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Which blade arrangement constitutes a genuine USA Whittler? Some Photos.
- Thread starter Larry303
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waynorth
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Usually followed by derogatory and insulting remarks by Thawk!I knew it was just a matter of time before Waynorth started gettin out all that ugly stuff.
BTW, nice knives Eric!!
ea42
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Man that's beautiful! Charlie, let me know if you come across any culls
. I don't think that the split spring requirement automatically makes a knife a "whittler". I've come across a number of senators and sleeveboards that fit the spring requirement, but had a file for one of the secondary blades, definitely not what you could consider a whittler, although I suppose the file would make a passable rasp in some instances . To me, a whittler should contain a coping, cut off pen, or small sheepfoot blade as well as the split spring setup. (That's just IMHO, not something I've seen in writing). Here are a few shots of some senator and sleevboard split spring examples with files:
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The thing of it is, I don't believe cutleries of at least the early twentieth century actually made knives that were considered a whittler pattern. There are just senators, sleeveboards, balloons, sepentines, cattle and stock knives. From what I can find, not until Schrade added the clipped pen blade to the "mechanics" serpentine was there any mention (at least from Schrade), of a knife devoted to woodworkers (carpenters). Now of course you have knives designated as whittlers, and now canittlers. The most recognizable whittler being the balloon frame , I also added a canittler shot, both from CS (well they're staffed by Schrade employees after all! )
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Eric
. I don't think that the split spring requirement automatically makes a knife a "whittler". I've come across a number of senators and sleeveboards that fit the spring requirement, but had a file for one of the secondary blades, definitely not what you could consider a whittler, although I suppose the file would make a passable rasp in some instances . To me, a whittler should contain a coping, cut off pen, or small sheepfoot blade as well as the split spring setup. (That's just IMHO, not something I've seen in writing). Here are a few shots of some senator and sleevboard split spring examples with files:
The thing of it is, I don't believe cutleries of at least the early twentieth century actually made knives that were considered a whittler pattern. There are just senators, sleeveboards, balloons, sepentines, cattle and stock knives. From what I can find, not until Schrade added the clipped pen blade to the "mechanics" serpentine was there any mention (at least from Schrade), of a knife devoted to woodworkers (carpenters). Now of course you have knives designated as whittlers, and now canittlers. The most recognizable whittler being the balloon frame , I also added a canittler shot, both from CS (well they're staffed by Schrade employees after all!
)
Eric
waynorth
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Nice pearlies, Eric!
BRL states that "whittler" is a modern collector term. I wonder where the first reference occurred? It's true that the whittler type of construction has been applied to many knives, from pens and senators, to cattle knives, to the so-called "anglo-saxon" large sleeveboards.
But not all are referred to as whittlers.
Surely this IXL is a cattle knife, considering the blades, but it is constructed like a whittler, as the backspring shows. It seems the spring arrangement AND the blade configuration should be of certain types, to call a knife a "whittler"
BRL states that "whittler" is a modern collector term. I wonder where the first reference occurred? It's true that the whittler type of construction has been applied to many knives, from pens and senators, to cattle knives, to the so-called "anglo-saxon" large sleeveboards.
But not all are referred to as whittlers.
Surely this IXL is a cattle knife, considering the blades, but it is constructed like a whittler, as the backspring shows. It seems the spring arrangement AND the blade configuration should be of certain types, to call a knife a "whittler"
ea42
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Nice Charlie, that's quite the stout wedge in that one!
Of course, some knives in the stockman category fit the bill perfectly, even though they don't resemble a whittler at all. Case in point is the old 44OT, especially with the Wharncliffe blade:
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Eric
Of course, some knives in the stockman category fit the bill perfectly, even though they don't resemble a whittler at all. Case in point is the old 44OT, especially with the Wharncliffe blade:
Eric
waynorth
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This thread in Bernie Levine's forum is interesting, regarding the origin of the term "whittler". As it unfolds, hopefully more information will come to light. It has certainly affected my understanding of the term.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579855
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579855
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I may be wrong, but I have always been of the opinion that if a splitback three-blade has a spey blade or a leather punch, it's a Stockman and not a Whittler. Just my 2 cents...