Need a Name That Sounds Better Than Beater

[Jim Koepke]

Many of my chisels are not my go to chisels. Some are actually of good quality. Many of them were acquired when buying groups of chisels with a few other of my preferred chisels.

They mostly stay in a drawer until there is a need for their particular features.

My calling them beaters has some equating them to junkers. A few might be junk. Most of them are decent chisels. Some do not have handles to my liking, like plastic, broken or missing.

Here are a couple of images of "chisels from the beater drawer:"

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The first two from the left are actually used occasionally in the shop. Mostly when doing a lot of chisel work and a group of similar size chisels is used so there isn't a halt in the work when an edge gets dull. The next three are Buck Brothers shallow gouges. They either need a bit of rehab work or they are redundant. Moving right, the following three are redundant. The half inch with a reddish handle is a Stanley #750. The one with the rounded end was from a group of chisels. Since it is a redundant one inch it wasn't needed enough to be ground to a new bevel. Now it is used whenever something calls for a finger catch. The shiny one, a Craftsman is occasionally called to duty like the first two on the left. The next two are Stanley Handyman chisels, often used for out of the shop work. Next is an unmarked socket chisel without a handle. The metal handled chisel is a Crescent. That one is made to be used with a steel hammer. The next five do not see much use. The first two of these are not that great. Besides the handles, they do not seem to have a specific purpose. The Marples, Buck Brothers and Stanley Everlasting do not appeal to me due to the plastic handles.

Here is some old copy on the Crescent chisels:

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Second batch of chisels:

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First from the bottom is a gouge that doesn't fit in my current holders for gouges and carving tools. The second is pretty much junk. Next is another Craftsman, used occasionally. The fourth is a 3mm chisel that is used when something smaller than 1/8" is needed. It is followed by another Sandvik chisel. The first new chisels purchased for my shop were Sandvik chisels. They were being purchase one at a time since that is all my budget would allow. When it came time to purchase a 1/4" chisel the brand had changed to Bocho and the handles were not the same. The Sandviks are fine chisels for the price, at least what they sold for back then. The three chisels with black plastic handles are by Stanley. They were purchased at ACE Hardware on sale, with a coupon. The price was ~$3 for the set. Those handles can be beaten with a hammer and survive. The piece with a large black handle was a bad deal on ebay. The little tool with a black handle looks to possibly be a broken spoon gouge. The last three are another 1/4" Buck Brothers with a plastic handle, a 1/2" Craftsman and old Stanley #60 that had a plastic handle that was falling apart.

So, only a few of these would fall into the junk category. If you were a neighbor needing to borrow a chisel from me you would likely be handed one of these, most likely with a plastic handle. Most of these are kept sharp.

So, is there a better name for this eclectic accumulation of chisels?

There are likely a few more in a box somewhere.

jtk

[Vincent Tai]

The motley crew, A.P.C (All Purpose Chisels), Ronin chisels (hey they're naming cinematography drones this why not chisels), General Use Chisels, The APP; All Purpose Posse, Jack Chisels, etc. I find this fun. I'll be back.

[John K Jordan]

Some look "Vintage" to me. Maybe "Classic Vintage".

JKJ

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks Vincent, that brought a smile and a few ideas.

Fizzle Chisels
Drawer Queens (people in aircraft and other transportation venues know of 'hanger queens')
Tool Box Sleepers
Stay in the Box Tools
UA or SIE Tools for Use Another or Seldom If Ever

jtk

[steven c newman]

Bowery Boys Tool Company....

[David Myers]

Workhorses

[bridger berdel]

"Reserve chisels"

[Jim Koepke]

Some look "Vintage" to me. Maybe "Classic Vintage".

JKJ


The Buck Brothers gouges have pre-buck's head era ~1870 trade mark.

The Stanley 750 was last made in 1969 according to the Stanley Tools book by John Walter. That is likely in the "Classic Vintage" category. Trouble is the 750s only get good money on ebay if they are in collector condition. When they are run of the mill, then users can buy them economically.

The Craftsman chisels likely aren't much newer.

What chisels and things in general have done on ebay is almost shocking for those of us who have purchased a lot in the past there.

My current project is using only an Aldi chisel and a Union Hardware chisel. My plan was to post it at the end of the Aldi Chisel thread as a comparison. The project is building a pair of sawhorses. Most of the work is cross grain which is a good test for chisels. Now my plan is to compare the chisels with another image in the Aldi thread. A post on making saw horses may or may not come later. Though was done awhile ago:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?146777

The only difference is these are made for different use.

jtk

[Bruce Haugen]

I have a box of spares. Not one of them is second rate—there’s just not room in the wall cabinet.

If you ever decide to part with any, I’ll take the Bergs and Stanley no. 60’s, please.:D

[James Pallas]

Mine are all chisels. If they can no longer perform the work allotted to chiseling than they are scrap steel and are subject to "Adaptive Re-use".
Jim

[Frederick Skelly]

How about: spare chisels, loaner chisels or 2nd tier chisels?

[Shawn Pixley]

I keep my woodworking chisels separately from my “beater” chisels. I call them “Carpenter’s chisels” as I don’mind using them in carpentry. Some are good, some not. Tool fit for purpose.

[Van Huskey]

Take if from fair Juliet: What's in a name? That which we call a beater by any other word would cut no better.

[Matt Lau]

"Private reserve."

Or bench warmers

[Andrew Seemann]

Jim,

Some of your "beater" chisels are probably better quality than a few of my "good" chisels.

I have my "good" chisels, my "carpentry" chisels, and my "loaner" chisels. And then there is the box of ones that might be one of those three, if I ever get around to cleaning then up and sharpening them.

