What makes a Whittler a Whittler?

[Colonel26]

The 72 in your second picture is the first year of the 72. I have one in brown bone.

It was the second year, 47 I believe, that they went to the more familiar two clips and a coping blade.

[jerryd6818]

The 72 in your second picture is the first year of the 72. I have one in brown bone.

It was the second year, 47 I believe, that they went to the more familiar two clips and a coping blade.

Correct. They dropped the pen blade in the spring of 1947.

And the Scout version of the #72 is a #1047 and also called a Whittler by Camillus.

[#goldpan]

I have several "classic" whittler patterns in my accumulation. Sorry no pics. But I do consider the Camillus #72, 1047 patterns as whittlers. Here is mine. I just finished putting new scales on it over the weekend. Its a 1047. It sure is a handy little devil!

Before pic.

After pic.

Randy

[jerryd6818]

I knew you would like it Randy.

[rexstubbins]

What I call a true split back. Only split back I have.

Perhaps not what some would call a whittler because of the punch.

After reading all the posts I'm convinced that it is tomato and not tamato.

BTW anyone have an idea as to when this was made?

3-5/8" closed. I think the shield is silver vs nickle silver as it had a darker tarnish than the bolsters before I flitzed it. Not as magnetic as the bolsters.

[Mumbleypeg]

Agree, that's a true split-back. When I first read your post I thought maybe you had one of the rare one-piece backspring with a wedge. I like your knife a lot. Haven't seen many with parallel slant bolsters. What are the scales made of? Looks like maybe celluloid? I'm gonna guess made 1890 to 1930. If I'm not mistaken on that tang stamp, Goins says Wostenholm started using that stamping in 1890, but added "oil the joints" on pile side of the tang in 1930.
Somebody that knows more please correct me if I'm wrong (that would be twice in the same thread!).

Ken

[Shearer]

Here a set of Warren Whittlers.

Grant

[Cutty]

How bout if I call any knife that I have in my hand, when I decide to whittle on a stick, a whittler

A smart A****** alek response was all I could come up with other than the general confusion about what a whittler really is.

[carrmillus]

....... .......................

[jerryd6818]

I'm with you Cutty.

[terryl308]

This subject has been beat around a bit, now I'll do my part to muddy up the water, as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. This is the only whittler that I have in my collection. It is a Queen and I tried to take a photo of the one large blade using both springs and the two small blades using one each spring. Not the best photo's but I tried Terry

[Colonel26]

I'm with Cutty and Cuz (sounds like a bluegrass duo huh?). Usually it's whatever I have in my pocket when I come across a suitable stick of cedar! Especially a stuck an with a sherpsfoot blade.

[carrmillus]

........somebody correct me if I'm wrong...on a 2 backspring whittler without the tapered wedge, is the small brass spacer between the secondaries called a "kick"?????.......... .................

[jerryd6818]

The circled portion on the blade is the "kick". All the blades have one. It keeps the blade edge from contacting the back spring when it closes.

[carrmillus]

.......that's what's confusing me, jerry. several years ago at a local knife show, an old(older than me) guy was looking at one of my Camillus sleeveboard whittlers which has 2 backsprings with no wedge and he pointed to the small brass spacer(which doesn't extend between the backsprings)between the secondaries and called that a "kick"???............. .................

[Dinadan]

This subject has been beat around a bit, now I'll do my part to muddy up the water, as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. This is the only whittler that I have in my collection. It is a Queen and I tried to take a photo of the one large blade using both springs and the two small blades using one each spring. Not the best photo's but I tried Terry

Terry - looks like you did a good job with the photos.

I guess I am a purist. I want two springs with a primary blade riding on both springs and two smaller blades each riding on one spring!

Some whittlers have another feature that I have not seen on any other pattern. Notice how the springs on this Boker are tapered. This preserves the feature of the main blade riding on both springs, but the main blade does not have to have so thick a tang.

[jerryd6818]

.......that's what's confusing me, jerry. several years ago at a local knife show, an old(older than me) guy was looking at one of my Camillus sleeveboard whittlers which has 2 backsprings with no wedge and he pointed to the small brass spacer(which doesn't extend between the backsprings)between the secondaries and called that a "kick"???............. .................

