A current project: New handles for Pfiel chisels.G.Wilson

[george wilson]

These are London pattern handles I am making for my set of Pfiel chisels. They will replace the UGLY original handles that came on the chisels. I showed one for comparison. I love the steel in Pfiel tools,but NOT the handles they put on these chisels.

I may grind their side bevels down thinner for clearance in cutting dovetails.Their side bevels are about like the bevels on LV's set of plastic handled Japanese made chisels. Not a big deal for me to fix.

The boxwood was salvaged by Jon and me in 1996. At Carter's Grove Plantation,once owned by Williamsburg,a large stand of very old boxwood was blocking the view of the river,so they cut it down,and threw the boxwood into a deep gully. Jon,my journeyman,and I heard what had happened. We went down there in the rain with a chain saw,and rescued a pickup truck full of it.

This boxwood was up to 4" in diameter. We weren't going to let it rot!!! I painted the ends of the wood,and wrote 1996 on it,so we could remember how long it had been drying.

Old Mr. Simms,the furniture conservator when I was first in Williamsburg,had old chisels that mostly had these London pattern handles,so,this design has nostalgia for me.

I put one of the original Pfiel handles up for comparison. Whoever designed them should be paid LESS!!

[David Weaver]

I agree about those chisels. My woodworking buddy (a non-handtooler) has them, and I thought the handles and bevels made them kind of doggy, but they take a really nice edge, and feel closer to old steel than most new chisels I've seen.

The london pattern handles are a really nice touch. Well done.

[Chris Vandiver]

That is some very nice Boxwood. Nice save!

[Ray Gardiner]

Hi George,

I echo your sentiments regarding London pattern chisel handles, they don't roll off the bench when you aren't looking, and the octagonal flats give you a good feel for the orientation of the blade.

English box is pretty well impossible to find, (around here at least) from what I have heard it can be difficult to dry, but it sounds like you have that perfected as well.

I have a few JB Addis chisels with box handles (not London pattern however) and they are my favourites. There is something about the look and feel of English box that is hard to beat.

I'm not a big fan of Pfiel, I still prefer the old Addis. Looking forward to seeing how they come up when you've finished.

Regards
Ray

[george wilson]

The one is finished,so you don't have long to wait!!!:)

I have a lot of 19th.C. Addis carving tools,and have found them to often be inconsistent in hardness. I have a whole set so hard,I had to re-temper them until I could keep a good edge on them. They are the pre WWII ones I mentioned before. Then,some have been MUCH softer. Thus far,I haven't noticed variations in the Pfiels.

I hope the new ones are better,but I haven't any to try. Like David,I hate to pay extremely high prices for a carving tool. Glad I got mine before this monster pricing took over.

Here's an interesting story I've told before: This tourist came into my Instrument Maker's shop. After I talked to him,he said he had a box of carving tools his grandfather left. He wanted to sell them. He didn't know the make,or the number. I got his phone# and called him in New Jersey,to see if he could give me the brand. He said "they're black.I can't read the name." Also,there were 3 planes in the box. I didn't know what to offer. They could have been old junk chisels for all I knew. He wouldn't even bother to count them. So,I offered $75.00 for sight unseen,un-counted carving tools.

He accepted. I sent a check. After he got the check,he starts telling me he's keeping the planes. I'm wondering what I've gotten into. The planes were in the deal. This was in the 70's,too,so $75 was more than it is now.I said nothing and hoped for the best. The package arrives,and in it were 75 ADDIS carving tools!!! They're dark,but the brand was readable. I took of their incredibly crude user made handles,made new handles,and cleaned them up. Some were a little pitted,but no biggie since you usually hone a bit on the inside curves too,and get the pits out.

So,I made out after all. I was half expecting old linoleum block tools!!

[Mark Stutz]

Tell us more about the steps you take. I have several old Buck and Berg tanged chisels I've picked up in various auction box lots that I want to refurbish. Is the group shot a series of the various steps along the way? It looks like the one on the left doesn't have flats on it. I was thinking I would cut the octagonal parts first then put it on the lathe. What are the dimensions (I've only seen Londaon pattern chisels in pictures) and do they graduate depending on chisel size, or all one size. Did you drill the tang hole on the lathe? or on the DP before putting on the lathe? Thanks in advance for the help.

[george wilson]

The handles are graduated. I should have arranged them in order better,but after taking a bunch of pictures,I get very tired of it.

I make them round and plane the octagons later. That way thee is no chance of breaking the corners off in the lathe.

