Is this chisel worth saving?

[D_W]

Thanks Trevanion
As you said it might be serviceable anyway as it is.
I wonder if this (if it's just the one) chisel was a bit too hard to begin with?

Not that I'm used to having vintage steel chisels, but I have an old vintage chisel that seems really hard in use, compared to the modern Stanleys I use.
It holds an edge really well but never seems to get quite as sharp as the modern ones I have.
I use this one for the last pare down to the line all the same, as is nice and nimble.

Is it unheard of that some vintage chisels could be a bit too hard?
Thanks
Tom

Late and didn't read the answers from others yet, but probably too hard with an outside chance of it being steel quality that won't improve with lower hardness. Put it in the oven for half an hour at 350F, then use it, increase 25 degrees for 1/2 hour in increments and test after each until it performs like you want it to.

when I make chisels (which has only been a few so far, but I'm aiming for something very specific), I shoot for them to be as hard as they can be without chipping because it makes the sharpening process sublime (the chisels don't hold a wire edge much at high hardness). When the magic spot is hit, there is a drastic difference between that spot and the spot 25 degrees cooler in temper (the latter being the type of edge that leaves lines on work after not much paring, and the former having no such behavior at all).

I had an older second tier brand chisel here (lakeside) that exhibited the chipping behavior, though, and hammered it into a shop knife to try to make something decent out of it, and despite hammering and reheating, it's still only marginally useful and likes to shed its very edge. Same for some defective razors in the past - the issue in those probably existed at the steelmaking, and not in the heat treating.

 

[Jacob]

........It’s a shame one of the handles is so damaged, not sure if I’ll be able to find a replacement?

Plane off the broken face until it is nice and flat. Glue on a piece of hardwood. Shape it with chisel, plane, spokeshave as necessary.
Here's one I did earlier. Functional but could be better finished if desired.
It's a nice old A Hildick 1" parer with a date and ordnance mark. 1944 same age as me!
I'd far rather repair if possible, quicker, cheaper and somehow more satisfying

Avoid face flattening. It's a time wasting fashion. Just sharpen and take off the burr in the usual way. If you use it at all it'll get nicely polished up anyway.
PS just noticed AndyT saying the same above, about repairing. There you go then!
PPS you've got a similar well used parer above in the photo with the spokeshave. There's a lot of short ones around and I presume they were long ones originally but now too short. Unless they used short ones as well.
The blued one looks like a mortice chisel, used as a poker? :roll:

 

[RichardG]

Sharpened up the spoke shave and spent a pleasant hour or so fixing the handle. Had to cut more off the old handle than expected but it had split quite badly.

Just need to give it a coat of something?

 

[AndyT]

Well that looks nicely shaped!
A wipe over with linseed oil is all it needs now.
Presumably you used the freshly sharpened spokeshave to shape the chisel handle - rather satisfying, that.

 

[RichardG]

Yes, first time I’ve used a spokeshave. I did find it quite hard to set the depth, it seemed to go from doing nothing to cutting too much with a very minor adjustment. It was also quite fiddly to sharpen due to the small blade and I did the standard 25 degree, 30 degree hone but wonder whether it may have been better left at 25? I’ll do a forum search....

Richard

 

[Jacob]

Yes, first time I’ve used a spokeshave. I did find it quite hard to set the depth, it seemed to go from doing nothing to cutting too much with a very minor adjustment. It was also quite fiddly to sharpen due to the small blade and I did the standard 25 degree, 30 degree hone but wonder whether it may have been better left at 25? I’ll do a forum search....

Richard

SS really easy to sharpen freehand if you make a little holder - approx 6" length of 2x1" with saw kerf in the end to hold the blade. Doesn't have to be a tight fit or anything (within reason) as the pressure of using it keeps it in place.
Then just hone away at 30º as best you can judge, dipping as you go for a slightly rounded bevel. Take out and take off the burr, flat face down.
Easy sharpening improves the quality of the work as you can keep freshening it up as necessary, without too much fiddling about.

 

[Trevanion]

Jacob, recommending a sharpening jig!?

What's next? Flying pigs? I might need a chair...

 

[Jacob]

Jacob, recommending a sharpening jig!?

What's next? Flying pigs? I might need a chair...

Call it a jig if you want but it is still freehand sharpening but with a crude holder. Hence quick and easy, quite unlike jig sharpening. 8-[
Some sort of holding device is really handy with small blades - so little to get hold of without scraping your knuckles and difficult to apply much pressure. A mole wrench would do it perhaps, but a bit of wood even better.
I've still got a couple of jigs in a drawer which I can honestly say I've never needed since I saw the light!

 

[Jacob]

Little blades difficult to hold so here's my "sharpening jig" :roll: .
About a minute to make from a bit of scrap.

The underside has a bit nicked off so the wood doesn't rub on the stone

Place it on the stone at 30º and wang it to the other end pressing down with both hands

Dip as you go so it arrives at less than 30º
Repeat, fast and pressing down. Keep the stone well flooded.

Result is a slightly rounded bevel with the edge at about 30º

Jig could be wider but that was just a piece I picked up off the floor.
All freehand sharpening is done like this, planes and chisels, rounded bevel, edge at 30º
A little holder helps with little blades. Can help with big slotted plane blades too - just drill a hole in a piece of scrap and bolt through to hold the bade on. A long two handed handle makes grinding much easier, if you have to do it by hand
It's very very quick and easy, so much so that I have to say - modern sharpening with all that paraphernalia and fiddling is quite frankly, very very silly. 8-[
PS A new spokeshave blade will arrive ground at 25º. As you hone, as above, the rounded bevel takes over. You need never grind again - you just keep honing the rounded bevel the same way. Though you might try it on a coarser medium if you've left it too long, which is grinding of course, but with same technique.