Record Chisel

[Charlie Plesums]

At the woodworkers club meeting last night, someone asked what made a chisel a "Record" Chisel. Lots of answers, but none of the answers worked with the chisels labeled "Record" in the stock of the Woodcraft store where we were meeting. So What is a Record Chisel?

[Mike Wenzloff]

Well, if that's not a trick question, here goes...

The original company was C&J Hampton, became Record Tools, which bought Preston, or at least some of it...etc.

Later, Record was purchased by American Tool Companies Inc., which had bought Irwin and later sold to Rubbermaid and there may well be a few more purchases in there somewhere.

For the history of the company, there is a book entitled RECORD TOOLS, by Leslie Harrison, available.

In short, it's just a brand name, once a good company, of late a poor one. Tis a pity.

Take care, Mike

[Tom Henry]

Wow... a woodworkers club...wish there was one around me..

[Charlie Plesums]

Well, if that's not a trick question, here goes...

The original company was C&J Hampton, became Record Tools, which bought Preston, or at least some of it...etc.

Later, Record was purchased by American Tool Companies Inc., which had bought Irwin and later sold to Rubbermaid and there may well be a few more purchases in there somewhere.

For the history of the company, there is a book entitled RECORD TOOLS, by Leslie Harrison, available.

In short, it's just a brand name, once a good company, of late a poor one. Tis a pity.

Take care, Mike

Thanks, Mike. That supports the people who thought it was a brand.

I just looked at the Woodcraft web site, and now wonder if we were crossing RECORD with REGISTERED. Woodcraft lists four different Sorby chisels as Heavy Duty Registered. They aren't as stout or as long as true mortising chisels, but they have the straight sides and heavy handles of mortising chisels. Any insight about "Registered"?

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Charlie,

I really don't recall the point of the term 'registered' as applies to the chisels.

Hopefully Alice will jump in if she knows--because I'm sure I'll get this messed up. As far as I recall, it was simply a designation that the business was legit, a registered company. I've also heard it equated to the sizing being accurate within a standard. But I have no idea whether either is correct.

As a related issue, though, you can peruse the Sorby website:
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/

The history of Sorby is kind of neat reading.

[Brian Blackburn]

Charlie, registered is another way of saying to be in correct alignment. In this case aligned to square the chisel against the walls of a mortise.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

That's the way I've heard it: a registered mortise chisel has sides that are square or "registered" to the back, while a standard mortise chisel usually has sides canted in.

[Ian Gillis]

According to Toolsforworkingwood.com :

"Any chisel except a mortise chisel with square, rather than beveled sizes. Used in timberframing and of limited use for general woodworking."

[Alice Frampton]

I hate chisel terminology... :D

Joel may well have more accurate info than I, but fwiw, the Dictionary of Woodworking Tools hazards the following as a definition:


Chisel, Registered (Registered or Shipwright's Chisel); A Firmer Chisel with a strong blade and originally a square bolster, replaced in the modern tools by a round-necked bolster, fitted to a hardwood handle, usualy decorated with two groups of scored lines. They are listed from 1/8-2 in wide and with a blade up to 15 in long.
The iron ferrule next to the bolster is longer than usual, with one end solid in which there is a square hole to take the tang. A leather washer is often provided to soften the impact of the bolster on the end of the ferrule which, in the case of an ordinary Chisel, is taken by the end grain of the handle. These are the features that were probably 'registered' in the first place, but when and by whom is not known. The other end of the handle is fitted with another iron ferrule (or hoop) to keep the wood from splitting.
According to the late Mr. A. Collier (London, 1950) the original 'Registered Chisel' was used by bargebuilders. (snippage of appearance in catalogues as Shipwright's chisels) In recent years the Registered Chisels in the smaller sizes from 1/4 to 1/2 in have become popular among joiners for mortising.

A few points worth making, 'cos they're not immediately obvious.

Most (British) tanged chisels and gouges, before modern methods made them round, had octagonal bolsters, not square.
Ferrules that are just tubes was the norm (in Britain at any rate).
Registered may refer to someone having it listed as a Registered Design - not dissimilar to a Patent but not exactly. I'm not sure of the detail (and it's been changed since then anyway) but the gist is the same; your product is protected from immitation for a set amount of time.
The original meaning of such-and-such for a tool tends to get to mean something else over time, particularly in the case of chisels it seems. So while it could be that the features listed in this definition were the difference originally, but now it's probably more likely to be the other reason. The fact they're referred to as "Registered Mortise Chisels" now is demonstration enough that a definition is a bit of a moving target.

Cheers, Alf

[Mike Henderson]

I always thought that a registered chisel was one that had papers from the American Chisel Society. Of course, the parents of the chisel have to be registered also.

Every now and again there's a new breed of chisel recognized, but the process of approval is quite involved.

Unfortunately, all of my chisels are mongrels so I'm not intimately familiar with the process of obtaining registration.

Mike

[harry strasil]

LOL, Mike, all my chisels are orphans and I have their adoption papers (sales reciepts) somewhere. It feels so nice to provide a home for some poor orphan tool.

I have this thing about abandonment, all creatures sharp and dull should have a good home.

And its so much fun helping them remember lost talents.


Jr's respite for wayward tools

[Hank Knight]

I'm calling on my memory for this which is not such a good idea these days, so forgive me if I err a little in the details.

The term "registered" mortise chisels was coined in the late 18th Century, maybe early 19th Century. It came from the barge building trade in London. Barge building, and I guess a lot of other trades, was very closely regulated by the trade unions - and maybe by law - at that time. All specifications for joinery were spelled out and had to be met in the construction process. Mortise and tenon joints had to meet specs for width, length and depth for each application. Barge builders had to have their tools - mortise chisels in particular - inspected by the trade union to make sure they were sized correctly to meet the specs. Once they passed inspection, they were "registered" with the trade union to certify that they met specs. Only registered mortise chisels could be used in the trade. Hence the term "registered" mortise chisels. It has come to mean chisels of consistent quality and size.

Hank