Best vintage Chisels

[rob1693]

Not chisels but gouges issac greaves Matheson Glasgow marples stormont and some I can't make out

 

[yetloh]

Agree Ward and Ibbotson. Also Herring but, really, almost anything marked Cast Steel, Sheffield, is likely to be good.

Jim

 

[Richie555]

You have some top brand names here, my friend.

Thank you, I`ve done a little minor work with the Sorby but I`m really going to be using them in anger on my next project in a fortnight.

 

[Richie555]

I've got a Nurse plane and a large Nurse paring chisel. I believe there may have been more than one of them (sorry if I don't actually know that much about the different makers - I just like the tools and not much of a retro reader). But I think I may have one marked I.Nurse and one C.Nurse. Too lazy to go dig in the piles and see if I can find both.

I think they were sellers of tools, not sure they were actually makers. I've seen Nurse on saws, too.

I thought I`d do a little research on your behalf.

Charles Nurse Catalogue 1902 (taths.org.uk)

C. Nurse & Co – The Coopers' Tool Museum (cooperstoolmuseum.com)

I can`t find out too much but they seemed to be based in London.

 

[toolsntat]

Might I present a gratuitous gouge drive by.....
Very recent purchase so no feedback but I believe this lot (top row) was originally bought all at once. Notice the not so popular ones being old style bolsters and the smallest ones substituted with Stormonts.
Cheers Andy

 

[workshopted]

Might I present a gratuitous gouge drive by.....
Very recent purchase so no feedback but I believe this lot (top row) was originally bought all at once. Notice the not so popular ones being old style bolsters and the smallest ones substituted with Stormonts.
Cheers Andy View attachment 118153

'Gratuitous gouge drive by' - hahahahaha!

 

[Richie555]

Might I present a gratuitous gouge drive by.....
Very recent purchase so no feedback but I believe this lot (top row) was originally bought all at once. Notice the not so popular ones being old style bolsters and the smallest ones substituted with Stormonts.
Cheers Andy View attachment 118153

Wow, that's quiet a collection.

 

[Richie555]

I've picked up another chisel today for £1. It's a Robert Sorby and I think it's a paring chisel, approx 1/4".
It needs quite a bit of work but I'm looking forward to tackling it.

 

[Gavlar]

I acquired a bunch of assorted chisels in an auction lot this week, for 7 quid all up. Readable brands are Ward, Stormont, Robert Sorby and something that could be Grades or Brades (ideas welcome). All the handles are in a shocking state though so I have some work to do.

My favourite one though is this, from I. Sorby (just about legible).

The iron is 1.7/16" wide and it has a 6" handle. It's really heavy for its size. I wonder about the original length and why on earth it's been butchered into a...well I don't know what, but it's still sharp. The handle has seen better days too, but still has a nice polish to it. Should I try to re-grind into a usable chisel or leave it?

 

[Orraloon]

It looks like its been reshaped for a turners scraper. I would like a bit more handle on it before taking it to the lathe however.
I dont think there would be much left if you reground it back to a bench chisel.
Regards
John

 

[TRITON]

I thought it was maybe to clean up coves. As a scraper type thing. Of course we'll never know for sure and could even have been for buttering the rolls for breakfast.

 

[Gavlar]

There's a lot of bevel for lathe use, but some sort of scraper seems reasonable. Either way, I'll keep it as it is, it's a lot of work to re-grind it, and as you say John not much left afterwards! It's a good age, just think of the hands it's been through in a century and a half (ish).

 

[workshopted]

I acquired a bunch of assorted chisels in an auction lot this week, for 7 quid all up. Readable brands are Ward, Stormont, Robert Sorby and something that could be Grades or Brades (ideas welcome). All the handles are in a shocking state though so I have some work to do.

My favourite one though is this, from I. Sorby (just about legible).View attachment 118367View attachment 118368
The iron is 1.7/16" wide and it has a 6" handle. It's really heavy for its size. I wonder about the original length and why on earth it's been butchered into a...well I don't know what, but it's still sharp. The handle has seen better days too, but still has a nice polish to it. Should I try to re-grind into a usable chisel or leave it?

I have a patternmakers tool chest that came to me with the original tools and one of the chisels looks similar to yours. I wonder if your chisel came from a patternmaker.

 

[workshopted]

I have a patternmakers tool chest that came to me with the original tools and one of the chisels looks similar to yours. I wonder if your chisel came from a patternmaker.

View attachment 118477

 

[workshopted]

As you can see the tool came from a good place.

 

[dannyr]

They would make nice sturdy scrapers for finishing a fillet on a pattern?

 

[thetyreman]

what did the pattern makers use the rounded edge chisels for? intriguing.

 

[Adam W.]

One is quite happy with todays purchase....

Been looking for one of these for a while, and as it's an I. Sorby I'm exceptionally happy.

 

[rob1693]

Strange geometry and looks very difficult to sharpen what's it for Adam

 

[Adam W.]

It's a sash scribing gouge for scribing the moulded parts of window sashes.

Very old school and went out of use quite a while ago.

http://www.hackneytools.com/wp-cont...ools for Sash Window Making - web version.pdf