bluegrass chisels, and lakeside.

[bridger berdel]

I recently purchased a boxed set of bluegrass chisels. I got them for a good price, though they do have some problems. one of the set is missing (though it's handle is not). two of the leather hooped handles have chunks of wood missing from apparently being whacked too hard. they appear to have survived either a flood, a leaky roof or some other extended waterlogging event. lots of rust, the box is badly warped, the hinges blown and wood missing. there are bits and pieces of label extant, but more gone than not. someone went after them with a wire wheel (and a grinder) with the predictable unfortunate result. at the moment they are soaking in vinegar. we'll see how they clean up. when they get a little further along I'll post some pics.

they appear to be a fairly high end "fancy" set. at first I thought the handles were rosewood, but after a little exploration I'm thinking they are something more like padauk. the handles are a stylish variation on the usual socket chisel handle, ala stanley 750. they are long bladed bevel edge bench chisels, really nice looking tools. I have been practicing at making chisel handles. convincingly reproducing the damaged ones will be an interesting challenge.

the missing chisel is the 1/2". I went digging and found a similar 1/2" chisel with the label lakeside. slipped the handle on and dropped it in place. it is a dead ringer for the set. I know that both lakeside and bluegrass were "house brands" made by someone other than the retailer. I wonder who made them, and if perhaps belknap hardware (blue grass) and montgomery ward (lakeside) sourced these chisels from the same manufacturer and if any of you can clue me in on who that might have been.

[Jim Koepke]

They may have gone around a whole circle of the usual manufacturers. Many years ago I had a Lakeside plane. I believe it was made by Stanley. I gave it to someone over 10 years ago.

Your chisels may have been made by whoever won the bid at the time they were on the store shelf.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I can't speak about who manufactured them, but I do know they were favored 50 years ago. I have two Bluegrass hammers as well as a 3/8" Bluegrass chisel. The chisel has good steel in it and holds an edge. My father favored Bluegrass tools. I think George will be able to give you some background on Bluegrass.

[Robert Payne]

Jim Koepke said: "Many years ago I had a Lakeside plane. I believe it was made by Stanley."
In another thread on Shop Organizers, I posted some info about the Marsh planes and their lesser grade of planes marketed under the Rockford name. Marsh supplied planes to several large retailers like Montgomery Ward and many of the Rockford line of planes they sold had irons labeled with the Lakeside name. While they appear nearly identical to Stanley planes, many were size-labeled with a designation like R2 or R4. Some had no name on the castings, but just on the irons. I have several of these well-made planes.

[george wilson]

Back in the 50's and 60's,Bluegrass was a brand that was supplied by wholesalers to hardware stores. I don't know much about their quality,or who actually made the brand.

[Tony Zaffuto]

My father favored Bluegrass and Winchester, as they were the brands favored by the hardware store in his home town (also Montgomery Wards tools). Sadly, I only have a couple of Winchester and Bluegrass chisels, a #5 Bailey, a thumbhole Disston rip, two Atkins CC saws and a Wards 78 clone (looks like it was made by Sargent) of his handtools.

The Winchester doesn't look like any other brands and of the Bluegrass, one looks like a Stanley 750 socket and the other has a Witherby tang look to it.

[george wilson]

Winchester did not make the tools that bore their name. They were just re badged for Winchester to sell.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Winchester did not make the tools that bore their name. They were just re badged for Winchester to sell.

Any idea who did make the Winchester chisels, George? As a sidenote, they feel cumbersome to me.

[lowell holmes]

My one 3/8 Bluegrass chisel feels like a Stanley to me. It holds an edge well. It is a wooden handle chisel.

[george wilson]

Tony,I'd have to see a picture to even hazard a guess as to who made the chisel. I'd venture to say that the chisel must be of decent quality for Winchester to put their name on it.

[lowell holmes]

George,

Pardon me for butting into this string, but you might like to see these two Bluegrass tools.
I can't show pictures of Tony's chisel, but here are my Bluegrass chisel and Bluegrass hammer. The hammer was my Fathers.

337264337265

[Jim Koepke]

you might like to see these two Bluegrass tools.


If they are anything like the music, I am going to have to have me some. :D

jkt

[lowell holmes]

If they are anything like the music, I am going to have to have me some. :D

jkt

Jim,
That went right over my head. :confused::)

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,
That went right over my head. :confused::)

Have a taste:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08e9k-c91E8

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Of course, I should have snapped to it. Especially since I was wondering if the tools were made in Kentucky. :)

That's the only reason I can figure the name. The tools are good tools, a hammer is a hammer but these hammers feel comfortable to hold. It has a good balance as well.
One of mine was passed down from my father. I bought the other on line. They have the classic wooded hammer handles I remember . The 16 oz. hammer was considered to be a framing hammer, but later on, a framing hammer was 20 ounces. The 7 ounce hammer was considered to be a trim hammer. I've been calling it an 8 ounce hammer, but it really is a 7 ounce hammer.

[Tony Zaffuto]

If someone wants to instruct me how to post a photo, I'll post a pic of the Winchester chisel. Or, pm me an email address and I'll send you the photo and you can post!

[lowell holmes]

Have your picture ready to go.

