Whittled Whimsey #9
Signed and dated PR Drumm, 2002
Basswood
24" x 7/16" x 7/16"

Exhibited on World Wide Web, http://www.whittledwhimseys.com

Part of the John Wickenheisser collection, this basswood Whittled Whimsey #9 is seven chain-linked working pliers made into a necklace. Each one shows stages, from simple slip-joint pliers to crocodile-looking pliers with true pivot joints for eyes. Back in 1900, a whittler named Mooney Warther (Google him! Fascinating) could whittle one in eleven seconds with ten cuts, and whittled over three thousand pliers connected, which opened into a Christmas tree design. He did that in Black Walnut, much harder than Basswood. Drumm takes a minimum of 11 minutes for each plier and much more than ten cuts, especially on pivot-eye jointed pliers.

Photo #1 shows WW#9 as a necklace.

Photos #2 thru #5 show progression from simple undecorated slip-joint pliers to pivot-jointed "crocodile".