To whittle or to carve

[Maple]

Everytime I talk to a friend of mine, he asks how my whittling is going. I always answer fine, but it gets me thinking, what is the difference between whittling and carving? What makes one project a whittling project and the other project a carving project? Is there a difference or is it just semantics?

Do you consider yourself a whittler, a carver, or do you not care, you just like to cut wood?

[rickm]

my wife says im a whittler, i think of myself as a carver. if there is a connotation it migth be that a whittler uses only a knife and a carver uses various tools and creates greater art? just guessing. I just have fun no matter what it is called.

[Tom-H]

OK rickm, now you've went and done it! What's this "Greater Art" stuff??? LOL

Tom H

[Donsexton]

No difference they are all the same thing as are: Wood Sculptor, Chainsaw Sculptor, Power Carver, Folk Artist with wood as a medium. Yall help me out here I say all the same thing

[Midnight Carver]

I will proudly put myself in the "I don't care, I just like to cut wood" category!

Eric

[Coker]

I've seen some outstanding carvings done with only a knife.

Dick

[kdispoto]

I tend to think of a whittler as someone who cuts away at a piece of wood with no specific design in mind - just for the fun it. Isn't that a beautiful thought?

[AlArchie]

A whittler doesn't HAVE to make anything at the end of the day but a pile of chips on the floor of the front porch, a calm demeanor, and maybe a pointed stick.

A woodcarver, on the other hand, MAY have a piece of wood that looks like something else, and huge levels of either satisfaction or frustration.

Al

[Just Carving]

Whittling is usually done with just a knife--and the end result may not necessarily be what you set out to be. Sometimes whittling can be just making chips and passing the time. I carve with a knife and I use a pattern. But I still consider it whittling because I like to keep it simple and just use a knife. Carving is done with knives AND/OR just tools namely chisels and gouges--shaped tools. You usually set out with a pattern or design in mind. Bottom line--the terms are used interchangeably and it is mainly based on the user's interpretation.

Bob L

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Well said Al! A friend of mine is a mechanic, he calls himself an "auto technician". The bottom line he can diagnose a problem and fix it, other mechanics go to him when they can't figure out what to do. (just my analogy)

Dave