve up their soft fleshy gourd-bodies if they misbehave. Or, you know, maybe not.

Carving pumpkins is just a lot of fun. Even as an adult it’s a satisfying artistic exercise—and a good excuse to hang out with friends and drink seasonal pumpkin beers and watch scary movies. If you have kids, or young family members, it’s also a fun way to channel some of the pre-Halloween excitement. To that end, I put together this list of my favorite carving kits and tools for every kind of jack-‘o-lantern artist.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including our trick-or-treating gear for parents.