E.A.Berg chisels

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

I have a few of the swedish made chisels that I want to re handle either because they are splitted or missing.

The originals are made of birch, wich to my knowledge is not very durable. Perhabs they chose birch because it is plenty awaileble in Sweeden, I don´t know.

The reason they mostly hold up must be because they have a ferrule and a hoop just like Japanese chisels.

Does that mean that if I can find ferrules and hoops it does not matter what kind of handle material I choose ?

[Sean Hughto]

I made this one out of Osage Orange. But I assume you are referring to the tanged chisels as opposed to socket.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7476/15926627935_7215a9b64f_c.jpg

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

That is very beautiful made, but yes Im referring to the tanglet ones. I might have to make ferules and hoops my self.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have a few of the swedish made chisels that I want to re handle either because they are splitted or missing.

The originals are made of birch, wich to my knowledge is not very durable. Perhabs they chose birch because it is plenty awaileble in Sweeden, I don´t know.

The reason they mostly hold up must be because they have a ferrule and a hoop just like Japanese chisels.

Does that mean that if I can find ferrules and hoops it does not matter what kind of handle material I choose ?

Funny thing, I was in my "dungeon" (Storage room) and found a box of walnut chisel handles that I bought long ago on eBay hoping they would fit a set of Lie-Nielsens. This guy turned them and sold them in various woods. Well they didn't fit the LN's because the angle of the pointed part is different from that of LN. I was considering selling them if (a) you were interested, and (b) it's not breaking forum rules to make such an offer outside the classified section.

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Malcolm. Thanks for the offer, thats very kind of you, but I think I will pass. I would like to make the handles my self :)
By the way, are´nt the LN chisels the socket type ?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Malcolm. Thanks for the offer, thats very kind of you, but I think I will pass. I would like to make the handles my self :)
By the way, are´nt the LN chisels the socket type ?

Good day Lasse: My apologies; I saw Sean's image and thought it was your image. I should pay better attention... or so says my wife.

[Sean Hughto]

Before I had a lathe, I made this replacement handle. I think this ferule was just a bit of copper pipe or some sort of copper plumbing fixture I found in the bins at the hardware store.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3543/3457955904_2df9787ce3_b.jpg

After getting a lathe, I've made many gouge, skew, etc. handles and brass and copper plumbing a gas fittings are ideal:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4014/4651734592_ba16bf1326_b.jpg

Bottom line, if you have to fashion your own, it should be no problem.

[bill howes]

I have a few of the swedish made chisels that I want to re handle either because they are splitted or missing.

The originals are made of birch, wich to my knowledge is not very durable. Perhabs they chose birch because it is plenty awaileble in Sweeden, I don´t know.

The reason they mostly hold up must be because they have a ferrule and a hoop just like Japanese chisels.

Does that mean that if I can find ferrules and hoops it does not matter what kind of handle material I choose ?

I guess it depends how you are going to use them. I got some of the same chisels recently. I am not going to use them for a lot of chopping, I have others for that.
I was able to save the original ferrules by removing them carefully and reused them to apply walnut handles although I think beech or cocobolo might have been stronger.
334705334706334707
Good Luck

[Alfred Kraemer]

Lasse,

If I'm not mistaken Berg chisels came with a special kind of birch handle - masur birch. I don't know if that type of birch wood had better chisel handle properties than regular birch.
I have rehandled a couple of Berg chisels, a very small 3/8 inch, very thin chisel and one that is 1 1/4 inch. For the small one I used beech for the larger one I used a left over piece of chechen. I only used rings at the bottom of the handle not at the top since both chisels are thinbladet, and one wouldn't whack them too hard in regular use.
I use old chisel handle rings - often cutting them in half - or for larger chisels I like to use copper crimp rings for PEX tubing. They are available in various dimensions, and if you have a crimper you can even tighten them on the handle if needed.

