# Ray Iles Mortise Chisels



## nimmaj (12 Dec 2008)

Hello,

Slightly intrigued by the Ray Iles English Pattern Mortise Chisels that tools for working wood sell.

Does anyone know if you can get these in the uk? There's a hint on the ray iles old tool store home page but i couldn't find any further info.

If not these, what other British mortise chisels do people use?

Thanks,

Ben


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## nimmaj (12 Dec 2008)

Re the alternatives, meant british made, rather than necessarily english pattern, if that makes sense!


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## Mr Ed (12 Dec 2008)

Dunbarhamlin confirmed here that Ray has them available and you just need to phone;

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 2&start=30

Cheers, Ed


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## woodbloke (12 Dec 2008)

In my local second hand tool emporium (Penny Farthing Tools) in town they've got a big cardboard box full of the things (pig stickers) and can't even give 'em away...I use LN mortise chisels - Rob


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## Peter T (12 Dec 2008)

nimmaj":ocy3hymf said:


> Hello,
> 
> Slightly intrigued by the Ray Iles English Pattern Mortise Chisels that tools for working wood sell.
> 
> ...


 
I have some of these and I can report that they are brilliant  

I found Chris Schwartz review on the web and called The Old Tool Store to ask about buying some. They said that they had not intended to supply them in the UK, but if I wanted some they would be happy to sell them to me. 

I think I was lucky as they had some stock at the time. I gather this is not always the case.

At the risk of repeating myself; buy some, they're fantastic!!


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## bugbear (12 Dec 2008)

woodbloke":zjojw6e2 said:


> In my local second hand tool emporium (Penny Farthing Tools) in town they've got a big cardboard box full of the things (pig stickers) and can't even give 'em away.



That's odd. Americans are quite fascinated by them, and often pay high.

BugBear


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## dunbarhamlin (12 Dec 2008)

Their only fault is that they do make other chisels feel rather dinky :lol:


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## Peter T (12 Dec 2008)

I love Schwartz's description of their effectiveness: -

"The tools plunge into hardwoods like an Olympic diver through water, and they lever out waste like an electric crowbar"

His review is at http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/cSchwarz/z_art/mortChisel/mortChis1.asp


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## TheTiddles (12 Dec 2008)

woodbloke":27u0rizn said:


> In my local second hand tool emporium (Penny Farthing Tools) in town they've got a big cardboard box full of the things (pig stickers) and can't even give 'em away...I use LN mortise chisels - Rob



To be fair there's a lot of stuff in there that doesn't seem to move, I do wonder how they stay in business

Aidan


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## woodbloke (12 Dec 2008)

TheTiddles":134g8jbb said:


> woodbloke":134g8jbb said:
> 
> 
> > In my local second hand tool emporium (Penny Farthing Tools) in town they've got a big cardboard box full of the things (pig stickers) and can't even give 'em away...I use LN mortise chisels - Rob
> ...


...yeah, but there's a lot of stuff that does move :wink: - Rob


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## matthewwh (12 Dec 2008)

The UK is probably the only country in the world that is awash with the things and yet people don't use them? 

So many people diligently follow the Normist 'mass-production' method of making single items of furniture, they willingly trot along to spend their hard earned English pounds on a DIY grade morticing machine and then - when properly equipped to make hundreds of truly awful mortices - blame themselves when they can't manage to come up with six neat ones.

I picked up a couple of English mortice chisels for literally pennies (I think the postage was more than the chisels) and with a nice heavy mallet I can stitch out the eight mortices for a set of aprons in about half an hour - and I'm really slow. This guy is a bit quicker. I really enjoy the process, especially the fact that it involves skills other than aligning a fence and pulling a lever.

I've still got the morticing machine as a monument to my learning experience - and a convenient place to hang my coat, (which I will now get).


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## Mr Ed (12 Dec 2008)

Well I'm there with you Matthew. I don't actually own any morticing chisels although I'd like to get some. What I do have is a morticing machine that gets used very rarely and isn't that satisfying when I do use it.

Cheers, Ed


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## nimmaj (12 Dec 2008)

Thanks guys - appreciate the replies. Showed the wife the thread and she suggested that i should perhaps wait to get one. It would appear from the badly suppressed grin that she may have already ordered one - how cool's that?! Off to start threads on several other tools, now... ;-)


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## Paul Chapman (12 Dec 2008)

EdSutton":bft29eqt said:


> I don't actually own any morticing chisels although I'd like to get some. What I do have is a morticing machine that gets used very rarely and isn't that satisfying when I do use it.



Get yourself some pig stickers, Ed. There are plenty of second-hand ones about, they work really well and are a pleasure to use  

Cheers :ho2 

Paul


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## Routermonster (12 Dec 2008)

Hi nimmaj and Ed - I agree with the other guys here - get some pigstickers.

I got an old 3/8" Ward off e-bay. It was cheap and seems to be in good condition now I've cleaned it up. I've also got a new 1/4" Ray Iles - it's awesome.

Having struggled in the past with a router and jigs and lots of cleaning up afterwards, I just need to practice my hand morticing skills now ...

Les


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## woodbloke (13 Dec 2008)

Pig stickers are good, no question. If you look at the clip in Mathew's post the guy is using some sort of mahogany, no problem there. However, about half way through the clip there's a close up shot of the top of the mortise, (which is normally covered by the shoulder) which has been mangled by the chisel during the chopping process. If this was a through mortise (as I often do with wedges in the tenon) then that top edge will show and is not acceptable. I now do them with a router and just clean up the corner to get them dead square. I'm not sure if it's any quicker, but once I've got the set up for multiple mortises, I can bang them out fairly smartly - Rob


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## Paul Chapman (13 Dec 2008)

woodbloke":cstmhwp8 said:


> ) If this was a through mortise (as I often do with wedges in the tenon) then that top edge will show and is not acceptable. I now do them with a router



I agree, Rob, for a lot of cabinet making M&Ts, the electric router will give a more precise and neater result. Where pig stickers are particularly good is for lots of joinery-type work where deep mortices are needed and you can drive the chisel in easily with a good wallop from the mallet.

Cheers :ho2 

Paul


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