The important thing is to get the spirit of those "S" curves just right. The old catalog illustrations show them the best. The modern offerings by Sorby and others don't get this curve dramatic enough. Then,they look bland,I think. There should be a big swoop in the hollow part,coming up to a convex curve of a tighter radius at the front of the chisel handle. Most modern handles will have these concave and convex curves the same radius,which is bland looking. Maybe design gets in my way too much!! But,I'm not happy unless the design makes it. Why bother to do it if you can't get it right is what drives my thought.

If you want to get your handles correct in the old way,study these carefully. Print them out and trace them.

[Mark Stutz]

George,
It looks like they vary in diameter but not length. Somehow I had it in my mind the did both...but don't really know where I came up with that. Please post a picture of the finished set so I can get a feel for the handle size in relation to the chisel size. Thanks.

Mark

[george wilson]

I guess they could also vary in length. I have very big hands,so I don't want them too short. I made those handles at different times,so they aren't as consistent as I'd like,either. Do not take these handles as gospel!!

[Jim Koepke]

Those look nice. My biggest problem is getting consistency on my lathe work. Maybe when I get more hours of spinning it will get better.

The other problem I have had is how to make the tang hole and make it tight without splitting the wood.

That is why most of my tools are socket chisels.

I also agree with the appeal of the look of the handle. Some look like pieces of art and are a pleasure to use. Others make me feel like I am pushing a broom.

In the case of the original handle, my opinion is the handle should not get smaller in the direction the user will be pushing the tool. There should be a bulge or something to stop the hand from slipping.

Yours look like they are better for holding when paring.

jtk

[george wilson]

The chisels aren't the type I would do a lot of heavy beating upon. I would use them mostly for paring,and some relatively lighter tapping,as in cutting dovetails,rather than mortises.

I actually cannot make my mind up if I like these handles the best,or would like the type of handles I made for my 2 hand forged ones. The London type is nostalgic for me due to my friendship with Mr. Simms,yet,the corners also bother me a bit on the octagons.

Careful design also has to be done with plain round,bulged handles. That bulge has to be made just right,or it doesn't make it. The biggest diameter has to be shifted towards the head of the handle in a certain way. You can see what I mean by examining the handles on my set of spiral cutting gouges.

[Ray Gardiner]

Apologies to George, for taking this slightly off topic, but some info on London Pattern handles that might be of interest..

Alf did a nice write-up on making London Pattern Handles, the full article is here.. http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/chiselhandles.html

Also, for those who don't have George's supply of English Boxwood, I notice that Lee Valley has some on offer http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=30020&cat=1,41504

I setup and made a batch of London Pattern handles from Jarrah for files, the tricky bit is getting the flats nice and even, every time you take a shaving off one flat you are altering the two adjacent flats, but with a bit of care it comes out ok.

One other thing I notice on the Lee Valley handles, the radius of the curve just before the octagonal section seems a little too wide..

Regards
Ray

[george wilson]

The lower one of the 2 handles shown in your source has the better "S" curve,though it lacks the rear end of the handle. I didn't see those boxwood handles in LV's latest catalog. Must look again. I never tried to order them because I want flawless boxwood,and would end up sending them back if they weren't!

Get the first 2 flats on opposite sides of the handles perfectly opposed first. Then,the vise's jaws will automatically present the next pair 's locations. Finally,it isn't too difficult to position the 5TH. FLAT (to be)uppermost in the vise. When you plane the 5th. flat,the vise again helps to get the other 3 uppermost.

You might want to not try to plane the full width of the flats at first. You might make each flat,say,3/8" wide,or 1/4" wide,bur BE CONSISTENT. That's the most important thing. Once you lose that consistency, you may not be able to recover the symmetry.

If you plane each flat the same,but the corners don't yet meet,just draw lines showing where they will meet,and finish planing to the lines.

Hand made gun barrels used to be made octagon. Without a lathe,it was easier to make them octagonal than round. Most early frontier gunsmiths didn't have a large enough lathe to turn gun barrels. They had smaller ones to help make screws with.

[Ed Harrison]

I recently did a couple and am working on some more - not as sharp as yours - I am a beginner on the lathe. Good job.

As far as grinding the bevels on the sides - I've got to do some of that on other chisels and am building a jig for the grinder. Didn't need to do that for these two.

These as a Millers Falls (1/2 inch) and a Sandvik (1 inch). I would not buy ebony now, but had some leftover from years back. Take care, Ed