Old marples chisels

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Don't know why I'm posting this other than I'm thrilled, and the wife isn't home to listen to me babble.

A while back I picked up some old Wm. Marples and sons chisels, marked with the shamrock logo and "cast steel", fitted to newish looking handles. I finally got around to lapping the backs, grinding out the nicks and sharpening them up. I picked these up because I have a similarly marked long paring chisel I love.

Finally put them to through their paces today, working on some rosewood. I think it says more about the quality of the junk I was using before. (My first chisels all either chipped or turned a burr in anything but the softest of woods; the others I've used haven't been much better) But I am just darned ecstatic about using these. Best money I've spent in a while.

[David Weaver]

We need pictures!

[Jim Koepke]

We need pictures!

Have to agree, without pictures, it didn't happen.

jtk

[george wilson]

I'm still using my set of Marples bought in about 1964

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Tough crowd! I wasn't trying to crow, I was just excited to be using a chisel that wasn't total junk - I've a handful of decent mortising and paring chisels, but my bench chisels have always been subpar; bargain basement junk I've had for too long. I've only really used the two largest of these chisels; I guess I'll have to see how the rest of them fair. The edges on some of them aren't as ground down as others, I may take a go at bringing them down a hair to fit in tighter spots. Amusingly enough, it's the largest chisel that has the almost-knife edges, which is the one I find the least need to get into tight spots.

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Just realized not all of them say cast steel, some say "sheffield" instead. One of them doesn't say anything anymore - the stamping was on the back, and between myself and the previous owner, has mostly been lapped off.

198340

The paring chisel that I love so much is below the newer (to me) bench chisels. The blade looks a little bent, it's mostly the camera - although without a little pressure along the length of the blade, there is a slight curve to it, and the handle isn't quite inline with the blade, but in a way that proves to be helpful at times. It's still got what I assume is the original handle; there's still a little decal left on it:

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Also, here's a pic of the rosewood I was working with. A Disston 115 "victory" saw; can make out just enough of the etch if you know what you're looking for to tell it was the one with the flags and not the V behind the eagle, so I guess it's from the start of the first world war? It came to me in rough shape from a toolbox I picked at a yard sale. I got four saws and think I'll get two out it; this one and a mutt that's made out of a Disston 7 panel length saw's handle and a disston skewback blade. (The 7 had blade that was almost pitted all the way through, and the blade came from one with a worm eaten handle)

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My original go at the rough shaping with a coping saw was too large, and the horn was too long; I ended up doing a ridiculous amount of work with the largest of those chisels. I really need to get some gouges. I don't know where to start, but I have a feeling if I do, it won't end! The problem is when I see a gouge for sale, I'm not in the process of needing it, and when I need one, I'm not in a position to buy one! I should make drawings or lists of what I think I could use when the time comes.

The back end of the 115's handle was pretty badly banged up, hence my attempt at a repair. It's still in progress, but it's a decent match when both parts are wetted down with spirits, and more importantly, it's very comfortable in the hand again, so I'm happy. It cuts decently enough for a very dull saw. I'll see what happens when it's sharp - I'm probably going to need the plate to be straightened a bit; but it seems to track enough that I might let it slide for now, I'm scared of making it worse.

Part of me is tempted to put these (http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Chisels+%26+Gouges&NameProdHeader=Tool+Handles) handles on the chisels; I have a couple paring chisels from LMI with those handles and love the feel, and they look so purty. But I don't think that's the best kind of handle for the kind of work these chisels will be seeing.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Nice. I use chisels and gouges for horn repairs too. Wide, long paring chisels work well, as well as pattern maker's gouges used bevel down, about 1 1/4" to 1 1/2", with a moderate sweep.

[george wilson]

Yours are older than my 60's set. Mine don't have the cast steel stamps. They should be decent quality. Mine are.