A question about all those Half Wits I see around here.

Dr-Mabuse

Dr-Mabuse

Joined
Nov 23, 2014
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674
What exactly is a Half Whittler? I know what a split back is and I can wrap my head around the three spring whittler but what makes a half whit different than any other pen knife configuration?
 
I'm not sure either really but I'll take a stab at it. I'm guessing that most knives that are called Half Whittlers have the same pattern made by the same company in a full Whittler configuration. To put it another way, they are baby brothers to "real" Whittlers of the same manufacture.
 
Huh, maybe you're right. I can think of the Northwoods Willamette that doesn't follow this pattern but Derrick is pretty cool so guess he gets a pass. In any case thanks for you're opinion Railsplitter.
 
As I understand the term, it refers to a 4 blade congress pattern whittler, that has been constructed or modified to only 2 blades, making the knife thinner.
 
Dr-Mabuse said:
Huh, maybe you're right. I can think of the Northwoods Willamette that doesn't follow this pattern but Derrick is pretty cool so guess he gets a pass. In any case thanks for you're opinion Railsplitter.
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But isn't the Northwoods Williamette simply an SFO variant of the 38 Whittler? The former having 2 blades one spring, the latter 3 blades and a spacer divided backspring? Same frame, different name, it seems like a Half Whitt.

CASE Half Whitts, including the Humpback variant now have two springs, so they can't really be deemed Penknives. Formerly, their Half Whitts were single-spring.
The GEC 57 Half Whitt is 2 blades single-spring. I think the term is used vaguely, I agree with Rick it's a kind of convenience term for 2 bladed knives based on a 3 blade frame.
 
My understanding is that a Whittler pattern has 3 blades on a split-spring frame: 1 main and 2 secondary blades. A Half-Whitt has one less secondary blade, so it has two opposing blades instead of the Whittler's three. I think they can have either one or two springs, but the frame is not an equal-end, which differentiates them from a Pen.
 
I could be missing the boat on this, but I've always thought of a wharncliffe main blade being a prerequisite of a half whittler. For example, the 79 Workhorse is not a half whittler even though it's a single blade version of the 79 Workhorse Whittler.

As so many things, it's all at the whim of whoever's coming up with names at the manufacturer. From what I recall, Mr. Levine has stated that there's no such thing as a half whittler, just pen knives. Whether they really exist or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I've owned.
 
Cory Hess said:
I could be missing the boat on this, but I've always thought of a wharncliffe main blade being a prerequisite of a half whittler. For example, the 79 Workhorse is not a half whittler even though it's a single blade version of the 79 Workhorse Whittler.

As so many things, it's all at the whim of whoever's coming up with names at the manufacturer. From what I recall, Mr. Levine has stated that there's no such thing as a half whittler, just pen knives. Whether they really exist or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I've owned.
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If I remember correctly, we had a similar discussion here a couple of years ago about the half congress and we learnt then that Mr Levine was of the opinion that there was no such thing. There was what he described as a congress pen knife. Perhaps the same logic applies here and a half whittler is in fact a very modern term, much like the half congress thus a neologism we simply accept because it is apt?
 
It's very possible that it was the discussion of the half congress that got jumbled in my head and turned into the disbelief in the half whittler that I'm attributing to Mr. Levine. :o
 
RobbW said:
My understanding is that a Whittler pattern has 3 blades on a split-spring frame: 1 main and 2 secondary blades. A Half-Whitt has one less secondary blade, so it has two opposing blades instead of the Whittler's three. I think they can have either one or two springs, but the frame is not an equal-end, which differentiates them from a Pen.
Click to expand...

Some Whittlers are tapered backspring as well as split back. Many Penknives are Serpentine and not only Equal-End. I think though that Half Whitt/Congress are vague general terms but then, most knife 'names' are obscure and brought into currency by collector fancy or marketing convenience. Nevertheless, I'm sure we all agree these are attractive patterns:thumbup::D

Thanks, Will
 
I've always called a knife that is a whittler pattern/frame but only has 2 blades as a "1/2 whittler". Maybe I'm nuts, but I must have picked that up from somebody somewhere at somepoint.
 
Will Power said:
But isn't the Northwoods Williamette simply an SFO variant of the 38 Whittler? The former having 2 blades one spring, the latter 3 blades and a spacer divided backspring? Same frame, different name, it seems like a Half Whitt.

