Marples firmer chisels

[D_W]

from a public domain (as far as I know) scanned price list on archive.org.

https://archive.org/details/wm-marples-and-sons-1928/page/13/mode/2up

Note the heavy weight, the sizes (all the way down to 1/4th) and the size to the bolster.

Page 13 on the link above. Still made in 1928. Makes me curious how the bolster is attached, as the picture makes the tang look like it's butt welded. May just be intended to show it's not glazed.

 

[mikej460]

Wheelwright's/coach chisels are sold as a separate item - not as long and not as heavy.

The only other chisels as heavy in cross section (not OVBs) were listings for "strong firmers". There are a few duplicate listings of chisels with a "strong" version.

Possibly Shipwright?

 

[D_W]

Possibly Shipwright?

I'd have to go back and look again to find that - There may be some in that catalog that I linked. I have looked through a few different marples catalogs -I thought I'd found one online at one point that was 1869 or something that would give a better look at what "doing it by hand" made a need for.

1928 is pretty late, but marples really dragged it out better than most did.

The finest craftsman I know made most of the things he made in his life using a single set of marples chisels that he got somewhere around 1958 or 1960 before they gave up and went to the shiny stuff.

 

[mikej460]

I'd have to go back and look again to find that - There may be some in that catalog that I linked. I have looked through a few different marples catalogs -I thought I'd found one online at one point that was 1869 or something that would give a better look at what "doing it by hand" made a need for.

1928 is pretty late, but marples really dragged it out better than most did.

The finest craftsman I know made most of the things he made in his life using a single set of marples chisels that he got somewhere around 1958 or 1960 before they gave up and went to the shiny stuff.

I'm not sure when shipwrights (as a woodworking trade started to die out with late victorian ships being made of steel.

 

[Jacob]

I'm not sure when shipwrights (as a woodworking trade started to die out with late victorian ships being made of steel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victoria_(1859)but wood continued in use for smaller ships and boats and for fitting them out right up to the present

 

[hlvd]

These are Registered Pattern Mortice Chisels

 

[Adam W.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victoria_(1859)but wood continued in use for smaller ships and boats and for fitting them out right up to the present

They were constructing elm river barges in England in the 1930-40's and sailing them with freight on the Thames right up to the 1970's.

 

[Jacob]

Along the same lines. This is a brilliant book From Tree To Sea

 

[Jacob]

These are Registered Pattern Mortice Chisels

Dunno, a bit light for mortice chisels. They aren't the registered pattern sash mortice chisels in the catalogue, which have thicker blades.
They'd do for trimming deep mortices (spoke sockets?) but not for chopping them out.
Near the end of the article he says "These seem to be the for-runners of the Registered Mortice chisel, with which we are more familiar today." but I've always thought of those as modern so-called mortice chisels and neither one thing nor the other

 

[whereistheceilidh]

I suggest Shipwrights chisels, as Mike said. Heavy with leather washes, used to cut joints in oak deck beams & frames. A lovely set. I have some similar myself.....& still used.

 

[cotedupy]

FWIW - there were still commercial, wooden, square-rigged sailing ships being used up until about WW2:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshulu