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Home & Garden

This pumpkin carving toolkit is the only one worth your money

The price point is a treat, not a trick

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Carving pumpkins can be spooky in itself—mostly because of the impending doom that is sawing into your finger in the process of creating a Jack-o’-lantern. To keep all digits in tact, we sought out to find the easiest (and safest) way to carve a pumpkin.

We tested a few popular methods on the market: The classic, cheap Pumpkin Masters kit that retails for $5, the mid-range Pumpkin Masters Halloween Master kit that sells for $10, and the pricey Sano Naturals Pumpkin Carving Kit that retailed for $16 on Amazon, but is no longer available on the site.

Carving
Credit: Reviewed.com / Mike Roorda

We also cobbled together our own makeshift kit, using a couple paring knives, a serrated knife, a chef’s knife, and an ice cream scoop. Our mission? To identify the set that offers the easiest, quickest, and safest carve.

Winner: Pumpkin Masters All-In-One Decorating Kit

Pumpkin Masters OG
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

What it comes with: 1 saw, 1 detail saw, scraper tool, drill

The verdict: Sure, it looks like cheap plastic, but there’s a reason why this old-school classic has become a household staple since its inception in the mid-’80s. I was surprised to find that these inexpensive, flimsy-looking tools enabled the fastest, safest-feeling carve. The pack comes with two sawing tools and an effective scooper, as well as a small plastic “drill.” As soon as we were done with our testing, we all reached for these tools.

Get the Pumpkin Masters All-In-One Decorating Kit on Amazon for $6.39

Runner-up: Pumpkin Masters Halloween Master Carving Kit

Pumpkin Masters
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

What it comes with: 1 saw, 1 detail saw, etching tool, scraper tool, drill

The verdict: This pack came in a distant second place, and is a testament to why you shouldn’t mess with perfection. The two saws were nice to have, but didn’t slice through the pumpkin as effectively as the cheaper Pumpkin Masters’ saw, and the scooper had a lot of flex to it, making it difficult to scoop out the guts.

Get the Pumpkin Masters Halloween Master Carving Kit at Lowe's for $9.99

Avoid: Sano Naturals Pumpkin Carving Kit

Sano Naturals
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

What it comes with: 1 saw, etching tool, scraper, drill

The verdict: Sano encourages you not to “waste money on cheap, plastic tools you replace every October,” but we found that in reality, you shouldn’t waste your money on this most-expensive and least-effective kit. The sharp metal on its scooper hurt our hands and its one saw felt flimsy and ineffective. Its etching tool went virtually untouched, and the flat plastic handles were difficult to grasp and uncomfortable to hold. I used my fingers to gut my pumpkin instead of the tool and wistfully stared at my coworkers easily scraping through pulp with their plastic tools.

Avoid: At-home tools

Home kit
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Probably don’t do this. We cobbled together a set of knives and scoops, and the large, sharp kitchen knives felt really dangerous when carving—it was nerve-racking and I missed the ease of cutting that comes with the cheap saws in the carving kits. When it came to scooping, though, we all preferred the big metal serving spoon to remove our pumpkin guts. Other than that, we heartily advise against carving your pumpkins with a homemade kit.

Jack O Lanterns
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Get the Pumpkin Masters All-In-One Decorating Kit on Amazon for $6.39

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