[Zach Dillinger]

The second string.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'm with Shawn on this one. My carpenters chisels live in the garage and are used for outdoor work, particularly on pressure treated lumber and stuff with knots in it. Yes, they are kept sharp, but not paring chisel sharp.

[Luke Dupont]

Take if from fair Juliet: What's in a name? That which we call a beater by any other word would cut no better.

I'll offer this up:

To some extent, what we label or think of something as becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

A name indicates our perception of a tool. Giving a tool the name of "beater" means that we perceive it as not so valuable; as something to be abused. The same chisel might be had by two owners: for owner "A", it is his best chisel. He keeps it sharp and in good condition, and it performs as good as any other chisel. Owner "B" calls his chisel a beater, and it is frequently found dull or chipped, and doesn't work so well perhaps.

...then there's owner "C", who has a different understanding of the word chisel altogether, who thinks they are prybars for opening paint cans. He probably inherited some wonderful vintage chisels which now lay in ruins. His best chisel is in far worse condition than anyone's "beater" chisels who use this forum, I'm sure.

Our perception of a tool largely impacts its quality. Not so long ago I was criticized for making a hobo chisel out of mild steel. But it's worth considering that for millenia, people used chisels of bronze, copper, and stone, and got along just fine. Those tools were no doubt important to them, and high-quality ones would have been treasured just our high quality steel chisels might be today.

[Jim Koepke]

Owner "B" calls his chisel a beater, and it is frequently found dull or chipped, and doesn't work so well perhaps.

Only a few of my second tier chisels are not kept sharp. Mostly because they do not get used.

It is also my tendency to check and sharpen tools before use. Though often they are sharpened before being put away at the completion of a job.

jtk

[John Stankus]

Maybe call them "chisels"
and promote your good set(s) to joinery chisels, precision chisels, etc. Isn't that the distinction?




If you need to name them utility chisels, or user chisels may work.

[Jake Rothermel]

Jim, a lot of your "second shift" chisels look a hellava lot better than even my good ones!!

You could go the Union route and refer to them as your 'B' list chisels (or 'C' or 'D' listers)...?

I like Shawn's idea of just calling them Carpenter's Chisels. I have a set w/ plastic handles I use all the time in my home reno tasks that I would never attempt to pare end grain with . Yeah, I hit them with a metal hammer, throw them into my tool bag, and they look the part of "beaters" all right. Most of what they're asked to do is mortise into construction pine.

Maybe it's just a matter of calling them by what task we've already ascribed to them. Paring chisels, mortise chisels, skew chisels, carpentry chisels, Is-There-A-Nail-In-There? chisels....

--Jake

[Jim Koepke]

Is-There-A-Nail-In-There? chisels....

That sounds good, they can be my nail finding chisels.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I use a wooden mallet to strike my chisels. What do you use? I don't call mine beaters. :)

[Andrew Seemann]

I use a wooden mallet to strike my chisels. What do you use? I don't call mine beaters. :)

I'm the controlled environment of my shop, I always use a wood mallet when I need to strike a chisel. And I only use my sharp good chisels, unless there is risk of damage to the chisel (nails, paint, sand, etc), then the second stringers come out.

The further I get from my shop, the more often I end up using whatever is at hand, all the way from a framing hammer to whatever is harder and heavier than my palm (2x4s, lineman's pliers, firewood; I'm not proud of it, but sometimes you need to make do). And when I am that far from the shop, I only ever take my beater chisels:)

[Jim Koepke]

I use a wooden mallet to strike my chisels. What do you use? I don't call mine beaters. :)

Most of my chisels are tapped with the mallet on the left:

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Face view:

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It is made from a piece of oak. The other one was sold at the local farmers market.

This is my mallet for heavy hitting such as mortising:

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It is made of a local cherry if what the neighbor told me is correct.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Jim, I expected no less from you.

I have large mallet similar to yours. I was at Paul Sellers rocking chair class and he had mallets made by one of his sons. I came home with it.

It will drive a chisel quite well.

[Jon Shank]

I call that type of thing my misch e lanious chisels. Silly pronunciation of miscellaneous, from bugs bunny or daffy duck, it's been stuck in my head since I was a kid, and well, that's what I call my mix and match but I still love them tools.

Jon

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I like the term "well-loved."

In classic cars, anything that's rusty and beat up is now a "rat rod." Perhaps "rat rod chisels" or "rat chisels" would do.

Another possibility: "users." "These are my users- the wall hangers are kept over there."

[Jim Koepke]

Another possibility: "users." "These are my users- the wall hangers are kept over there."

Currently there are no "wall hangers" in my shop. My regular users are either in a drawer or in sectioned boxes. Those could be drawer, apartment dwellers. Box chisels doesn't sound right.

jtk

[Prashun Patel]

Those are 'Sheryakan' chisels.

As in, your neighbor asks, "Hey can I borrow a chisel?"

"Sher ya kan. Take yer pick.'

[steven c newman]

Mo Howard's Collection of Larry Fine's Chisels?

[Tony Wilkins]

Mo Howard's Collection of Larry Fine's Chisels?

For paring away curly shavings.

[William Fretwell]

I would call them ‘orphaned’ chisels. “I will loan you a sharp orphan”. This instills in the borrower the parental responsibility needed for something no longer part of a set or family but still with individual merit.
Calling them “carpenters chisels” is insulting to the chisels.

[Jim Koepke]

Calling them “carpenters chisels” is insulting to the chisels.

Maybe also to carpenters?

jtk

[William Fretwell]

Maybe also to carpenters?

jtk
A good friend is a carpenter, he has yet to sharpen a chipped or blunt chisel, he just buys another one. The new ones are never really sharp when you buy them. He would not be insulted just laugh! but some might🤨.
I have offered to sharpen a bunch for him if he brings them next time he comes for dinner.