Are These Mortice chisels usable?

[Mark Stutz]

I have 3 old mortice chisels I got in a couple lots of auction chisels. The top is a 3/8 Witherby, and the bottom two are unnamed. Middle is just shy of 1/4 and botom is 1/4. The top 2 have a slight bend, the bottom is dead flat. I tried to taek a picture of the Witherby. Over the last 3 to 3 1/2 inches is bends about 1/16. Are these two chisels usable? If not, is there anything that can be done to rehab them. If not, I'm only out abot $8-$10 apiece. Thanks.

Mark

[Brad Olson]

Those are in great shape. I find a lot of mortise chisels are "bent" like that. You can either take it to a sharpening shop and have them flatten the back, or just use it like it is. The arced back shouldn't be a problem for use

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Mark, they look like mortise chisels to me since they are thicker than they are wide. The only bench chisels that look like that are the very small widths like 1/8. As long as you can make a square sided mortise about an inch or so deep with the chisel it should be alright. Is there any chance to grind them square again?

[Bob Smalser]

Look fine to me, if a little short.

Make your set then upgrade with longer ones over the years as you find them. Save your old ones to sell off in pairs or sets.

Here's what they looked like originally...the 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 are on the left...the quarter-inch New Haven is 18" long overall, and the 3/8" Swan to its left is just a tad shorter:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5090019/80800758.jpg

The 5/8" Douglas and 7/8" Ohio Tool 3rd and second from the right, respectively have since been replaced with longer and cleaner Witherbies, which took well over a year to find.

[Mark Stutz]

Thanks to all. I'll start making handles and try to put them to work. I bought one of the lots from that an-named site specifically for the Witherby. Didn't look at it too closely when it came:o :( and eventually dicovered the slight bend. Without the handle it measures 10 1/2 in. My major concern was that I would become very frustrated trying to make a mortice only to find out it was a bad chisel. Since I've never done it before I didn't want to make it harder than it should be.:D

Dennis, I thought about grinding it out but don't think I have the tools or knowledge to do that.

[Derek Cohen]

Bob, perhaps you will offer your opinion here.

I have several different types of mortise chisels, and have used them all at one time or another. These include long Witherbys (as above), smaller Japanese, gigantic Ibbottsons, amongst others. They all work. A longer length aids in vertical accuracy, greater heft aids in chopping power, and the smaller Japanese mortise chisels are ideal for small mortices.

However, I recently tuned up and began using old English "pigstickers", and these proved to be a revelation. They have the heft of a large mortice chisel, but they also have a blade thickness far greater than anything else. The thickness promotes straight lines (since they create nice long grooves that function as a fence). Those long Witherbys lack this ability.

Below are a few of my pigstickers, two of which that I refurbished.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Alan Turner]

Those are in the style of Joel's new Ashley Isles mortisers. I am loooking for an excuse to need a couple.

[Bob Smalser]

Bob, perhaps you will offer your opinion here.



Not at all. Incredibly tough chisels. The Japanese mortise chisels offer the same indexing feature with thick blades.

But like everything else, it's all a matter of compromises, much of it style dependent.

I simply like longer chisels, as they are easier to hold plumb....and the way I mortise, the added leverage eliminates one entire chopping sequence as I can get a whole half-inch of depth by scraping the bottom:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5536778/102807533.jpg

[John Keeling]

Hi Bob

i'd seen that picture a couple of times and was wondering if i could get a brief explanation as to what you are doing exactly. Are you levering against the lip of the mortise to clean out the bottom? Which direction is the cutting edge and your hands going?

Thanks

john

[Bob Smalser]

The chisel's bevel is placed vertically against the far end of the mortise, and used as a fulcrum for scraping the bottom with the edge as the chisel is pushed forward.

For more depth, place the bevel against the end of the mortise and tap it downwards with the mallet before scraping. Half-inch deep cuts can be made this way.