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folk art wood carvings called "whimseys" - definitions and terminology Tramp-art.com
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Definition: Whimseys
are pocket knife carvings, often made
from one piece of wood, that often have little utility. These folk
art objects are carved to amuse, amaze, illustrate and solve a carving trick or
puzzle, as in, "How was that made?" Special knives
and tools might be used to supplement the whittler's pocket knife to achieve
complex and detailed whimsey carvings. . Whimseys are sometimes referred to as
hobo art, knife craft, whittling,
stunts
and novelties.
Alternate spellings "whimsies" or " whimsey" or "whimsy" 01-200 postcard circa 1920. Seen are whimseys carved from single pieces of wood including chain, scissors, crucifixes, and pliers (note length of mini pliers lower right) 04-001 postcard circa 1920. Seen are several whimseys carved from a singe piece of wood including complicated chain and bell design. Also figural carvings of a dog and elk. "See wonderful Whittling Exhibit of World's Greatest Whittler, Gust Pufahl - Monona, IA." Information on postcards |
| In the late 1800s & early
1900s if you wore "pants," chances are you were carrying a
pocket knife also called a "jack" or "folding" or
"pen" knife. The pocket knife was not only a personal
accessory but more importantly if you owned and carried a knife, chances
are you knew how to keep a razor sharp edge on the tool.
The whittling craft flourished as a consequence of the popularity of
the pocket knife. All kinds of woodcarvings survive from these
times and we are interested in those carvings that are best described
today as "whimseys."
The various carving tricks that characterize whimseys are ancient in origin and have a history that cross many cultures and continents. A whittler might combine several tricks into a single work, a chain + a fan + a caged ball, for example. Occasionally a carving might have a purpose as seen in walking sticks and canes. "Welsh love Spoons," courtship and engagement carvings, are examples where love is express by carved symbols. The linked whimsey chain becomes a symbol that expresses lives linked forever in love. The whimsey caged ball becomes a symbol of a soul trapped in a cage of love, or the number of children (#of balls) a marriage would produce. |
common forms of whimseys
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Chains: the carving trick is releasing, from a single piece of wood, interlocking links. Adolph Vandertie, a contemporary whittler, has carved a chain composed of 2821 links that is 217 feet long! |
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Caged or Captive Balls: the carving trick is releasing, from a single piece of wood, captive objects (most often balls) that move but are trapped by a cage. Also called "ball in a cage" or "nested spheres" |
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 02-090 postcard showing a display of whimsey fans |
Fans: the carving trick is to release, from a single piece of wood, vanes (also called feathers, leaves or blades) to create a fan. Also called cedar fans. Learn More |
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Pliers: and other jointed objects. The carving trick is to release from a piece of wood, objects that open and close, yet remain of a single piece of wood (not two pieces put together). two types of joints accomplish this seemingly impossible trick - the "hinge joint" (as used in whittled pliers) or the "pivot joint" (as used in whittled scissors). |
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With dovetails on each and every side- how was this put together? |
Puzzles: Using
a variety of carving tricks (and more than a single piece of wood) the
whittler crafts whimseys that confound the admirer.
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Arrow trapped in a block of wood? |
How-to: the secret of the Arrow Puzzle. This whittler's trick is seen in the antique market in various forms such as the "arrow through a heart." The question is how is a loose arrow trapped in a block of wood? The answer is, thoroughly soak the arrow in water before driving it through. Soak the arrow underwater for hours to days, don't let it float. Consideration of the wood's grain, species and thickness is important- a soft, close grain wood such as 1/4" to 1/2" thick basswood being ideal. After the arrow is dry you can cut the rear notch on the arrow (the driving / hammering end) to form the vanes. Many crafters bevel the hole in the block so the arrow point is driven into the larger and exits the smaller opening. Makes for neater and more interesting presentation. |
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Bottle whimseys: many of the whittlers that produced whimseys, also applied their skills by putting their carved creations through the mouth and stems / necks of bottles, creating bottle whimseys. The impulse was to amaze, amuse and to solve a puzzle (for the crafter) and pose a puzzle (for the admirer). The contents of bottle whimseys can be very complex involving numerous separate elements and pieces combined into a whole, leaving the admirer with the question, how was that made? Also called puzzle bottles |
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Vintage photographs and postcards are from the Tramp-art.com Collection |
