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

So, 2/3 of the blades of a whittler, but only half the springs. Then you factor out the missing wedge, and add a catch bit. . . . .probably a little over 60%!
"Say, how do you like my new "approximately 63% whittler"?
Who's a half wit, hmmm???:rolleyes:
:D
 
waynorth said:
So, 2/3 of the blades of a whittler, but only half the springs. Then you factor out the missing wedge, and add a catch bit. . . . .probably a little over 60%!
"Say, how do you like my new "approximately 63% whittler"?
Who's a half wit, hmmm???:rolleyes:
:D
Click to expand...

It's too early in the day for me to have a headache!

I have asked myself more then once what makes Case's Half Whittler a Half Whittler. 3 1/2", clip and pen blades, 2 springs, opposite end, humpback pattern. ??? The only answer I can come up with, that has already been mentioned, is that it's a close cousin to their Humpback Whittler, minus one blade. But again that's not half, that's 2/3... Oh well.

Now a Half Congress kind of makes sense, at least 2 blades is half of 4 blades.

But since there is no such thing as a Half Congress it appears the whole discussion is moot. As was already posted, I like the pattern, even if it doesn't exist....

I guess if you are a knife manufacturer, you can call what you make whatever you want.
 
And on a related note and just to throw another curveball, what many call a split spring or split back whittler... isn't.

Here's a true split backspring whittler


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(photos are linked from one of Bernard Levine's websites)
 
Al, I've got that knife bookmarked and one day I'm going to get a similar one made by somebody that knows what they're doing. I talked to Ken Erickson about it at a knife show, but he didn't seem too interested. I love the way the main blade has no nail nick and the catch-bit rotates to push the blade up to be opened.

During that conversation with Ken we talked about split spring whittlers. He told me that when knives were made with a true split backspring the cutlers were taking two different backsprings and forging them together. We see the wedged style of whittler nowadays because forging isn't in your average slipjoint maker's repertoire anymore. He found this example interested because instead of the forged backspring it has a single spring with a notch cut out of it to make the split. I found all of this interesting because I had always assumed that the wedge style became more common because it was cheaper and easier to make. I had never considered that most makers weren't even capable of it anymore, and don't have the proper equipment in their shop even if they were.

Enough of my ramblings. Thanks for bringing up that knife, as it's been a couple of months since I've taken the time to admire it.
 
AL exceptionally rare bird that one! And big....many thanks for showing it. A clear example of a single backspring which is split, looking like a tuning fork. Nearly all other known Whittlers either have the tapered backspring or two backsprings with a wedge/divider. I seem to recall Levine saying that at the beginning of the c19th French & English cutlers experimented with a true split single backspring but found it too fragile in reality, tending to break and complex&demanding to make. Interesting that this American cutler was having a go at this system much later in the c19th, but it does have pretty tiny secondaries relative to the imposing master blade.

But try making a 'Half-Whittler' out of that one on single-spring with that fat massive spring:D

Thanks, Will
 
Beautiful split back spring, Al! Thanks for bringing the picture over!
Just to keep the sweet confusion motoring along, that knife looks like a split spring melon tester!
:D
 
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