Is this a turning gouge or a mortise chisel?

[Mark Gibney]

A friend of mine who works in the cabinet shop next to me found this on the street, and figured I could use it.

Without speculating as to what it was actually used for, what use do you think it was intended for? - turning or mortising?

The width is a tad under 1/4". It looks like someone used a disc sander on it. The only marking on the tool is a "G" visible on the tang.

thanks, Mark.

379619 379620

[James Waldron]

Looks like a mortise chisel to me. Doesn't look like a turning tool to me. I wouldn't even have the question, but there may be other views yet to come.

[mike holden]

Mortising Chisel

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on mortising chisel.

jtk

[ken hatch]

It is an English Oval Bolster Mortise chisel aka pig sticker.

Do a google to see what the handle looks like, make a handle like those shown and you may have a very good mortise chisel.

ken

[Bill Houghton]

Everyone's already answered your question, but let me add: turning tools get very little pressure pushing back from the edge; it's almost all at an angle to the edge. Because of this, turning tools tend to have no shoulder (also known as bolster) at the handle end, like yours does. That's how James and Mike were able to tell you, pretty nearly instantly, that it's a mortise chisel, not a turning tool.

[Brandon Speaks]

A turning tool would also be unlikely to have that long bevel. In general they cut only right at the very edge and you want lots of metal right under it to support it. The exception being something like a skew, which that is not.

Nice find though

[Mike Henderson]

It's a pigsticker as others have said. Is there a maker's mark on it?

Mike

[Patrick Chase]

Bill called it: The bolster is an absolute giveaway here. A maker would only put one of those on a tool that will see heavy axial loads. Mortise chisels are used that way, turning tools are not. End of discussion.

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree...Mortise chisel...

[Mark Gibney]

Well that's decided. I'll have to make a handle for the thing and get chopping.

Mike - the only mark is the "G" on the tang. Any other marking may have been ground off by someone with a sander of some description.

Thanks everyone.

[Rob Luter]

I have it on good authority it’s a mortise chisel. Glad that’s settled.

[Marty R Schlosser]

Yeah, it's a mortising chisel as everyone thus far has stated. However, it can still be used in turning.

I state this because we all tend to believe we need very specific tools for each task... but when I consider the incredible work being done by third-world nation woodworkers using butter knives and spoons in lieu of carving tools, it begs the question, doesn't it?

[Dave Ring]

Actually, it's a sash mortise chisel rather than an oval-handled "pigsticker" chisel. (Less robust but way easier to rehandle.)