Whittling

Whittling knife rounding a corner (filet) of a piece of wood.

Whittling may refer either to the art of carving shapes out of raw wood using a knife or a time-occupying, non-artistic process of repeatedly shaving slivers from a piece of wood.[1]:14[2]:10[3]:30

Background

Look up whittle or whittling in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Casual whittling is typically performed with a light, small-bladed knife, usually a pocket knife.

Specialized whittling or carving knives

Specialized whittling knives, with fixed single blades, are preferred for sculpting artistic work. They have thick handles which are easier to grip for long periods, allowing more precise control and pressure.

Occasionally the terms "whittling" and "carving" are used interchangeably, but they are different arts. Carving employs the use of chisels, gouges, and a mallet, while whittling involves only the use of a knife.[2]:10 Carving frequently involves powered equipment such as lathes.

In industrialized areas of the world, whittling is mainly a hobby and not an occupational activity as it was before powered wood working equipment enabled modern production.

"Splash whittling" is a historical, decorative technique in Norway using an ax to create a herringbone pattern.[4]

Wood Types

Look up whittle or whittling in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

While you can use any type of wood, there are woods that are easier to work with and whittle better than others – especially for a beginner. Soft woods like basswood are easy, have small grain, and are easy to find. (Don’t attempt to whittle hardwoods until you are very experienced.) You can buy Quality Basswood Whittling block sets online fairly cheap, and is a great way to get started.[5]


See also

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Harold B. (1996). Democracy and the Work Place. Black Rose Books. ISBN 978-0919618220.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tangerman, E. J. (1962). Whittling and Woodcarving. Dover. ISBN 978-0486209654.
  3. ↑ Hunt, Lester I. (1979). "Pocketknife Art". Design For Arts in Education 81 (1): 30–33. doi:10.1080/07320973.1979.9939989.
  4. ↑ THUN, TERJE; STORSLETTEN, OLA (2011). "Out of fashion and out of mind; some puzzles in building history solved by means of dendrochronology" (PDF). Stavanger. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  5. ↑ http://whittling101.com/whittling-tools/

External links