Jessica Pierce-LaRose
11-02-2013, 11:31 PM
Got this a few days ago, and still need to put a final edge on it, although I've played with it a bit. The paring chisel thread a day or two ago made me think about it again. The price I payed isn't quite gloat-worthy, but I'm pleased considering I picked it up on the auction site. I've been picking up things from English sellers lately - the shipping isn't nearly as bad as I'd expect - I've payed more for shipping for things from the west coast, and there seems to be fewer bidders on the English items, so the overall price ends up being lower. I've got some in-cannel gouges coming soon from another English seller.
Stanley #4 for scale - it's a large piece of steel!
274258
274259
Not quite as thin as my other paring chisels - but it's not quite a firmer either. Not a super delicate tool, but it's got that bit of flex I like in a paring-type chisel. (I'm not sure *why* exactly I like that, but it sees to help in placing the bevel where I need it if nothing else.
274260
Hard to see here, but seems like a tool steel / backing steel thing going on.
274261
For whatever reason, I've got a sweet-spot for these shamrock-logo Marples tools. No idea how old they are. Some of my others say cast steel, some of them just say Sheffield like this one.
274262
Nice boxwood handle on it, too.
274263
The length and size of it make it really nice in use - you can brace it against your shoulder, or just really get behind the blade - I think I get almost as much concentrated force behind the blade as I do with a mallet blow, and it's really controllable. There's a video I've seen (I think it was mentioned in Whelan's wooden plane book, and I then found it later online if I remember correctly, but I can't for the life of me find the darn thing now) of French plane-makers (or maybe it was video from the final years of the Marples factory? I remember the video being connected to a college somehow? Maybe I'm confusing two videos . .. ) driving a chisel mostly with shoulder pressure for cleaning throat mortises - having a tool of this size really makes that approach make sense. You can really get the force needed behind the tool while still maintaing precise control, although I'll probably use this tool for more delicate work.
Stanley #4 for scale - it's a large piece of steel!
274258
274259
Not quite as thin as my other paring chisels - but it's not quite a firmer either. Not a super delicate tool, but it's got that bit of flex I like in a paring-type chisel. (I'm not sure *why* exactly I like that, but it sees to help in placing the bevel where I need it if nothing else.
274260
Hard to see here, but seems like a tool steel / backing steel thing going on.
274261
For whatever reason, I've got a sweet-spot for these shamrock-logo Marples tools. No idea how old they are. Some of my others say cast steel, some of them just say Sheffield like this one.
274262
Nice boxwood handle on it, too.
274263
The length and size of it make it really nice in use - you can brace it against your shoulder, or just really get behind the blade - I think I get almost as much concentrated force behind the blade as I do with a mallet blow, and it's really controllable. There's a video I've seen (I think it was mentioned in Whelan's wooden plane book, and I then found it later online if I remember correctly, but I can't for the life of me find the darn thing now) of French plane-makers (or maybe it was video from the final years of the Marples factory? I remember the video being connected to a college somehow? Maybe I'm confusing two videos . .. ) driving a chisel mostly with shoulder pressure for cleaning throat mortises - having a tool of this size really makes that approach make sense. You can really get the force needed behind the tool while still maintaing precise control, although I'll probably use this tool for more delicate work.