Vintage Chisel Handle Material

[Ben West]

I've been in the market for a set of chisels, and decided recently it would be neat to buy some vintage chisels and restore them. So, last week I won an Ebay auction for a 7-piece set of assorted vintage socket chisels, but without handles. I didn't get a great deal -- you rarely do on Ebay, I suppose -- but it wasn't bad; besides, I won't have time for a while to hunt around at flea markets and yard sales.

My question is: what wood should I use to make the handles? My first thought was to use cocobolo, purpleheart, or some other dense, hard exotic. Then I thought "Why the heck would I put exotic wood on these things when I bought vintage chisels because of, in part, their USA heritage??"

So, I'm committed to domestic wood. I had decided upon hickory, but then thought "Why not black locust?"

Any advice?

PS -- For those interested, in the 7-chisel set I got: 3 stanley 750's, 1 Ward Master's, 1 Entz & Rucker, 1 Jordan (German), and 1 Eclipse (probably the lowest quality of the lot, from what I've read). They are all in good shape, and I paid $50 for the lot...again, not great, but not bad.

[Jim Koepke]

The three 750s with original handles would likely have cost a bit more than you paid for the lot.

My old Buck Bros. chisels have been rehandled with hickory. For my Witherbys, a lot of woods have been used; rose wood, cherry, purple heart, red heart, iron wood, myrtle and maple.

It is not always my intention to be historically correct as some may consider in their choices. My intention is to make handles that are pleasing to the eye and the hands using them. All other consideration is based on the wood on hand or what can be found at reasonable cost.

So far, my favorites are rose wood and red heart both make comfortable and visually pleasing handles.

You may consider doing a search on; tool handles, chisel handles and just handles here on SMC. There are a lot of threads on this since a lot of us have made our own handles and we love to show them off.

Hopefully, when you make yours, you will also want to show them off.

Here is a thread about some of the handles I have made:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?referrerid=5960&t=98304

The hickory handles made for my Buck chisels are not shown. My attempt on those has been to make them more like the originals in my shop. Have come sort of close. Maybe some pictures should be taken and posted in this thread later today.

Have fun,

jim

[Bruce Haugen]

have handles of masur birch, which is both visually appealing and tough. The grain is pretty interlocked.

Bruce

[Gary Herrmann]

Dogwood is domestic and very hard.

[Ben West]

Jim...thanks for the link to your previous post. I really like your handle profile. The exaggerated lip on those seems like it would be really useful. I don't necessarily care about being historically correct, just wanted to put American wood on American steel. Just as a conversation piece, really.

Gary...dogwood, hmmm. Never played around with any of it, and wouldn't have guessed that it's a real hard wood. I'll have to see if I can find some to look at.

The masur birch is interesting, too.

I'll be sure to post some before and after shots of the chisels. It will be a while, though....lots of other projects are ahead of them!

[Jim Koepke]

OK, took some pictures of my attempts to make handles like those on some of my Buck Brothers chisels.

My turning experience is only a few months and no real training. Teaching myself with the help of fellow Creekers and internet videos.

The first, third and fifth from the left are handles that came with the chisels and gouge when they were bought. The one in the middle is my first attempt, the second from the left is my latest. After making the last one, an idea came to me on how to better copy the shape. There is a little more hickory in the shop, so will try a different approach next time and if it works will post it here. It may be a few days as the only Buck tools needing handles now are gouges and firmer chisels. Besides, there are a few other projects ahead of turning handles right now and they need to get done.

jim

[Richard Niemiec]

My handles get made of whatever hardwood scrap happens to be at the top of the box, some cherry, some maple, some red oak, some white oak, and pin oak from a pallet!! It all depends on how purdy you want them....most anything will suffice IMHO.

RN

[Gary Herrmann]

Ben, from what I've read, dogwood has a higher specific gravity than hard maple. I used it because I harvested a tree trunk. I've haven't run across a lot of it other than that.

[Ben West]

Gary, you're exactly right. I checked out Dogwood's score on the Janka scale at http://www.sizes.com/units/janka.htm.

I just wouldn't have thought it was that hard, but I've never really handled any dogwood wood.

It might make a fantastic chisel handle.

[Graham Hughes (CA)]

Most of my chisels are made in ash. I have done a couple in red oak, but the handle partially fractured in a way that really alarmed me--thus the use of ash. The most recent ones have been in hard maple, which is delightful. I have one I turned in Honduras mahogany, and while it worked for me I can't really recommend it. As delightful as it is to work, and it's a real charmer, it splits too readily for tool use.

[David Keller NC]

"I just wouldn't have thought it was that hard, but I've never really handled any dogwood wood.

