Butt Chisels

[ByronBlack]

Can anyone explain to me the benefits of Butt chisels? I'm quite attracted to a kirschen set from axminster - to replace my other kirschens that I lost in my great sale last year.

 

[Alf]

Funny, those Kirschen ones caught my eye too. Butt chisels, well they're, erm, shorter... More, ah, compact, you might say. :wink: S'all about balance primarily; your hand being nearer the cutting edge and so forth. Particularly handy if you like to hold the chisel upright by the blade while you give it a tap, 'cos it's much less likely to fall over. On the other hand there's less visual reference to tell you if it's perpendicular or not. Theoretically good in confined spaces too, I imagine, but I wouldn't know and so often confined space theory doesn't have anything to do with reality. viz; probably best to avoid chiselling in confined spaces in the first place... :lol: The received wisdom is they're so called 'cos they're used for fitting butt hinges, amongst other things.

Cheers, Alf

 

[ByronBlack]

Alf, thanks for your input on the matter, do you think they would be suitable for cutting dovetails? Or would a longer handle be preferred?

 

[Alf]

Byron, probably depends on individual preference really. If you do the Cosmanesque method, then I can see them being good for holding by the blade while you line it up to the gauge line and so forth, but dunno how well the handles would cope with being hit :-k As ever it'd help to be able to try one, wouldn't it? And as ever that's not an option.

Cheers, Alf