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What Is the Difference between Carving and Whittling?

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

There seems to be a great divide in the woodworking world over the difference between carving and whittling, which tends to mean one answer is just as good as another. Some suggest that carving is more of a European woodworking technique and whittling is closer an American hobby involving wood. Serious woodcarvers would most likely bristle at being called whittlers, since many whittlers simply use a knife to shave off wood from a stick, not create timeless works of art.

One difference between carving and whittling may be the woodworking tools used by practitioners. Some sources suggest that whittling only involves knife work, which means the woodworker uses just a knife to remove material from the finished project. Simply creating a point on a stick would be considered whittling in certain woodworking circles.

Carving involves using specialized tools to create intricate details on two or three dimensional surfaces.
Carving involves using specialized tools to create intricate details on two or three dimensional surfaces.

On the other hand, carving may involve using a number of woodworking tools to remove excess material, such as gouges, files and specialized knives. Carvers learn different woodworking techniques in order to derive the most benefit from a variety of tools. While carvers often perform the same knife work as whittlers, some consider the use of additional tools as a major difference between carving and whittling.

Wood carvers use different techniques to achieve a level of detail not usually associated with whittling.
Wood carvers use different techniques to achieve a level of detail not usually associated with whittling.

Some suggest there is no real difference between carving and whittling except for the woodworker's personal preference. An American woodworker may refer to himself or herself as a whittler for no other reason than that's the traditional name of the profession. A German woodworker may refer to himself or herself as a carver for the same traditional reason. There are any number of subcategories in woodworking, so a craftsman call himself or herself a "chip carver" or a "decorative woodcarver" according to his or her personal woodworking interests.

Some people argue there is no real difference between carving and whittling.
Some people argue there is no real difference between carving and whittling.

There are those who consider whittling to be more of a hobby and carving to be more of a profession. The iconic image of older men sitting outside a general store and whittling shavings from sticks tends to put whittling in a separate category than the image of Old World carvers skillfully creating intricate details on an expensive piece of wood furniture. Whether or not this distinction between carving and whittling is absolutely fair remains a matter of dispute, but wood carving tends to be viewed as a more advanced craft than wood whittling.

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular HomeQuestionsAnswered contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular HomeQuestionsAnswered contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon240998

Whittling is taking something and turning it into nothing. Carving is taking nothing and turning it into something.

anon142071

As a whittler, it has always been my understanding that the difference between what I do and carving is that I hold my work in my hand as I'm making it. A carver bolts or clamps their work down. Thus it's the technique that defines the activity, not the tools.

I use a variety of tools to whittle, including carving chisels and even rotary power cutters, but the work is always held in my left hand. Should I choose to clamp or bolt it, then it becomes 'carving'.

If you think this through, it makes sense. If you hold your work, you don't need a clamp, or a bench to fasten the clamp to. Therefore you don't need a special place, either. The whole exercise becomes much more flexible and portable. You can do it anywhere, anytime. (I don't personally recommend you whittle over shag carpet, but other than that, no limits!)

henk

carving and whittling:

quote in the text: ''the woodworker uses just a knife to remove material from the finished product"

This removing material from the finished product seems a destructive activity to me. If a product is actually finished I feel sure the woodworker or the whittler would be very careful to avoid removing more material from the finished product for fear of spoiling his or her finished creation.

From observative henk

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    • Carving involves using specialized tools to create intricate details on two or three dimensional surfaces.
      By: luca manieri
      Carving involves using specialized tools to create intricate details on two or three dimensional surfaces.
    • Wood carvers use different techniques to achieve a level of detail not usually associated with whittling.
      By: gzach
      Wood carvers use different techniques to achieve a level of detail not usually associated with whittling.
    • Some people argue there is no real difference between carving and whittling.
      By: Silvano Rebai
      Some people argue there is no real difference between carving and whittling.
    • Carving is usually completed on more large scale projects.
      By: kartos
      Carving is usually completed on more large scale projects.