It might make a fantastic chisel handle."

Ben - +1 for dogwood as handles. It's REALLY hard (similar to persimmon), and almost as hard to split. As another plus, it has really fine grain, so it takes a polish on a lathe very, very well.

Since you're in Mississippii, it should be easy to come by some dogwood. For that matter, it may be easy to come by persimmon, which IMHO is far superior to just about anything other than boxwood as handles, but it's not common enough to be commercially available.

[Jim Paulson]

Hi Ben,

Great suggestions have been given so far about woods to use.

I think that first question though is this: how will you use the chisels? I mean do you picture yourself frequently using a mallet on the chisels? I have many chisels and I usually push the tool. A truly sharp tool doesn't require a mallet that much. IMO if you know how to sharpen chisels you have far more options for wood choices.

Where I live cherry is quite plentiful and is even used as firewood alot. I've been turning some new handles for some socket chisels just like the ones Jim showed. I love cherry and I like the way it turns on the lathe. I'm using cherry for those handles, but for some extra durability I might add some leather at the ends. You can't beat ash or hickory for durability if you occasionally need to use a mallet. I have a bunch of Swiss made carving tools and they are a great example of practicality.

Take care,
Jim

[Mike Henderson]

I've made chisel handles from a lot of different kinds of woods. For you, it depends on what you want. If you just want to handle them, use whatever wood you have in the shop, and if the handle fails, just replace it.

But, for me, the best handles for use are pecan (hickory). For fine woods, wenge, bloodwood and cocobolo are all good.

The first picture shows a variety of fine woods used as handles. The second picture shows a set of chisels in pecan.

Mike

[Phillip Pattee]

Mike,
Do you have a duplicator on your lathe or are you just that proficient? I like the looks of those pecan handles. They look durable and comfortable.

[Ben West]

These will be all-purpose chisels...some hand work, but they also will see a mallet from time to time. So, I do want something relatively hard. I had considered using leather rings or a copper cap, but would rather just use a really hard wood that could take the abuse.

Mike, those are some great looking handles. Quite a set!

Ya know, if I wasn't interested in using domestic wood, I might consider trying Ipe. That stuff feels like marble when it's polished. You sure wouldn't have to worry about denting it too much!

[Frank Drew]

They used to make mallet heads out of dogwood; it can take a beating. Not so easy to come across much, though; here in Virginia, as our state tree, it's considered protected.

[Mike Henderson]

Mike,
Do you have a duplicator on your lathe or are you just that proficient? I like the looks of those pecan handles. They look durable and comfortable.
Thanks for the complement, Phillip. No, no duplicator. That just comes from making a lot of chisel handles.

Ben - you don't need to do anything special to the tops of the handles. First, you'll find out that you don't beat on them that much. Second, now that you can make your own chisel handles, if you mess one up, you can just make a new one (but you'll probably never have to).

Mike

[Jeff Willard]

Black locust would IMHO, make a terrific handle, and as a bonus, you can bury it in the yard, dig it up in 30 yrs., and it will still be sound.:D If you have, or can find, hornbeam, hophornbeam, or persimmon, those would prolly work well also.

[Bill Houghton]

I've never used it myself, but, if you have a little more money than time, you might consider the dogwood shuttle blocks that Lee Valley sells - just about the right size for chisel handles, and each one should make two or three handles.

I'll try the link here: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=43230&cat=1,250,43217

If that doesn't work, just go to www.leevalley.com, go to the woodworking section, then search on "dogwood."

[Dominic Greco]

I recently turned a bunch of new bubinga handles for my socket chisels. The pattern came from an old Wards Master chisel. But it could have easily came from a 750. I like bubinga becuase it is hard, easy to turn, and takes details nicely. The finish is BLO finished off with some wax.

Before:
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z287/DominicGreco/chisels_1a.jpg
After:
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z287/DominicGreco/chisels3.jpg

And if you're interested, here's a drawing of the handle I used.
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z287/DominicGreco/Chisel_dwg.jpg

[John Keeton]

Dominic, outstanding!! The handles on Blue Spruce chisels are bubinga as well, and it finishes out beautifully - makes a strikingly good looking chisel.

[Mike Cutler]

After making the last one, an idea came to me on how to better copy the shape. jim

Jim
So, uhh..... Think you could share your idea with us, more specifically, me.I truly suck with a lathe.:o

Dom
Thanks for that pattern. I'm going to give it a go when the weather warms up.

[David Keller NC]

"The handles on Blue Spruce chisels are bubinga as well, and it finishes out beautifully - makes a strikingly good looking chisel."