On the quick reply screen, there will be several buttons to pick. Click the third one from the end. A pop up "Insert Image"will appear.

Click it and follow the instructions.

[Tony Zaffuto]

337280

If this works, thanks Lowell!

[lowell holmes]

I have to wonder. Kentucky is the Bluegrass state. If the tools were made in Kentucky, it could be the reason for the name of the tools.

What if????

[steven c newman]

Maybe a little Blue grass music from Allison Krause?


A lumber yard I used to deal with all the time sold Bluegrass Tools. Had to take one 48" level back, couldn't get it to read correctly.....replaced with no questions asked. Note: They also sold Fuller brand chisels, and Vaughn hammers.

Lumberyard closed down a long time ago....lost all those tools, too.

[lowell holmes]

Yes, I have Allison Krause albums.

I know about Vaughn hammers, but I'm not familiar with Fuller brand chisels.

[John Vernier]

I have to wonder. Kentucky is the Bluegrass state. If the tools were made in Kentucky, it could be the reason for the name of the tools.

What if????

I don't know where the tools were made or by whom, but Bluegrass tools were retailed by Belknap Hardware based in Louisville KY.

[Greg Wease]

I have to wonder. Kentucky is the Bluegrass state. If the tools were made in Kentucky, it could be the reason for the name of the tools.

What if????

"Bluegrass" is a brand name used by Belknap Hardware located in Louisville, Kentucky. Just distributed from Kentucky, not made there.

[lowell holmes]

Thanks Greg, that explains a lot. I've wondered about the name. I've heard about Belknap before, but had forgotten it.

So, there is a connection to Kentucky.

[Tony Zaffuto]

In the late 70's/early 80's, in the town where I grew up, there was a small, "old-style" hardware. The old guy that owned it and I became good friends, talking guns and handtools. He had a Belknap catalog he ordered from, and though it may have been a few years old at that time, it had virtually any and every tool available in it. Flash forward to around 2002, my dad (died in 2004) and uncle (died in 2007) bought all the in-town property from the hardware store owner's estate. I got a call from my dad to come down and pick up a "bunch of rough cherry" behind the store. I went down to the property, looked around and couldn't find the lumber, until my dad came down. He pointed to a mound on the edge of the property, overgrown with weeds, etc., saying it's there. Well, after pulling weeds, digging through dirt and muck, underneath was a stack of rough lumber. Some was rotted, but for the most part, the stuff was pretty much intact, save for some spalting. The lumber was mostly cherry, some maple and a piece or two of poplar. The maple was what was mostly spalted, and I made some gorgeous table tops with it. The poplar was, well, poplar. But the special stuff was the cherry. The lumber was cut in in late 40's and stacked there ever since, hence, having the "landscape" grow over it. The cherry did have its share of knots, but for the most part, had taken on a deep red color different than any fresh cut lumber bought today.

I still have a couple of pieces of it left, but used most of it for projects for family members to remember relatives now gone.

[bridger berdel]

update:

24 hours in the vinegar soak has rendered them rust free. there is quite a bit of pitting. I lapped the flats on my makita flat top with diamond disks. that worked pretty well- in a couple of hours I did the whole set of 11, from 1/8" to 2", scrubbing, lapping, blow dry and wax.

I sawed one of the split handles in half lengthwise, primarily to make a better diagnosis of species of timber used. I'm not sure if it is just age, or age plus the effects of whatever water events caused so much rust, but the handles were dark, almost purple. the saw revealed the bright orange and distinctive aroma of padauk. This is great news, as I have an ideal chunk just waiting. padauk is not perhaps an ideal chisel handle for chisels intended to be struck, as it isn't particularly tough. It is pretty though, so I'll just have to baby them a bit.

in the porch archives I found a post from Scott Grandstaff where he felt it likely that a lakeside chisel he had is made by whitherby. on Derek Cohen's photobucket page (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Witherbycatalogue3.jpg) is an old catalog page of whitherby chisels with a boxed set with the same sort of clips holding the handles. the few whitherby socket chisels I have are pretty similar to both the lakeside and the bluegrass.

I know, none of this is conclusive, but there is some circumstantial evidence pointing toward whitherby as the maker.

[Tony Zaffuto]

One of my favorite old cjisel brand is "Shure-Cut", and side by side to a Witherby, you would be hard pressed to see any difference. I have never found any history about the name, but I didm't aggressively look either!

This begs the question if Witherby manufactured, then private labeled chisels.

[Jim Koepke]

One of my favorite old cjisel brand is "Shure-Cut", and side by side to a Witherby, you would be hard pressed to see any difference. I have never found any history about the name, but I didm't aggressively look either!

This begs the question if Witherby manufactured, then private labeled chisels.

After 1869 Winsted tool company made Witherby branded tools. I do know they also made Karpenter branded tools. I have a few different off brands of chisels that look like Witherby chisels.

http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/toolemera/2009/01/witherby-history.html

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Seen several versions of Winsted - Witherby relationship and descriptions of it as "mysterious".

[Tony Zaffuto]

If you come across a chisel marked "Shure-Kut", give it a try. I have three, gave one away (wish I hadn't), and the remaining two have great steel.