Paring Chisels

[ken hatch]

Ken, glad your Sorby's are good, but in previous threads many of us found them way too soft. I would be careful and test any used ones.

Mel,

For some of us hard steel is over rated. Edge retention is pretty far down my list, balance, comfort and ease of sharpening are much higher but thanks for the heads up. I'm not buying used.

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Ken, thank you for posting this. As with the others, I find I use chisels for paring more than almost anything else. I like the idea that the Sorby’s come at 20 degrees (right?). Do you maintain the 20, or are you adding a micro bevel? My point of the question is that I don’t have a grinder and maintaining an edge at the primary bevel can be time consuming. Is the metal “soft” enough to “touch up” the primary bevel?

[ken hatch]

Ken, thank you for posting this. As with the others, I find I use chisels for paring more than almost anything else. I like the idea that the Sorby’s come at 20 degrees (right?). Do you maintain the 20, or are you adding a micro bevel? My point of the question is that I don’t have a grinder and maintaining an edge at the primary bevel can be time consuming. Is the metal “soft” enough to “touch up” the primary bevel?

Phil,

I just checked the bevel on a couple I've only sharpened a couple of times and the bevels were between 20 and 22 degrees. They come hollow ground, with a hollow ground bevel I will usually just keep the same angle until I flatten out the hollow. I'm not sure if you would call the iron "soft" but it is easy to maintain with either Ark or Shapton stones.

ken

[steven c newman]

And these aren't.......hmmm, maybe I am using mine wrong.......Anyway, have fun with them new toys....

[ken hatch]

And these aren't.......hmmm, maybe I am using mine wrong.......Anyway, have fun with them new toys....

Steven,

Nope they are not pattern maker chisels, I doubt you are using them wrong because as I posted before any chisel can be used to pare. Some are just better at it than others. Another way to look at it, Lee Trevino used to hustle golf by playing with a coke bottle. Skill doesn't need perfect tools.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

I believe it was a Dr. Pepper bottle, as proper for a Texas boy.

[Phil Mueller]

Thanks Ken!

[ken hatch]

I believe it was a Dr. Pepper bottle, as proper for a Texas boy.

David,

I stand corrected . Although if he had just finished eating BBQ it might have been a Big Red.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

As previously discussed, just about any chisel can be used for paring.

Also mentioned about paring tasks, having a chisel 'tuned' specifically for paring is more efficient and to many it is more enjoyable.

My set of Buck Brother's chisels are all ground to ~20º for the purpose of paring. My hunt for a 1/4" BB socket chisel hasn't yet been successful.

Here are all but one or two of my chisels used mostly for paring:

Paring Chisels.jpg

The ones larger than 1" are not included. And yes, sometimes my dovetails are on 2X4s or larger pieces using a larger chisel. On the far left are a couple of 1/2" Witherby square edge chisels that are ground skew. Next is a pair of no name 1/4" chisels also ground skew. These are helpful for getting into tight spots. One of my plans is to purchase a couple more 1/4" chisels over time and make a pair with less skew. They would be used on half blind dovetails. My idea is to skew them just enough so the edge is against the back wall as the tip reaches the back corner of the socket. This would likely be ~5º give or take a degree or two.

One of the features of a chisel for dovetail work and other paring is a low profile of the lands or the sides:

Paring Chisel Side Detal.jpg

This lets the user get into a tight spot without bruising the work.

One of the "no name" 1/4" chisels does have some marks on it:

Mark on Chisel.jpg

It doesn't matter much to me, but if anyone has any ideas pass it on.

jtk

[James Waldron]

Ken, glad your Sorby's are good, but in previous threads many of us found them way too soft. I would be careful and test any used ones.

Mel,

For some of us hard steel is over rated. Edge retention is pretty far down my list, balance, comfort and ease of sharpening are much higher but thanks for the heads up. I'm not buying used.

ken

I"ve got two sets, one of Sorby bench chisels and one of Sorby paring chisels. And I do a good bit of work in demanding materials, e.g. white oak, hard maple, teak and hickory. I find the Sorby edge retention quite respectable. Compared to an A2 bench chisel I have, the Sorby begins to show a bit of edge dulling just about the same amount of time for the A2 to start showing edge micro-chipping. On the other hand, the A2 will continue to do "OK" work for many purposes for a while after the earliest micro-chipping, so if that's the performance you want, you can benefit from A2. For me, I'd rather just turn to my ultrafine Spyderco stone as soon as my edge begins to bog down and, in two minutes or less, I'm back in business.

