Marple Chisels

[ken hatch]

Wow, glad I swept up those 10 pre33s in the classifieds the other day. Looking forward to using them.
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...just kidding!

Phil,

Just think you could have either had a great set of chisels or made a buck or two. I keep hoping I'll find a full set but doubt it will happen. The advantage of a full set is I only get the skank eye from MsBubba once instead of twelve times .

ken

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I have never paid much attention to Marples chisels before. Probably because I never came across any. They look a lot like the AI ones I bought last year, which I like a lot. I assume in terms of handling they are very similar. How does the steel compare?

[ken hatch]

I have never paid much attention to Marples chisels before. Probably because I never came across any. They look a lot like the AI ones I bought last year, which I like a lot. I assume in terms of handling they are very similar. How does the steel compare?

Nicholas,

The Ai chisels are throwbacks to the time when some of the best chisels in the world came from Sheffield. I wish they had Boxwood handles but that's a quibble. Maybe because I'm nostalgic or maybe haven't a clue but I think the Marple irons are very slightly better than AI's but even if they are there is not enough difference to make a difference. What I do feel is a difference and again so slight if I didn't A&B the chisels side by side I would have a hard time noticing is the Marple chisels are lighter and better balanced. That is not knocking the AI chisels it is just the Marples are close to perfect.

ken

[Ray Selinger]

Quite the set, one of your chisels even has the classic English style handle. I 've never seen a London pattern handle in the wild, BTW, I certainly would have bought it. After looking at yours I had to check mine again, a few do have the square neck, but most are socket. And they have almost American pattern handles, but with a Marple decal, though. For export, no doubt.

[Bob Leistner]

I also have an English styled handle on one of my Sorby's, I think. It is my least favorite handle design. I prefer the tapered hex handle like Warren Mickley was showing in another post. I have a chunk of Elm from a tree I removed that I use for new handles. It has a nice feel in the hand and can take normal mallet strikes just fine. I've not made a mortice chisel handle from it, but given a chance, I won't think twice about it. The Marple boxwood handles are OK, I prefer a chisel that does't roll around and quickly indexes itself in the hand.

[Ray Selinger]

Looking at an old catalogue, the number of handle styles offered was extensive. They even had a " continental pattern " which sure looked Swedish.

Since boxwood is rare now, what other woods would work

[Jim Koepke]

Since boxwood is rare now, what other woods would work

Pick your favorite hardwood. Hickory makes a nice handle. Ash is good, but getting harder to find thanks to a little beetle.

For paring chisels that will not be struck almost any wood will do.

Yesterday was my first time turning cascara, a species of Buckthorn native to the Pacific Northwest. After the first few problems caused by the tailstock not being secure, it turned rather well. It is very hard and right off the skew it looked like it had a lacquer finish. Alas, if it isn't on your own property there may be restrictions on cutting cascara. It has medicinal properties. It is one of the woods that even for those who do not wear a dust mask you might want to for this wood.

The bark is used as a rather effective laxative. Over harvesting has endangered it in some areas. Interesting reading on cascara:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhamnus_purshiana

Some of this may be pulled from the firewood pile if a handle is needed.

jtk

[ken hatch]

Looking at an old catalogue, the number of handle styles offered was extensive. They even had a " continental pattern " which sure looked Swedish.

Since boxwood is rare now, what other woods would work

Ray,

Marple used Ash as does Sorby for many of their handles but as Jim posted almost any wood that does not split easily would work.

ken