Paring Chisels

[bridger berdel]

Did you see Bridger Bardel's post, below?

the chisel in that picture seems to be modern. I haven't cleaned it up yet. it's a size I didn't have, 1/2" and nice and long. I'm happy to have it.


actually, the size I am now feeling the lack of is 3/8" wide. somehow I don't seem to run into too many that size.

Bridger

[Rick Fisher]

I have the Blue Spruce paring chisels and bought them from thebestthings.com

They are flexible but very long. They hold an edge well and are pretty easy to sharpen.

I also have some Japanese paring chisels and really like them. They are not at all easy to sharpen compared to the Blue Spruce, but hold an edge much longer ..



The Henry Taylors are cranked. They are really easy to sharpen, but hold an edge the least longest of the three .. Nice but specific use tools.. I added them because I doubt the non - cranked are much different ..

I am doing an Afromosia project right now.. Used the Japanese ( Tasai ) chisels on Afromosia and Ebony extensively and the woods dulled them .. My best chisels go dull pretty fast when working abrasive wood ..

I would highly recommend the blue spruce or any quality Japanese chisel .. The Blue Spruce are really nicely made, you can tell right away that your holding a quality tool. The downside IMO is they aren't as comfortable due to the length .. Just my opinion..

I would really like to hear from someone who has the Nishiki extra thin paring chisels.. I suspect they are really good .. ( sold by toolsforwoodworking.com)

[Jim Neeley]

Derek,

When I was working with a patternmaker (a crusty old Yorkshireman who had served his time at Jaguar) some years ago if he had asked me to pass him a paring chisel and I had had handed him any of the chisels in your photos he would most likely have told me to stop playing silly buggers and pass him a paring chisel ...

Sean,

It is clear from your post that you do not consider what Derek has posted pictures of as being paring chisels. Please post pictures then of what you *do* consider paring chisels, and describe how they are different. Educate us, please.

Jim

[Sean Richards]

Sean,

It is clear from your post that you do not consider what Derek has posted pictures of as being paring chisels. Please post pictures then of what you *do* consider paring chisels, and describe how they are different. Educate us, please.

Jim

Jim,

What I consider to be a paring chisel is a long (my longest ones have a blade of about 10" I guess) somewhat flexible chisel NOT intended to be struck with a mallet. Earlier paring chisels especially in the smaller sizes were not necessarily bevel edged. Intended usage is for paring i.e. finishing off joints etc.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Sean

Many vintage paring chisels had square sides (like a firmer, just much thinner).

There is no difference between a paring chisel with a long blade and a short handle, and a shorter blade with a long handle. The length adds to control, the longer thinner blade of the vintage chisel offers lightness, but the heavier blade of the Japanese slick offers more power. It is interesting that Jim Kingshott, schooled in the British cabinetmaking tradition, came to prefer the Japanese chisels (and slicks).

What I am saying it that there is no right or wrong here, just preferences. That is why I presented three quite different types of chisels, all of which may be used to pare joints.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Adam Cherubini]

Jim,

What I consider to be a paring chisel is a long (my longest ones have a blade of about 10" I guess) somewhat flexible chisel NOT intended to be struck with a mallet. Earlier paring chisels especially in the smaller sizes were not necessarily bevel edged. Intended usage is for paring i.e. finishing off joints etc.

Tho some of my dearest friends are crusty Yorkshiremen, but they CAN be annoying as woodworkers. In the Seaton chest (1797) both paring chisels and firming chisels are listed in the inventory. They are identical tools and may well have been in the 18th c. So let's forget the nonsense that English craftsmen have always had specialty paring chisels, easily distinguished from everything else.

The super long paring tools of the 19th c may have been "lets increase our market share by convincing woodworkers they need every blessed thing we make" tools (e.g. swan neck chisel).

I like THIN chisels (like Dave's) for paring and prefer wide. I would start with the thinnest chisel you can find over 1" wide. I would seriously consider a carving tool and possibly an alongee like those made by Henry Taylor. Not to start a fight, but I tend to pare like I carve and find (in both instances) a slightly rounded back is advantangeous.

