Hey guys, I want your opinions on this. (I told you I couldn't leave well enough alone buying old chisels.)
Should I rehab this old chisel and try to put it back to work... Or should I simply leave well enough alone? What are the chances she will turn out to be a good chisel if I remove all this old "patina?" Better to put her up on the shelf for a collection?
It's a 1" bevel edge long pattern chisel stamped "Sheldon". The only info I could find is a G. Sheldon who made chisels in England in the mid 1800's... Is it him? No idea...
Pattern wise - it's too heavy to be a paring chisel.... The bevelled edges are not particularly bevelled. The blade is 8 1/4" long and the entire iron counting socket is 11 1/2" long.... The handle looks like hickory and is fairly well fitted. Defiantly a machine made handle - not hand carved. It's missing the hoop, though. No evidence of hammering on it - or even of any use at all... The handle could well be a recent addition.. The patina is old and even..