Up in the Research section of AAPK there's a glossary of terms. Look up "kick" - http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/con ... ife-terms/

[Shearer]

What is this Wyeth's Warranty Cutlery Knife called .Whitter ? Stockman ?
Gunstock,Stock Knife,Whittler,with slanted and pinched bolsters.I think this knife was made before anyone decided to call a split spring a whittler .

Grant

[zp4ja]

.......that's what's confusing me, jerry. several years ago at a local knife show, an old(older than me) guy was looking at one of my Camillus sleeveboard whittlers which has 2 backsprings with no wedge and he pointed to the small brass spacer(which doesn't extend between the backsprings)between the secondaries and called that a "kick"???............. .................

I think you are referring to a catch bit like is used on single spring two bladed pens to allow the blades to have extra room to fall and not bind. Could be wrong but sound like what you are describing to me. On the pens I mentioened, they mount next to bolster inside of liner/blade well.
Only thing I can come up with based on waht you have described.

Jerry

[Mumbleypeg]

Grant, IMHO that's a nice old three blade gunstock pen. If the master fell BETWEEN the two secondary blades instead of to one side, I'd call it a Whittler. Just my opinion. Now, if you put a stick in one hand and go to cutting on it with the knife, according to some it magically transforms the pen into a whittler!

Ken

[Shearer]

[quote="Mumbleypeg"]Grant, IMHO that's a nice old three blade gunstock pen. If the master fell BETWEEN the two secondary blades instead of to one side, I'd call it a Whittler. Just my opinion. Now, if you put a stick in one hand and go to cutting on it with the knife, according to some it magically transforms the pen into a whittler!

Bernard Levine definition.
It's a whittler .
I bet it was made as a stock knife before Bernard Levine was born.

Grant

[djknife13]

Grant, are you sure the master blade is dropping where it was meant to. From the two small blades spacing, it almost looks like it should drop between them. Or else I'm so used to seeing it that way that it just looks wrong to my "pre-conditioned eyes. On the origional question about "split-backs", I don't agree that a whittler has to be split back. What we usually call split back is a tapered back and I don't think that defines a whittler either. I believe it should be called a whilttler if it has the traditional 3 blades, big on one end off two springs and 2 small detailing blades, each on their own spring. I have a two blade (saw and hawkbill) pruning knife that has a "true" split back spring. It's spring is forged into one piece and splits have way across into two, and I have only actually seen a couple of true "split back" whittlers ever. I have the whole question settled in my mind, ( I realize that is probably a lousy place to store that information), but I'm pretty confident I have the "split-back" part of the question figured out. Whittlers aren't that rare, split-back whittlers are very rare, and split back hawkbills are even harder to find. That's my opinion and I'm often wrong. ___Dave

[rexstubbins]

Agree, that's a true split-back. When I first read your post I thought maybe you had one of the rare one-piece backspring with a wedge. I like your knife a lot. Haven't seen many with parallel slant bolsters. What are the scales made of? Looks like maybe celluloid? I'm gonna guess made 1890 to 1930. If I'm not mistaken on that tang stamp, Goins says Wostenholm started using that stamping in 1890, but added "oil the joints" on pile side of the tang in 1930.
Somebody that knows more please correct me if I'm wrong (that would be twice in the same thread!).

Ken

Thanks Ken. Yep the scales are celluloid. It's quarantined to the celluloid shelf. Man I wish I had one of the one piece backspring whittlers. Been looking for one. A friend has an early Case tested 83 pattern baloon whittler that he showed me not to long ago but I can't remember if the backsprings were 1 piece.

[Mumbleypeg]

I've heard of those single-main spring split backs with the wedge but have never seen one. Would be great if someone has one they could show us. I'm not doubting their existence- just haven't seen one myself. Maybe someone that has one will come along and post a picture.
Dave, regarding Grant's knife I initially had the same thoughts about the master blade not falling correctly. Then I remembered Grant is in Australia so just assumed maybe that's how Whittlers work down under! Grant, can you confirm?

Ken

[tjmurphy]

What makes a Whittler a Whittler? Let's see. A sharp knife, a stick of cedar, a chaw of baccer and a huge line of BULL-S41T.