Chisel for paring

I had a 1/2" Union Hardware socket chisel in a drawer for a few years, a long one, like a Stanley 720.

The tip was rounded (I've tried to draw this, see the attached) and I ground this back, then put a regular bevel on it.

As soon as I'd finished it occurred to me that the rounded tip would have been suited to paring, having no sharp corners that could go astray. I have enough long chisels with a regular bevel that this one could comfortably have stayed round for the occasional use.

Is a chisel with a rounded tip like this something that is used for paring? or was grinding it square the right thing to do?

thank you.

Attachment 367418

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark Gibney

I had a 1/2" Union Hardware socket chisel in a drawer for a few years, a long one, like a Stanley 720.

The tip was rounded (I've tried to draw this, see the attached) and I ground this back, then put a regular bevel on it.

As soon as I'd finished it occurred to me that the rounded tip would have been suited to paring, having no sharp corners that could go astray. I have enough long chisels with a regular bevel that this one could comfortably have stayed round for the occasional use.

Is a chisel with a rounded tip like this something that is used for paring? or was grinding it square the right thing to do?

---

I use my parers to clean up stopped slots and the like, and a squared tip is a requirement for that.

I've seen Jay Van Arsdale use a curved edge on a wide paring chisel. It would have limitations like Patrick mentioned, but I think would excel at paring wide surfaces especially with a paring block guide. You could get a shearing action to the cut without having to skew the chisel much.

I have a wide chisel set up with a relatively slighter curve- probably 1/4" over 2" width. The chisel came to me with corner damage. I was curious about a chambered paring chisel, so I took advantage of the situation. In the end I don't reach for it much.

A one inch chisel with a round end came in one of my bulk purchases. It doesn't do very good at paring, but it does have one unique use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgAS2JJ1mI

jtk

I have a fondness for vintage socket chisels that have a belly for paring chisels if the first 3 to 4 inches from the bit are flattened and if the remainder of the chisel rocks up enough for the socket and knuckles to clear the surface. The advantage of the rocker is one can exert force to emerge from the cut with light leverage control. On a wider chisel the flat bottom can be eased off somewhat at the edges so the side cut is not an abrupt finisher.

Well I don't have the heart to round over the tip now, but I like the idea of a wide paring chisel with a rounded tip such as Jay van Arsdale, but with some Roger Nair rocking action. Something to hunt for at the next swap meet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roger Nair

I have a fondness for vintage socket chisels that have a belly for paring chisels if the first 3 to 4 inches from the bit are flattened and if the remainder of the chisel rocks up enough for the socket and knuckles to clear the surface. The advantage of the rocker is one can exert force to emerge from the cut with light leverage control. On a wider chisel the flat bottom can be eased off somewhat at the edges so the side cut is not an abrupt finisher.

---

Sounds like a mini-slick...

Patrick, exactly. Admittedly, my past with timber framing brought me to this style of chisel and my adaptation of use. I am certain many will find the use of heavy chisels as paring chisels way out of scale to need, but it is what I have and found useful.......

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark Gibney

I had a 1/2" Union Hardware socket chisel in a drawer for a few years, a long one, like a Stanley 720.

The tip was rounded (I've tried to draw this, see the attached) and I ground this back, then put a regular bevel on it.

As soon as I'd finished it occurred to me that the rounded tip would have been suited to paring, having no sharp corners that could go astray. I have enough long chisels with a regular bevel that this one could comfortably have stayed round for the occasional use.

Is a chisel with a rounded tip like this something that is used for paring? or was grinding it square the right thing to do?

thank you.

Attachment 367418

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jim Koepke

A one inch chisel with a round end came in one of my bulk purchases. It doesn't do very good at paring, but it does have one unique use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgAS2JJ1mI

jtk

---

Today in the shop my striking knife was in need of a hone. In another thread someone, maybe Derek Cohen, mentioned having a radius where the bevels meet on a one sided marking knife. Over the last few sharpenings my attention has been focused on making a radiused bevel. Today it came to me while my knife was to stone the rounded end on a chisel would be good for striking a line on rough wood. Sure enough, it works pretty good and tracks a square well.

Maybe some folks in the timber framing trade wanted a heavy duty striking knife.

jtk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jim Koepke

Today in the shop my striking knife was in need of a hone. In another thread someone, maybe Derek Cohen, mentioned having a radius where the bevels meet on a one sided marking knife. Over the last few sharpenings my attention has been focused on making a radiused bevel. Today it came to me while my knife was to stone the rounded end on a chisel would be good for striking a line on rough wood. Sure enough, it works pretty good and tracks a square well.

---

That's also a useful technique for pointy nickers...