Alfred

[Ray Selinger]

Masur birch is both more figured and tougher than regular birch. It was always scarce. Berg chisel handles are sized to the chisels. I seem to remember there being six sizes of handles. I prefer the Swedish handle shape to any other, but that includes the dome. It is just so right. The tang ring is very finely knurled on a Berg with the dome ring being blued. It's shame many were beaten with steel hammers, I'm one of the guilty, I used a OK brand Swedish butt chisel in heavy construction when I was an apprentice. I'm retired now, but it still shames me. It was tough on it's beech handle.

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

It is far from all the Berg handles that was with the masur grain, which is also very popular for knife handles here in Scandinavia. Im not sure if all the plain looking Berg handles is still birchwood but without the masur grain or just plain birch. The masur grain is not all over the tree, but only partially.

[Ray Selinger]

When I picked up a tanged Berg chisel without a handle I asked the same question about chisel handle wood. Yellowheart was both available and supposedly had the qualities of toughness and split resistance, I haven't turned the handle yet. So I can't tell how it works. Not much Masur birch in western Canada.

[Derek Cohen]

I have a few of the swedish made chisels that I want to re handle either because they are splitted or missing.

The originals are made of birch, wich to my knowledge is not very durable. Perhabs they chose birch because it is plenty awaileble in Sweeden, I don´t know.

The reason they mostly hold up must be because they have a ferrule and a hoop just like Japanese chisels.

Does that mean that if I can find ferrules and hoops it does not matter what kind of handle material I choose ?

Lasse, I had a set of Bergs (sold to fund another set of chisels), to which I added longer handles in Jarrah. These held up to tapping, but the prime reason for the handle design was to use them for paring.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/Bergchisels.jpg

The larger chisels received longer handles ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/Berghandles.jpg

All were tang versions. I did not re-used the ferrules, and I preferred to no add hoops.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Thats a nice locker for chisels you got there Derek :)
I guess you did not like the Berg chisels enough since you sold them, do you remember which series they were ?

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Lasse

No idea about the series. Berg chisels - mainly tanged versions - are more common in Australia than the USA (where the common type appears to be socket). The more modern versions of the Bergs were marked in metric. Mine were imperial sizes. They were decent chisels, but I preferred Japanese chisels for edge holding.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[bill howes]

Masur birch is both more figured and tougher than regular birch. It was always scarce. Berg chisel handles are sized to the chisels. I seem to remember there being six sizes of handles. I prefer the Swedish handle shape to any other, but that includes the dome. It is just so right. The tang ring is very finely knurled on a Berg with the dome ring being blued. It's shame many were beaten with steel hammers, I'm one of the guilty, I used a OK brand Swedish butt chisel in heavy construction when I was an apprentice. I'm retired now, but it still shames me. It was tough on it's beech handle.M

Masur birch is a particular grain pattern not unlike birds eye maple. The ones I rehandled- Beaver had a simple straight grain, as I suspect many of the later North American chisels did.
A good study of the handles can be found at http://galootopia.com/old_tools/chisels/swedish-chisels/solliden-style-chisel-handles/
Bill

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

I have been reading on that site too and I was surpriced to learn that Berg chisels are not laminated. I was sure they were, but it seems like I was wrong.
Does anybody know of a western brand that made laminated chisels ?

[Brian Ashton]

I have a few of the swedish made chisels that I want to re handle either because they are splitted or missing.

The originals are made of birch, wich to my knowledge is not very durable. Perhabs they chose birch because it is plenty awaileble in Sweeden, I don´t know.

The reason they mostly hold up must be because they have a ferrule and a hoop just like Japanese chisels.

Does that mean that if I can find ferrules and hoops it does not matter what kind of handle material I choose ?

Not really. If you look at bergs you can see that they're not that robust by comparison to a firmer or similar chisel. The hoop is to make the handles more resistant to blows from a mallet but they're not meant to be hit very hard none the less. Most likely what you have has been destroyed by some ham fisted ape that used a steel headed hammer - hence the destroyed handles. So what ever wood you use, remember they're not meant to be bashed but instead tapped.