What's the difference between a 'carver' and 'whittler'?

pjsjr

pjsjr

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Is it blade configuration, blade number, shape of blades? Inquiring minds want to know.
 
pjsjr said:
Is it blade configuration, blade number, shape of blades? Inquiring minds want to know.
Click to expand...
Whittler is a type of construction, not any particular pattern.

Whittler construction:

a. 3 blades
b. 2 springs
c. 1 large blade on one end
d. 2 small blades on the other end
e. each small blade bears on one of the springs
f. the large blade bears on both springs


The 62 Pocket Carver is a Whittler by another name.
 
MerryMadMonk said:
Whittler is a type of construction, not any particular pattern.

Whittler construction:

a. 3 blades
b. 2 springs
c. 1 large blade on one end
d. 2 small blades on the other end
e. each small blade bears on one of the springs
f. the large blade bears on both springs


The 62 Pocket Carver is a Whittler by another name.
Click to expand...
Thank you. The last statement is what I really wanted to know...just didn't know how to ask.:rolleyes:
 
In the case of GEC, they made a 62 a few years ago called the Courthouse Whittler which was a three blade two spring with a wedge spacer between. I would guess they called this one a Pocket Carver to avoid confusion with the earlier model.
 
MerryMadMonk said:
Whittler is a type of construction, not any particular pattern.

Whittler construction:

a. 3 blades
b. 2 springs
c. 1 large blade on one end
d. 2 small blades on the other end
e. each small blade bears on one of the springs
f. the large blade bears on both springs


The 62 Pocket Carver is a Whittler by another name.
Click to expand...
This is my understanding of the term "whittler" as a name for a particular knife pattern.
I suppose it could be considered a marketing term used by the cutlery company to name and sell knives. There are other variations, like the "Carpenter's whittler" : a stockman configuration, but with coping blade and small clip blade as secondaries. There are also three spring "whittlers".
Also, I've seen knives with two pen blades and a nail file that have the split spring whittler configuration but would be used as penknives rather than to carve wood.
I guess my answer would be "It's complicated."

As to the difference between the activities, I've just always had the impression that whittling is more casual than carving. Kinda like the difference between a boat and a ship. ;)
 
GEC has the disconcerting habit of calling their knives whatever they want, ignoring long established conventions. Their carver is only the most recent example.

This is what has been traditionally known as a carver.

12728016963_98920c7c8f_z.jpg


When you hear scout, you tend to think of the classic utility knife right?

40935893502_09bf6cc90c_b.jpg


GEC doesn't care, they call this knife a Scout.

28773630337_fd615e9dbc_b.jpg
 
My English isn't good and i can't remember where i got it from but i thought carving is shaping with dedicated tools (like chisels or gouges) a piece of wood clamped on a support, for instance a bench, and whittling is working a piece of wood "in the hand" with a pocket knife. The whittler knife pattern being a variation, as pointed out by r8shell, of the stockman pattern. The choice of the blades patterns of a whittler varies much more than on a stockman. But i could be utterly wrong.

Dan.
 
kamagong said:
GEC has the disconcerting habit of calling their knives whatever they want, ignoring long established conventions. Their carver is only the most recent example.

This is what has been traditionally known as a carver.

12728016963_98920c7c8f_z.jpg


When you hear scout, you tend to think of the classic utility knife right?

40935893502_09bf6cc90c_b.jpg


GEC doesn't care, they call this knife a Scout.

28773630337_fd615e9dbc_b.jpg
Click to expand...
Oh my...
Pinemoon said:
This ^


And this ^
Click to expand...
Oh my, my...
So, it's clear as mud now:D:eek::D
 
dantzk8 said:
My English isn't good and i can't remember where i got it from but i thought carving is shaping with dedicated tools (like chisels or gouges) a piece of wood clamped on a support, for instance a bench, and whittling is working a piece of wood "in the hand" with a pocket knife. The whittler knife pattern being a variation, as pointed out by r8shell, of the stockman pattern. The choice of the blades patterns of a whittler varies much more than on a stockman. But i could be utterly wrong.

Dan.
Click to expand...
Your English is fine! Thanks. It's that English has words that are sometimes spelled the same, but have different meanings. Words that are different but have the same meaning and words that are the same spelling but pronounced differently that make this confusing.
 
I've always used this definition for a Whittler,
"WHITTLER
A blade arrangement, large blade at one end and two smaller blades at the other, with the large blade working on both springs."

In my opinion GECs Pocket Carver is a Whittler by another name.
 
r8shell said:
...Also, I've seen knives with two pen blades and a nail file that have the split spring whittler configuration but would be used as penknives rather than to carve wood...
Click to expand...

Three-Blade Penknives, with either three Pen blades or two Pen blades and a nail-file were once a very common pattern. The 1902 Thomas Turner catalogue, for example, contains 3 pages of them.

qxcWHkZ.jpg


The term 'Whittler', I believe, is a relatively recent collectors'/marketing term, but delicate knives, such as this badly photographed Joseph Rodgers ivory-covered Three-Blade Penknife were clearly never intended for whittling :) :thumbsup:

RUaI6iF.jpg
 
Aaaaaahhh...Grasshopper....Is a Fiddle not a Violin?
But Master, ....the music is...different.
Now go... attend to your chores for only when you have raked all the sand from the desert will you truly understand.
Master?
Urrghh.. YESSS GRASSHOPPER?
Is a chore the same as job?
Grasshopperrr?
Yes Master.
Pass me my walking cane.
Here you are Master.
KA -THWAKKKA!
ouch.


I think the main difference is one can carve meat but one can not whittle it...
 
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