Chisels - I could quit if I wanted.

[D_W]

It's incredible that he has so much love for random men on the internet who are older than he is.

I think both of you are overestimating how much time I consider your thoughts or work. You may do some basic thought here and notice that you actually posted that you don't favor paul in this thread, which is what caused the response. I don't too often run into people who have a distaste - everyone thinks he's on par with George Wilson, which is comical. George was displaying his abilities making harpsichords and violins entirely by hand when paul was selling craft show stuff.

Aside from that, no, I don't think that much about either of you except that I haven't seen anything notable other than talking about qualification papers.

There are tons of people like George (in terms of level of work, being able to design at speed, deal with clients, and do fine work when there are no budget constraints but there are time constraints). Let's be realistic about who all of us are. George may span a much wider area of work than most, but there are more specialists at his level than there are places to work.

The real issue with Paul isn't that you don't care for his bits - that's up to you - it's that people confuse someone like Paul with someone like George, and George is perfectly accessible (still) by phone to answer questions of design and making for anyone who will use his advice. He's not a fan of people who push for it and then ignore it, though.

 

[Jacob]

It's incredible that he has so much love for random men on the internet who are older than he is.

I'm sure he will get over us.
Time is the great healer - and we'll always have Paris.

 

[dannyr]

Ah well ----- I see no-one took my test on p2.

The answers are that the small chisel is a Stanley Everlasting (from about 1930s on?), the larger are Wards Aristocrat (patented 1959, usually a set of 4,) both have steel bar through the wooden handle. The Wards also has no 'lands' at the side as some current 'boutique' chisels.

as you see, available both wood and plastic (more expensive) handle

 

[dannyr]

I really don't want to get back to the GW, PS conversations (respect where due to both gentlemen) but just realised I have a name stamp/punch G. Wilson (not sure where I got it from, have acquired the odd stamp occasionally, but also my mum's family was Wilson). And somewhere I have a tool with Sellers stamped on the handle.

 

[dannyr]

Sorry if I'm boring you but I've got my anorak on and it's onward, onward with chisels,

Little and large of the socket world 3ozs the Marples, 6ozs the Stanley and 36ozs the John Sorby which could actually do with a bigger handle with an iron hoop if it's ever going to build a London barge again.


And if you think all Marples are fine, this one (1970s) is xxxx and some of the final chisels were also poor.

 

[Adam W.]

Carry on, I'm watching.

 

[dannyr]

Don't encourage him, Adam.

Here is a set of Marples response to the American socket chisel (many makers) of the 1920s and onward, these prob about 1940s? Somewhere I also have a couple of gouges like this and a couple of long chisels. In my mind the socket is too small, - someone in the future may also get a surprise -- when I acquired the first of these about 40 years ago they kept dropping off the handle, but some flourescent yellow handlebar tape did the trick

and a set of (Marples and others) sash mortice chisels with the bolster that looks a bit like a socket, but is not

 

[Adam W.]

Us Wilsons need to stick together.

Do you have a picture of the bolster without the handle ?

I like the America socket chisels, I've got a nice Witherby 1/2", long series socket gouge and I'd like to get hold of some more, but they're in short supply over here.

 

[dannyr]

Us Wilsons need to stick together.

Do you have a picture of the bolster without the handle ?

I like the America socket chisels, I've got a nice Witherby 1/2", long series socket gouge and I'd like to get hold of some more, but they're in short supply over here.

My mum's lot were from Brum, Bristol Rd.

I think I have one I could show, but I'm assembling these sets as I go, through these winter weeks, with what I think are appropriate handles etc and I'm not taking handles back off -- I did think this was only a relatively modern style of bolster, used by Marples and Footprint around 1960/70, but then I found v similar in a 1910 UK retail catalogue.
In my picture, two kept their handles and the other older one was old style tang, the newer ones the thick, less tapered tang.

Yes Witherby are good, I believe Buck also? (any relation to UK (Buck and Ryan etc family?)

I'm not giving away the sets of chisels (some extras are going to charity), but if you want any fluorescent yellow handlebar tape, I've still some left.

 

[dannyr]

Us Wilsons need to stick together.

Do you have a picture of the bolster without the handle ?

Here's the bolster and tang of the socket-like chisel (earlier version) as requested

Sometimes mistaken for a socket by online sellers

 

[dannyr]

Oh no, Paul Sellers.


They are Best Improved Round London Pattern.

And here's my take on why those handles look like they do.......

You can hold onto the bulb and put your shoulder against the end and use the force of your upper body to pare downwards. It's also why they are sooooo loooong.

It makes your shoulder look like chopped liver for a while, but you'll get used to it.

I looked at the B I R L Pattern in Salaman -- don't seem as long.
Then I found a picture in an old collectors' tool sale catalogue and also a picture in Marples 1903 catalogue - these refer to this style as a Kensington or a Kensington Pattermakers' or a Kensington London Cabinetmakers'.
I think the ones I have (see pix above) were probably made by the patternmakers who bought the chisels.

Think I'll go with 'Kensington' as the name for these chisel handles.

 

[Brill88]

We don't float each others' boat, but I would literally buy you a paul sellers T shirt, maybe even have one made (like face full size front and back - and shiny graphic quality), if you would agree to wear it among accomplished workers who generally have strong reactions to anything. And wear a go pro - I don't think you could stream real time due to the strong language.

People do get worked up it’s funny tho people get angry about anything I’ve spoken with him he’s very set in his ways and his way is right so take that for what it is I’ve always liked more down to earth people who are in the real world but give a knod to the past like Richard Arnold

 

[TRITON]

I know the usual standard for chisels is N+1, but im sick of having to sharpen them all so decided to cut it down to the 6 main LN ones, plus another 6 old fashioned cast steel, wide and suitable for paring, and a further 3 or 4 low end(Stanley) type for heavy bashing.

 

[morqthana]

He does have quite a large following, so he's doing something right.

So does Justin Bieber.

 

[dannyr]

I know the usual standard for chisels is N+1, but im sick of having to sharpen them all so decided to cut it down to the 6 main LN ones, plus another 6 old fashioned cast steel, wide and suitable for paring, and a further 3 or 4 low end(Stanley) type for heavy bashing.

So, what's the betting you don't stick with LN + 6 + 4 ?

I have something like that, but in my case N is a large no (and no L)

 

[Blister]

You can never have enough chisels
Do most hand chisels have boxwood handels ?

 

[morqthana]

I know the usual standard for chisels is N+1, but im sick of having to sharpen them all so decided to cut it down to the 6 main LN ones, plus another 6 old fashioned cast steel, wide and suitable for paring, and a further 3 or 4 low end(Stanley) type for heavy bashing.

And for opening tins of paint?

 

[TRITON]

And for opening tins of paint?

View attachment 138133

Thats what my dad used to do, then use it to stir the paint. And also used one Stanley 5001 1" for splitting bricks.

 

[niall Y]

I suppose this stems from the belief that - 'the right tool for the job is the one you happen to have in your hand, at that moment in time'

 

[morqthana]

The trouble is that's the tool I keep in my hand when go to get another one, and then put down and leave behind.