CASE Half Whitts, including the Humpback variant now have two springs, so they can't really be deemed Penknives. Formerly, their Half Whitts were single-spring.
The GEC 57 Half Whitt is 2 blades single-spring. I think the term is used vaguely, I agree with Rick it's a kind of convenience term for 2 bladed knives based on a 3 blade frame.
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I thought about this at work and you're absolutely right about the Willamette. :thumbup: I figured after I made a mistake this thread would finally get some traction. :foot: Two springed Half-whitts? That just doesn't sound right.

pmew said:
If I remember correctly, we had a similar discussion here a couple of years ago about the half congress and we learnt then that Mr Levine was of the opinion that there was no such thing. There was what he described as a congress pen knife. Perhaps the same logic applies here and a half whittler is in fact a very modern term, much like the half congress thus a neologism we simply accept because it is apt?
Click to expand...

I kinda figured that's where Mr Levine would come down on this and I can see where he's coming from.

Cory Hess said:
I could be missing the boat on this, but I've always thought of a wharncliffe main blade being a prerequisite of a half whittler. For example, the 79 Workhorse is not a half whittler even though it's a single blade version of the 79 Workhorse Whittler.

As so many things, it's all at the whim of whoever's coming up with names at the manufacturer. From what I recall, Mr. Levine has stated that there's no such thing as a half whittler, just pen knives. Whether they really exist or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I've owned.
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:p I'm beginning to think your half whitts do, in fact, exist.

afishhunter said:
As I understand the term, it refers to a 4 blade congress pattern whittler, that has been constructed or modified to only 2 blades, making the knife thinner.
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Now just hold on a minute, I've seen 3 blade congress whittlers but how could you have a four blade whittler? Not arguing, just asking. Also, the only half whitts I've ever seen have not been of the congress variety. Although I have seen the half congress. Those seem much easier to define.
 
The reason this question is so interesting to me is because the whittler pattern does not seem to be defined by blade shape or handle shape but by the configuration of the three blades withing the handle. In the Wondrous Whittler thread there's whits with scissors, with files and punches, gunstock whittlers, really any combo you can think of. Not all of them have serpentine frames, some don't even have a single straight edge blade. All of them have the main blade neatly nestled between the two secondaries though. So how do you take a blade (and perhaps a spring or two) away and call it a half whittler? That is the crux of my musings.

It's true the half whitt name is a relatively new invention but that quintessential pattern the trapper is less than a hundred years old. I think a majority of us would recognize a half whitt when we see one.

So let me rephrase the question: what does a Half Whittler look like to you?
 
My error. I thought a standard 4 blade congress with its two sheepsfoot, coping, and if memory serves, pen blade (too dark in truck to dig mine out and look) was considered a whittler.

I'll shut up and get lost.
 
Dr-Mabuse said:
The reason this question is so interesting to me is because the whittler pattern does not seem to be defined by blade shape or handle shape but by the configuration of the three blades withing the handle. In the Wondrous Whittler thread there's whits with scissors, with files and punches, gunstock whittlers, really any combo you can think of. Not all of them have serpentine frames, some don't even have a single straight edge blade. All of them have the main blade neatly nestled between the two secondaries though. So how do you take a blade (and perhaps a spring or two) away and call it a half whittler? That is the crux of my musings.

It's true the half whitt name is a relatively new invention but that quintessential pattern the trapper is less than a hundred years old. I think a majority of us would recognize a half whitt when we see one.

So let me rephrase the question: what does a Half Whittler look like to you?
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No such thing as a half whittler in my opinion. What some people call a half whittler is a pen knife to me.
Dan
 
Penknives must be single-spring and I think 3.5" is a max on them. I wouldn't call an Orchard Gem Pruner a Penknife for instance. Nor a 57 Half Whitt! Penknife itself is often used, wrongly, to describe all Traditional style knives.

I agree with Dr M, I can't see a Half Whittler as a 2 spring knife, but time could change all that.....
 
I agree with Dan! Half-whittler is a recently made-up term for some pen knives and double-end jacks. Usually used when the knife resembles a whittler pattern which has one less blade than the whittler it resembles. But really, the term should be 60% or 70% whittler, don't you think?:confused:
:eek:
:D
 
waynorth said:
I agree with Dan! Half-whittler is a recently made-up term for some pen knives and double-end jacks. Usually used when the knife resembles a whittler pattern which has one less blade than the whittler it resembles. But really, the term should be 60% or 70% whittler, don't you think?:confused:
:eek:
:D
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A two thirds Whitt.....? :)
 
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