I guess I think paring is a skill, not a tool.

[Chuck Nickerson]

Adam - is paring chisels something you'll discuss in 18th century tricks of the trade?

[Sean Richards]

Tho some of my dearest friends are crusty Yorkshiremen, but they CAN be annoying as woodworkers. In the Seaton chest (1797) both paring chisels and firming chisels are listed in the inventory. They are identical tools and may well have been in the 18th c. So let's forget the nonsense that English craftsmen have always had specialty paring chisels, easily distinguished from everything else.

The super long paring tools of the 19th c may have been "lets increase our market share by convincing woodworkers they need every blessed thing we make" tools (e.g. swan neck chisel).

I like THIN chisels (like Dave's) for paring and prefer wide. I would start with the thinnest chisel you can find over 1" wide. I would seriously consider a carving tool and possibly an alongee like those made by Henry Taylor. Not to start a fight, but I tend to pare like I carve and find (in both instances) a slightly rounded back is advantangeous.

I guess I think paring is a skill, not a tool.

Hi Adam,

All fair comments - all I was pointing out was that if you were in a pattern shop (and that is based on my experience) in the English speaking world any time in the last 150 years (I guess) what they would call a paring chisel is "a long somewhat flexible chisel NOT intended to be struck with a mallet." And yes skill trumps tools any time

[Sean Richards]

There is no difference between a paring chisel with a long blade and a short handle, and a shorter blade with a long handle.
Derek

Here I would have to disagree

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Sean

Care to expand on your conclusion?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Adam Cherubini]

Yep- That was something I wanted to demo. Not sure it rises to a tip but it may be a trick. Not sure if I included them or no, but I have a couple pics of 18th c drawer sides- pretty clearly no paring took place. My sense is that is where most modern guys DO pare, so I'll probably talk about that.

The idea behind the tips and tricks was to present 18th c woodwork from a fairly well grounded/documented perspective and draw the distinctions between modern work and 18th c work. I'll talk about stuff I do, but I'll try pretty hard to separate what I do from what we have evidence for. It's a cool talk. But if you can only go to one, go to the moldings talk.

I'm looking forward to seeing you Chuck

Adam

[Adam Cherubini]

Sorry if my comments were too emphatic Sean

[Sean Richards]

Sorry if my comments were too emphatic Sean

Not at all - always open to other peoples opinions especially when they come backed up with experience

[John Coloccia]

You can pare with any chisel, and chop with any chisel, within the limits of what the physical constraints of the metal will allow. When you talk about a WESTERN paring chisel, though, you're talking about a chisel with a LONG, thin blade. That's the traditional western paring chisel. Yes, there is a huge difference between that style of chisel and other chisels, including shorter Japanese paring chisels. It has to do with how you hold the chisel, how you use it, etc. Forget about the word "paring". The term "paring chisel" is traditionally meant to apply to a chisel with a long, thin blade and comfortable handle. Whether or not you pare with it, chop with it, or pare with something else is beside the point. It's just a label. I make mortises with my Lie-Neilsen bench chisels...and I've made mortises with a sharpened screwdriver. If I asked you for a mortise chisel and you handed my a sharpened screwdriver, you might be looking for a new job, or at least get stuck in a corner with a dunce hat and a laptop to lookup what a mortise chisel refers to.

The long paring chisel allows you to brace the chisel against your body, hold the tip with your other hand and pare straight down very accurately. Ditto for paring horizontally. Just because a short chisel cuts well doesn't mean it behaves the same. Personally, I like ALL the chisels, so it's kind of pointless to worry about which are better and which are used for what purpose. Generally, though, it's a good thing to at least agree on traditional terminology so we all know what we're talking about.

For the record, a sharpened screwdriver makes a FANTASTIC mortise chisel, but I'd never call it that.

[Sean Richards]

Hi Sean

Care to expand on your conclusion?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

Based on personal experience I don't agree that a long thin bladed somewhat flexible patternmakers paring chisel has the same characteristics in use as a long handled somewhat short and definitely stiff bladed Japanese slick.