Hmm - John, this is a bit confusing. You may have more recent information than I do, but David's "standard" handle for the paring, dovetail and skew chisels are cocobolo. His new bench chisels are resin-impregnated curly maple.

He'll make handles out of anything the customer requests, of course. Were you referring to a custom choice, or has David switched his "standard" selection?

[Adam Cherubini]

I think beech makes an excellent chisel handle. It has a fine grain and good cross wise tension properties. It's modulus is lower than maple so it has some springiness.

That said, maple is nice too, as is cherry and black walnut, both of which are softer.

I wouldn't look for something to rival the unbreakable characteristics of plastic. If you find you are breaking your chisel's handles, that's a sign you may be doing something wrong.

I don't think polishing your chisels to a high hone and finishing them with a film finish is a particularly good idea. I prefer handles pores to be open. I soak mine periodically in a peanut butter jar of boiled linseed oil. I like the resulting finish. I think the oil also adds a bit mroe elasticity to the handle.

Be careful with the shape of the handle. I don't care for the handles I see so often. The Seaton socket chest handles are particularly nice.

Adam

[John Keeton]

Hmm - John, this is a bit confusing. You may have more recent information than I do, but David's "standard" handle for the paring, dovetail and skew chisels are cocobolo.Ooopppsss!! David, you are absolutely correct!!:o Since I NEVER use exotics, I am not as quick on this as some. My apologies! And, to make it worse, I own some new BS chisels!

[george wilson]

For what it's worth,we used tung oil instead of linseed oil on our tools in Williamsburg.Tung oil doesn't support mold growth,as does linseed. Some of our end users kept their tools in unheated sheds,or unheated shops.

Tung oil takes several days to dry,longer than linseed oil. We used blue nitrile gloves when applying oil. Oil molecules go right through regular latex gloves,(as do most diseases,too.)

[Jim Koepke]

Jim
So, uhh..... Think you could share your idea with us, more specifically, me.I truly suck with a lathe.:o

Dom
Thanks for that pattern. I'm going to give it a go when the weather warms up.

Dom,
Those are some nice looking handles, thanks for the pattern.

Mike,
My plan is to change the order of how I cut the handle. Usually, I have shaped the bottom end or what would be the ferule area, even though there is not a ferule. then try to make the curve toward the top. My thought is to cut the curve first, then when that looks good, smooth the slope (ferule). This should create a crisper transition to the curve.

The hard part is deciding what to make, there are so many pleasing handle styles from which to choose. My choice is to follow one style for my Witherbys and the original style for my Buck Brothers. That is until I change my mind.

It may be due for a change of some kind.

jim

[lowell holmes]

I recenty made handles of white oak for two old chisels. Have you seen Bob Smalser's articles about the subject?

[David Keller NC]

"And, to make it worse, I own some new BS chisels!"

John - A somewhat off-topic comment, but cocobolo is getting increasingly scarce, and the price has risen dramatically. There are rumors to the effect that its mostly been harvested out in Mexico, so I'd definitely hang on to those chisels. They may bring a large premium someday.

[John Keeton]

....so I'd definitely hang on to those chisels. They may bring a large premium someday.My wife knows how much I paid for these - they will be in the estate sale, I am sure:D

[Ben West]

I think I've decided to just go with good old American hickory. It's one of the hardest domestic woods around, it's easy to find, it's cheap, and it's as American as you can get!

Although, I should have mentioned that one of the chisels in the lot is a Jordan, made in Germany. What would be a good hardwood domestic to Germany?:confused:

Just jokin'....

[george wilson]

Hornbeam is used a lot for handles,and plane soles in Germany. A white,fairly featureless wood. You can see the growth rings,so it doesn't look like bass.

[James Carmichael]

Osage orange is as tough a domestic as you'll find, but I'd look for a tree somewhere (they're very decay resistant and can endure quite a while on the ground), cuz lumber is quite espensive.

Ash is the traditional American tool-handle wood, along with hickory. Hornbeam might be another good option.

[Dan Forman]

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/T-Caster/P1020192.jpg

I just did these not long ago in ash, which is relatively inexpensive, and I happened to have some laying around. Shape wise, I like the three on the left the best. They sort of evolved as I went, being the first chisel handles I've done.

Dan

[Tom Sontag]

I sense that a consensus has been reached that it almost does not matter what species you use for chisel handles. Hard and tough are the primary characteristics. Open grain, closed pore, beautiful, bland - none of these are critical. Cheap or in hand seem to be the secondary characteristics of most importance.

So grab what you have and experiment with shapes; size and shape will influence your happiness more than whatever species you use.

Front row right is persimmon:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/IMG_7778-1.jpg