That's a funny chisel you've got there!

[MJP]

Picked up this chisel during today's rust hunt.

A heavy blade, like a mortise chisel, but the handle fits the palm nicely and doesn't look heavy enough to take hammering.

The flat of the blade is exactly 1/2" wide. The cross section of the blade is triangular: One side of the blade is flat, the other is convex.

Anyone got any idea what specialised purpose this chisel was intended to serve?

 

[Dee J]

That looks more like an engineers scraper for truing up machine beds.

 

[ED65]

Dee J beat me to it, think that's very likely a scraper. If so small world again, that's the second posted in as many weeks when months or years might go past and nobody posts one.

 

[MJP]

Ahah! -thanks folks. That explains the strange "heavy blade and light weight handle" conflict. It does feel very "right" in one's hand so I'm sure that we've got it.

Martin.

 

[bugbear]

I'm not sure - that's rather stubby for a scraper (where control of the presentation angle is critical) and the triangular upper surface would make applying downward pressure rather uncomfortable.

Damned if I know what it is though.

BugBear

 

[MJP]

Hi Bug - well, I think we're all agreed that what it's *not* is a wood chisel, so that's good enough for me!

Martin.

 

[AndyT]

Yes, definitely a scraper. Not that uncommon - I've got one I bought and one that came in mixed batches of chisels. No name on either though. Good hard steel. The curved side would probably burnish card scrapers nicely. The chisel end, ground to a sharp 90 degrees, will scrape metal nicely if you want to make it flat.

 

[heimlaga]

To me it looks like a scraper home made from a worn out triangular file.

I use my scrapers quite a bit when repairing machinery. Without them I would hardly have any machinery to talk about. Take good care of it!

 

[MJP]

Ha - now you've hit the nail on the head, Hemlaga - yes, I suspect it's home-made but not from a file, from a sharpening steel.

The convex surface is covered with very faint longitudinal grooves- like a worn-out sharpening steel.

I think we've got a very nicely made scraper made from a sharpening steel.

This strange shape all makes sense now.

Martin.

 

[AndyT]

Sorry, but if these were made from old files or sharpening steels, someone has been busy and very consistent!

These are exactly as you describe.

 

[MJP]

- even down to the same handles Andy.

Well there we are, we've all learned something.

All I need now is to find a use for a scraper...

Martin.

 

[AndyT]

If you find out, do let us know. The only ones I can find in catalogues are the Moore and Wright ones, which are not the same. I wonder if the long side arris could be used to scrape an internal curve, in something thicker than most soft metal bearings, but I'm guessing without evidence.

 

[MJP]

I'm surprised that such an unusual item isn't marked. Was that common with scrapers?

 

[ED65]

I'm not sure - that's rather stubby for a scraper (where control of the presentation angle is critical) and the triangular upper surface would make applying downward pressure rather uncomfortable.

You're thinking in the wrong axis, as my recent reading up on scrapers just enlightened me triangular scrapers are largely or exclusively intended to be used sideways, not forwards. Now this one does have a flat tip instead of coming to a point so at a guess it was intended to be more of an all-rounder than the later (more established?) form, the three-square.

 

[bugbear]

Sorry, but if these were made from old files or sharpening steels, someone has been busy and very consistent!

These are exactly as you describe.

Which (if any) of the edges and arrises are sharp?

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

Sorry, but if these were made from old files or sharpening steels, someone has been busy and very consistent!

These are exactly as you describe.

IIRC I've seen some of these, and dismissed them (without much thought) as chisels I didn't want. They're sort-of-common.

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

I'm not sure - that's rather stubby for a scraper (where control of the presentation angle is critical) and the triangular upper surface would make applying downward pressure rather uncomfortable.

You're thinking in the wrong axis, as my recent reading up on scrapers just enlightened me triangular scrapers are largely or exclusively intended to be used sideways, not forwards. Now this one does have a flat tip instead of coming to a point so at a guess it was intended to be more of an all-rounder than the later (more established?) form, the three-square.

I did (I suspect) a similar search to your. All the triangle scrapers I can find have an extended pyramid tip, all three sides coming (with a convex bevel...) to a point. This gives 3 curved cutting edges. Some of the models have fluted or concave faces to reduced the labour of sharpening.

(centre tool, obvs).

But I cannot find a single acknowledged/labelled scraper with of the form presented by the OP, notably the ground-square across tip.

BugBear

 

[MJP]

All longitudinal edges on my specimen are clean and well-defined, the one between the base and the flat side particularly so, verging on sharpness.

The squared-off chisel end doesn't exhibit any grinding marks and the whole thing looks to be in "as it left the factory" condition.

Martin.

 

[Bod]

Sorry, but if these were made from old files or sharpening steels, someone has been busy and very consistent!

These are exactly as you describe.

I've one the same.
My take is that they are "universal" engineering scrapers. Can do flat, and curved, work. Small enough to carry onsite, for small final fitting adjustments.

Bod

 

[AndyT]

Looking again, one of mine is marked with this number, Φ 134275 Φ :

I think that sort of marking is laser engraving, which probably means this tool was made in the 1960s or later.

It's sharp(ish) along both bottom arrises, though dull at present, presumably because of getting knocked about with other tools. It's also "sharp" at the chisel end, where I have ground it square across.