Whittling vs Carving

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

Here's a better daffynition to borrow the Karate thought from the thread "Woodcarving Sales".

A carver who develops his/her own designs is a Black Belt.
A carver who copies a Black Belt is a Brown Belt.
A carver who copies both Brown and Black Belts is a White Belt.

A whittler is a carver who has no belt. A whittler will always remain a whittler because you can't hold your pants up and carve at the same time!!

[whittleguy]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

I like Lynn's daffynition the best so far. Actually, for what it's worth, I consider myself a whittler and the pieces that I whittle I consider carvings or woodcarvings. Actually I don't think about it that much either way, I just enjoy whittling or carving or whatever you want to call it.

[Donald K. Mertz]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

As one who has carved for over thirty five years using primarily a knife, I call what I do as "Whittle-Carving" using the definition of "whittling" as carving only with a knife in one hand and a piece of wood being held by the other hand,(with a protective glove, of course) using the knife cuts to shape the wood to make such things as "Whimsies" (ball in cage, wooden chain, fans, puzzles, etc) and functional items like spoons, love spoons, toys, small animals, small figures, caricature carvings, realistic human figures, etc. all as long as only a knife is used in shaping the wood. The common image is that whittling is removing shavings off a stick to create a pile of shavings, "like the fellow from West Virginia who got a bushel of shavings off a match stick by having such a sharp knife that he made fine shavings," (that's a tall tale told by old time whittlers) In carving conpetitions at shows, the criteria for entering a piece in the "Whittling Class" is that it be carved by using only a knife. (no sanding, because abrasive paper is a cutting tool.) Unfortunately at some carving shows they will have a "Whittling contest" that allows "knives and palm gouges", which should be called a "carving contest" because multiple tools were used. It could be said that "whittlers carve, but carvers chisel" but then we all know the reputation of wood carvers is that even though they use carving tools that include chisels, yet few are "chislers," while all can be called "cut-ups." For a look see at examples of "Whittle-Carving" please visit my Blog at www.woodbeecarver.com as most of the carvings pictured there have been carved using only knives, many of which are reconditioned pocket knives.

[Kenny_S]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

So is it a Whittling Show or a Carving Show or a Sulpting show?

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

It's a Karate Cage Fight!

[PeteM]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

To me carving is the name of the group of activities that includes whittling, chainsaw carving, power carving and...whatever chisel/mallet carving is called (carving?).

If you whittle, you are a carver; but if you carve, you might not be a whittler.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

Here's a better daffynition to borrow the Karate thought from the thread "Woodcarving Sales".

A carver who develops his/her own designs is a Black Belt.
A carver who copies a Black Belt is a Brown Belt.
A carver who copies both Brown and Black Belts is a White Belt.

A whittler is a carver who has no belt. A whittler will always remain a whittler because you can't hold your pants up and carve at the same time!!

You mean? you HAVE to hold your pants up?

[Dull Knife]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

I have spent the past 30 minutes going back through various threads to see what has been posted on whittling and carving. Couldn't find anything. But that does not mean that there isn't anything. It just means that my eyes got tired of looking.

My question is: I mainly use a knife. Probably 95% knife. Am I a whittler or a carver?

Tom H

I don't see that there's any difference.

[dart]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

I think it was determined awhile back that the two are interchangeable. I carve all my whittlings, er...I whittle all my carvings..I give up! Baby

[bellablade]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

I consider my whittles sculptures and carvings ... someone told me I am just a whittler if I do not use power tools ...

[BobD]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

I think the words are synonymous. They both refer to the removal of wood with a tool. Some people consider whittling the kind of stuff that Chris Lubkeman does (with tree branches, etc.) or ball in cages, chains and other whimseys.

The way I look at it, it's up to you if you want to call what you are doing carving or whittling...

Bob

[minowevie]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

being a beginner, I would say any one wittling out pieces of wood. is carving them out. maybe a slice at a time, but still carving. Evie

[pallin]

Re: Whittling vs Carving

I tend to agree with Don Mertz that whittling is done with a knife on wood held in the other hand. However, the attached thumbnail meets that definition but I doubt anyone would call it whittling: