Making chisels out of files

[dannyr]

It's not as attractive as yours, but they're different types, and I rather like the remnant indication of its past use (the faint file lines and the maker's mark).

Of course, I take no credit for it (apart from a gentle fettling). I'll flatten the back a little more and sharpen, use and look after it. Because it's been made into a type of chisel that should see heavy duty work, I should soon know if it's over hard or has other problems.

 

[D_W]

Just guessing, but the way it's made with the long bevel, I suspect someone wanted to use it as a parer. The handle is that of a heavy chisel, but it may have been what was around that fit the file tang easily.

I can't imagine even files, though, would have much trouble with straight in chiseling - mine are "dainty", but don't feel at all sprung under use.

The greater challenge would be to make a file that doesn't tolerate heavy prying or levering survive in the open market where most purchasers are beginners (I think that's the reason, along with move toward site work - that most chisels - even tang type - got fatter and fatter over the years).

Even now, the iles chisels, which are wonderful for cabinetmaking work, get sideswiped for not being heavy enough to cut mortises.

 

[dannyr]

In the UK and North America much tool history/collecting interest revolves around the details of factory made tools.

In the French speaking countries there were large and interesting manufacturers of good hand tools such as Goldenberg and Peugeot, but the collecting interest has for decades been very much around tools made by local smiths and by users. Well illustrated books such as "l'Outil" by Feller and others - at least two different older books of similar title and several on les Compagnons (craft guilds) focus very much on the story of these tools.

A high proportion of the tools shown have an obvious past history as rasp (especially) or file, even tools as disparate as hammer and plier/pincers. Certainly several sickles and scythes are shown with ground/hammered away rasp teeth visible - completely reforged of course - no tool is more vital to life than that bringing in the harvest, and has to be tough, thin, sharp and workable - the harvesters wouldn't waste time on nursing poor steel.

 

[Johnp19]

These chisel tools also work well with testing rubber durability I can mention. As I regularly test the durability of rubber materials especially with O-rings, this is a great handy little tool.

 

[D_W]

In the UK and North America much tool history/collecting interest revolves around the details of factory made tools.

In the French speaking countries there were large and interesting manufacturers of good hand tools such as Goldenberg and Peugeot, but the collecting interest has for decades been very much around tools made by local smiths and by users. Well illustrated books such as "l'Outil" by Feller and others - at least two different older books of similar title and several on les Compagnons (craft guilds) focus very much on the story of these tools.

A high proportion of the tools shown have an obvious past history as rasp (especially) or file, even tools as disparate as hammer and plier/pincers. Certainly several sickles and scythes are shown with ground/hammered away rasp teeth visible - completely reforged of course - no tool is more vital to life than that bringing in the harvest, and has to be tough, thin, sharp and workable - the harvesters wouldn't waste time on nursing poor steel.

The states has always been an adopter of modernity, except maybe at the agricultural level where independence was valued by a few people above convenience. So, most of anything ever found here is factory made. Sawmills were a local thing until I was a kid (presumably due to the cost to ship lumber), as were a few small furniture makers (crude unfinished furniture in small shops).

Blacksmiths would've ended (and any kind of significant hand metal working) when the car took over and especially when the tractor took over for heavy work.

It takes so little work to make edge tools out of a file that I can't imagine they wouldn't have been consumed if there was even minimal skill around.