An Odd Footprint

[Downwindtracker2]

I bought a couple of odd Footprint branded chisels at a flea market(car boot), A 1/4" and a 1/2" bench. They look very Swedish. The 1/2" blade is very thin, like the black plastic handle '70s Sandviks. Instead of a tang they have a small socket, like my 5002 Stanley firmer chisels. The beech handles are very Swedish, double knurling on the brass ring, 19mm instead of the 17 that's on my tanged made-in-Sweden OK butt chisels, thumb hollow, 32mm diameter handle, light gauge blued steel anti-split ring and a domed top. The handle even have the three pairs of rings turned on them. The red stamp Footprint/Sheffield/England on the handle goes across, instead of lengthwise. Do any of you fellow have when they were made, or where ?

I'm really impressed with how nice they balance and feel. Years ago I picked up a 1 1/4" poorly regarded thin bladed hollow black plastic handle Sandvik out of a K-Mart clearance bin. When I built a cedar strip canoe, that chisel saw a great deal of use as a parrying chisel. When I retired, I thought to finish equipping my shop, I have set of Stanley 5002/Narex bevel edged firmer and a set of Stanley60/OK butt chisels, but after the canoe, I saw a "need" for black handled Sandviks, I've even found a couple. But those Footprints with their wooden handles has me looking at those black plastic handles on the Sandviks with evil thoughts.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Footprint chisels are actually very good and underrated. The beech handled ones, not sure they are still available new, but were until very recently, came in sets of 4. Originally they used to be painted in their trademark black with a yellow cap, but I think they just omitted the paint as a cost cutting excersise, which looks better anyway. I don't know about their very recent offerings, as Footprint went through financial trouble and may not even make much anymore, but I have some chisels bought new by my dad about 15 years ago. The blades were excellent and had very nice bevels considering their low cost. Better than the similar Marples and Stanleys available at the same time. These had blue polypropylene handles of the same shape as the beech ones you describe. They also came in red unbreakable acetate handles for a little more money, in the same ovoid shape. I hope they are still making them, they are better than many available today.

Mike.

 

[Downwindtracker2]

Thank you for the reply. The Footprint brand is not unknown in Canada, it was priced below Marples, which also saw discounting. In fact I have very nice #4 plane, almost as good as Stanley made during their heydays,30s. It has nice casting, flat sole and square sides, a frog that fits with an adjuster, and stained varnished knob and tote. It was on sale for 1/2 price, end of the line clearance.

I would have posted a link to Swedish wood handle chisels, but I can't, that's style of handle down to the small details.

Those two chisels are a revelation, the balance and fit make them an extension of your hand. As bevel edge chisel, they are too thin to be firmer, they are perfect. If the steel is any good, which it should be, they are either English or Swedish. What more could you ask for in a chisel. That's why I was asking about them.

By thin, I mean in 1/2" chisel, most are about .230" at the transition of blade to socket/tang, whereas the black handled Sandvik and the Footprint are .180"

 

[RobinBHM]

By 'an odd footprint' I thought you were meaning bigfoot!

 

[Downwindtracker2]

:lol: :lol: Never thought of that. When I tried to link to Swedish chisel handles, it was" Pretty Swedes"

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

As far as I know, they were made in Sheffield, England.

Mike.

 

[Harbo]

I have quite a few Footprint chisels and screwdrivers - really good quality.

http://footprint-tools.com/history

Rod

 

[Downwindtracker2]

Thank you for the link to the history. The Footprint here in Canada is recent, last 30 years or so.

What triggered my internet quest, is chisel design. Trying to track down that Footprint. Here in North America, we all have either something like a Stanley 60 butt, or a Marples "Blue Chip" Both designs have very sturdy bevel edged blades and handles that keep your hand from being hit by the steel hammer. I didn't find the Swedish handle shape alone anything special, I had used a Swedish 1" butt chisel in construction, my only thought was beech wasn't up to that abuse. But that combination that Footprint put together, was Wow, this is right.

I was going to grind the black handled Sandviks 20 o and call them parrying. That was about all those handles were good for. However I'm thinking now to leave them at 25 o, break the handles off and turn handles like the Footprints.

THX ,Ray

 

[JohnPW]

I've got a few very battered ones with the black and yellow painted handles, with the distinctive embossed ferrules. I've found some photos of various Footprint chisels on the web:

More info at http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Thomas_R._Ellin

 

[Downwindtracker2]

The embossed ferrules like those are common on wood handled Swedish tang chisels. I have a pair of 3/4" skew chisels like the second set that Lee Valley sold, Made in Sheffield. I now know they are Footprints.

I hit the flea market this morning, three plastic handled heavy awkward chisels, a couple of Stanleys and a Marples, $4, raw material for some future projects, and the tool gods really smiled on me , a Sandvik #280, Sandvik's best handsaw for only $5 . But no more Footprints.

 

[Vann]

I bought a set with wooden handle (2nd photo down in JohnPW post) about 5 years back, when Footprint went into voluntary receivership (or similar).

I bought mine through Amazon from the States. At the time they listed 4 styles of Footprint chisels: this wooden handle model; the red plastic handled style; blue plastic handled style; and I think a grey plastic handled style. Amazon's website stated that the grey handled style were made in China; the other three styles were made in England. This may have all changed now, and even then the country of origin may not have been accurate.

My tuppence worth.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[JimB]

I bought a new red handled one many years ago as I needed an 1/8" mortice chisel at the time. Seems excellent steel but at that size I'm not likely to wear it out in a hurry.