Taking my chisel for a walk

[Christopher Charles]

I was chopping dovetails this morning and noticed that sometimes I place the chisel carefully by shifting my hold down to the business end to gaining fine control by having my hand on the board. This is especially the case as I near the final line when chopping.

However, much of the time, I find it faster to hold the chisel at the ferrule/handle, place it close and then "walk" it into place by tipping corner-to-corner without having to shift my hold between positioning and hammering.

Anybody else take their chisels for a walk? What other tricks do you have to precisely and quickly place chisels for work?

Best,
Chris

[James Pallas]

Handle for heavy work like mortises, blade for more refined work. I’m in the process of learning handle for everything. Arthritic thumbs. I have to hold with the base of my thumb if working for any length of time. It’s amazingly difficult to change what you have been doing for years.
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

Anybody else take their chisels for a walk?

Yes, this has also worked for me.

jtk

[Dan Hulbert]

I usually start with a knife line and, holding by the handle, drag the blade backwards lightly until it drops into the knife line.

[Les Groeller]

I usually start with a knife line and, holding by the handle, drag the blade backwards lightly until it drops into the knife line.

Yup that's what I do as well. Some softer woods are a little tricky sometimes if they aren't perfectly smooth. The blade can grab if you don't watch carefully.

[steven c newman]

Few years back, there was a series of videos by GE Hong ( Traditional Chinese woodworking) that showed the host doing the walk-a-bit.....one hit with the hammer, walk the chisel a bit,,,with the hammer already on it's way...did a through mortise in about the same time it took to type this.....David Weaver posted a bunch of those videos...

[Tony Zaffuto]

Knife wall for me.

[lowell holmes]

I walk my dog every morning. We did 2 miles today according to my pedometer.

[Jim Koepke]

I walk my dog every morning. We did 2 miles today according to my pedometer.

Wow, that is having a real jones for the hobby, naming your dog Chisel.

Though in the past some of my pets have been rabbits.

jtk

[Christopher Charles]

That must be one sharp dog.