Timber Slick Buried Treasure

[Jake Hillestad]

Wound up burning time downtown yesterday afternoon at the antique mall I've had very limited success finding tools that are salvageable and it finally paid off. One of the older gentlemen that works there asked if he could point me towards anything in particular. I said I'm always in the market for chisels that aren't to badly abused. He said theres a booth towards the back with a great big one tucked in a corner by some saws.

Cynical me thought I'd find a masonry chisel or similar but I made my way to the booth in question. Took some digging but I came up with a 3" slick. Looking it over I decided I had to have it (for what - I don't know). I quickly determined the handle was firewood and I suspect someone cleaned it up at some point with scotch pads and perhaps a buffing wheel. The edges aren't dubbed but most of the makers mark is gone - which led to them marking it as a "Brad Spencer" slick.

I suspect it is a Hibbard Spencer Bartlett and Co. based on whats left of the mark "BBARD.SPENCER &" (see photo). I'm happy to be educated otherwise if someone has insight. In the end I waved a $50 bill at the booth owner and that was all she wrote. I'll have some work to do on the back and it'll need some grinding work on the edge as well as the socket. Eventually I'll turn a suitable handle for it. All in all I'm happy to have it.

Photos in the wild and at home with a little better lighting.

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[Andrew Pitonyak]

Wow, very nice indeed.

[Jim Koepke]

Great find.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I have two similar tools. One is a slick the other a tang chisel. They both have new handles.
I bought one of these , https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-1-1-2-in-Brass-P-Trap/1070423

I cut a band from the strait part and put it on the top of the handle. This allows me to use a
mallet on it.

[Jim Koepke]

I have two similar tools. One is a slick the other a tang chisel. They both have new handles.
I bought one of these , https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-1-1-2-in-Brass-P-Trap/1070423

I cut a band from the strait part and put it on the top of the handle. This allows me to use a
mallet on it.

That is pretty thin metal for a hoop on the end of a chisel handle.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

It came with no handle so I made an octagon and whittled it round. It has never been struck with a metal hammer.
It will shave the hair from your arm. I do use a wooden mallet on it, but never beat on it. It was a framing mallet.
I pare with them when whittling.
I have two such tools.

[Jim Koepke]

It came with no handle so I made an octagon and whittled it round. It has never been struck with a metal hammer.
It will shave the hair from your arm. I do use a wooden mallet on it, but never beat on it. It was a framing mallet.
I pare with them when whittling.
I have two such tools.

Mine is sometimes struck with a mallet. It is a 2" Stanley:

426174

This was one of my first handles from before having a lathe. The piece was a leg from a broken chair.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I only strike it lightly with wooden mallet . It is razor sharp and does a good job of paring.

[steven c newman]

A true slick is never struck. The usual 24" long handle is also fairly loose, to the point you do not hold it by just the handle, and let the metal metal swing down.....good way to lose your toes.

Normal slicks are for paring cuts, only......
426385
For work like this.