Jay: In the US (as I understand it), the vast majority of new builds are stud frame. This means that pretty much all builders count (in a technical sense) as carpenters. In that environment, it's useful to distinguish between someone who nails little timbers together, and someone who cuts traditional joints in large timbers.

In France (and the UK, I can't speak for the Netherlands), most new builds are brick / blockwork. Carpentry (in the large part) is limited to the roof structures (Even first floors are often poured concrete here in France). Even in Normandy where timber structures form the backbone of almost all buildings older than 150 years, very few carpentry firms can afford to specialise in large timber construction. Consequently there is no real "timber framing" industry here. Just varying degrees of carpentry.

The point that Don is making (I believe) is that labelling a tool as being a "timber framing" tool or not is only relevant when "timber framing" is a useful label. The distinction is not so clear here*.

* Many stud frames here in France incorporate some post and beam work in place of internal supporting walls. The post and beam work is not self-supporting, but neither are the stud frame walls. Timber framing or stick framing?