Whittling

Whittling may refer either to the art of carving shapes out of

raw wood using a knife or a time-occupying, non-artistic
(contrast wood carving for artistic process) process of repeatedly
shaving slivers from a piece of wood.[1]:14[2]:10[3]:30 It is used by
many as a pastime, or as a way to make artistic creations.

Contents
Whittling knife rounding a corner
Background of whittling (filet) of a piece of wood
Safety
Wood types
See also
References
External links

Background of whittling
Common examples of whittling
Casual whittling is typically
performed with a light,
small-bladed knife, usually a pocket knife. 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 and have better leverage, allowing more precise
Specialized whittling or carving
control and pressure.
knives
Occasionally the terms "whittling" and "carving" are used
interchangeably, but they are different arts. Carving employs the
use of chisels, gouges, with or without 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]

Safety
It's a good idea to protect your thumb with a leather thimble, and your holding hand with a cut-
resistant glove.

Wood types
While any type of wood can be used for whittling, there are woods which are easier to work with and
whittle better than others. Soft woods with a small grain, such as basswood, are easier to whittle and
are relatively inexpensive. Hardwoods are more difficult to whittle.

See also
Wood carving

References
1. Wilson, Harold B. (1996). Democracy and the Work Place (https://archive.org/details/democracy
workpla0000wils). Black Rose Books. ISBN 978-0919618220.
2. Tangerman, E. J. (1962). Whittling and Woodcarving (https://archive.org/details/whittlingwoodcar
00tang). 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 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F07320973.1979.9939989).
4. THUN, TERJE; STORSLETTEN, OLA (2011). "Out of fashion and out of mind; some puzzles in
building history solved by means of dendrochronology" (http://am.uis.no/getfile.php/Arkeologisk%
20museum/publikasjoner/Varia-53-terjethun-og-olastorsletten.pdf) (PDF). Stavanger. Retrieved
4 January 2014.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Whittling&oldid=998681586"

This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 15:05 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site,
you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.,
a non-profit organization.