Flea market find & What's a firmer used for?

[jonathan snyder]

Hi folks,

My dad picked up a few goodies for me at a flea market in PA.

A Stanley 140, a Stanley 6" square (which is dead on square according to my machinist square), a Buck Bros bevel edge, and 2 PS&W firmers.

So what is a firmer used for? In what application is it better than a bevel edge chisel? I know a bevel edge is better for cleaning up dovetails as it can get into the corners. But what task is a firmer better than a bevel edge for?

48632
48631

Thanks
Jonathan

[Mike Wenzloff]

But what task is a firmer better than a bevel edge for?
Everything else <g>...

Dovetails have been used long before bevel-edged chisels have been around. One can still clean out the corners with a firmer chisel.

But, bevel-edge chisels do that task easier. My general purpose chisels are firmers. I like to wrap my hand around the blade at times to help guide and firmers are a bit more comfortable in that regard.

Take care, Mike

[Bob Hallowell]

Which flee market was it? I normally go to a big one in hazen, pa around exit 80 on I80.
I didn't go this month and if I missed out on a little 140 I will be kicking myself in the butt!

Really though nice find!

Bob

[jonathan snyder]

Bob,

You do not have to kick yourself! The 140 came from Lewisburg.

Jonathan

[Ken Bryant]

Don't know about others, but I treat firmer chisels as a happy compromise between a bevel-edged chisel (good for dovetails, sliding dovetails, getting under overhangs of various sorts) and a mortise chisel (good for heavy chopping and levering out big chunks of wood without bending the shaft or chipping the blade). One thing I've become very fussy about is buying socket chisels rather than tang chisels, for anything but very fine paring work. Two of those in your picture look great to me. The only thing I'd still be leary of is, Have they retained enough temper to hold an edge? Some I've bought on eBay appear to have been too hot on too many wheels too many times over the years.