Haven't compared to PM chisels, so I don't know. By all reports, they may be better than both the Sorby and the A2. On the other hand, in the context of this thread, I haven't seen any pattern maker's chisels in PM V11 or other PM alloy.

[ken hatch]

As previously discussed, just about any chisel can be used for paring.

Also mentioned about paring tasks, having a chisel 'tuned' specifically for paring is more efficient and to many it is more enjoyable.

My set of Buck Brother's chisels are all ground to ~20º for the purpose of paring. My hunt for a 1/4" BB socket chisel hasn't yet been successful.

Here are all but one or two of my chisels used mostly for paring:

Paring Chisels.jpg

The ones larger than 1" are not included. And yes, sometimes my dovetails are on 2X4s or larger pieces using a larger chisel. On the far left are a couple of 1/2" Witherby square edge chisels that are ground skew. Next is a pair of no name 1/4" chisels also ground skew. These are helpful for getting into tight spots. One of my plans is to purchase a couple more 1/4" chisels over time and make a pair with less skew. They would be used on half blind dovetails. My idea is to skew them just enough so the edge is against the back wall as the tip reaches the back corner of the socket. This would likely be ~5º give or take a degree or two.

One of the features of a chisel for dovetail work and other paring is a low profile of the lands or the sides:

Paring Chisel Side Detal.jpg

This lets the user get into a tight spot without bruising the work.

One of the "no name" 1/4" chisels does have some marks on it:

Mark on Chisel.jpg

It doesn't matter much to me, but if anyone has any ideas pass it on.

jtk

Jim,

If you do not have any you might like Union Hardware chisels. They are socket chisels and have short blades but the blade is very thin in profile. The ones I have are sharpened around 20 degrees and hold their edge very well for a 20 degree bevel.

ken

[ken hatch]

I"ve got two sets, one of Sorby bench chisels and one of Sorby paring chisels. And I do a good bit of work in demanding materials, e.g. white oak, hard maple, teak and hickory. I find the Sorby edge retention quite respectable. Compared to an A2 bench chisel I have, the Sorby begins to show a bit of edge dulling just about the same amount of time for the A2 to start showing edge micro-chipping. On the other hand, the A2 will continue to do "OK" work for many purposes for a while after the earliest micro-chipping, so if that's the performance you want, you can benefit from A2. For me, I'd rather just turn to my ultrafine Spyderco stone as soon as my edge begins to bog down and, in two minutes or less, I'm back in business.

Haven't compared to PM chisels, so I don't know. By all reports, they may be better than both the Sorby and the A2. On the other hand, in the context of this thread, I haven't seen any pattern maker's chisels in PM V11 or other PM alloy.

Jim,

You said it much better than I have, As a practical mater A2 is over rated for chisel use, YMMV. I have some PM v11 chisels, they are ok for chisel use but not life changing. It is really hard to beat plain HC steel for chisels. Best I can tell new pattern maker chisels other than Sorby do not exist.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,

If you do not have any you might like Union Hardware chisels. They are socket chisels and have short blades but the blade is very thin in profile. The ones I have are sharpened around 20 degrees and hold their edge very well for a 20 degree bevel.

ken

Thanks Ken, There are a few Union chisels in my accumulation. If my memory is correct my 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" paring chisel is a Union chisel.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I keep a diamond hone on the bench. When the edge needs touching up, I hit the hone, strop it on leather rawhide charged with green honing compound.
The edges are scalpel sharp. If the handles tend to fall off, sand the end that goes in the socket a bit and they don't fall off. I like the feel and balance.
My chisels never see a grinder.

[Tommy Martin]

I have BS paring chisels with the long handle. Very well made tools. Quite happy with them. I also have a 42 mm Japanese push chisel I like it as well.