Old Chisels

[Harbo]

I've found a couple of old chisels - one a 10" long gouge and the other a 10" bevel edged paring chisel?
But both have a large "hex nut" on the tangs where the tang joins the blade acting as a "stop"? The tangs do not have the usual widening (bolster?).
Would these have been made like this or has some previous owner added these? They probably belonged to my Great Grandfather so perhaps 100 years old?

Rod

Will post some pictures tomorrow

 

[Harbo]

Heres some photos including one of the entire haul!
Lots of chisels, a draw knife and a small plane.

The bottom 2 are the ones with the nuts which seem to be handmade? Top one is a mortice.

Rod

 

[Scrit]

Hi Rod

I wonder if they were made by re-using old files. The tang on the lower one looks pretty fine and there would certainly be nothing wrong with the steel.

Scrit

 

[Alf]

Yeah, old files sounds very probable; the nut-for-bolster dodge is a cunning one. Gazing into my crystal ball I see a lot of handle making in your future...

Cheers, Alf

 

[woodbloke]

Alf wrote:

lot of handle making in your future

AOH's maybe? - Rob

 

[Harbo]

The gouge could have been made from a file - it has been hand shaped - you can see the fine hammer marks used in creating the curve.
The chisel though is 6mm thick, so not sure if a file would have been this thickness? The nuts look hand made?
You are right about the handles - fortunately I have a nice thick and long piece of box and some nice bits of ash.
What I did not show in the photos is that there are also about a dozen hammers of various shapes and sizes and lots of screwdrivers - all with dodgy handles!
Will keep me busy for years :wink:

Rod

 

[Harbo]

Spoke to Ray Iles again this morning and mentioned these old chisels.

He reckons they would have been made just after the WWII when there was a big shortage of tools and steel and probably made from old files or plane irons.

Speaking to my Mum, it turns out my Grandfather was a Toolmaker so he probably made them? Mystery solved ?

Rod