Damaged Veritas Bench Chisel Handle

[JOEL MONGEON]

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A few days before Christmas I was using my favorite 3/4 bench chisel from Veritas to install a tail vise into my workbench. Right before I was about to finish for the day I felt my chisel kind of give out. I took a look and was really bummed out to see the corner of the handle was damaged.

I was alternating between using a joiners mallet and a Veritas Journeyman's Brass Mallet. I did not think I was hitting the handle very hard but maybe I clipped it with the edge of the brass mallet. I'm going to switch to the polyurethane mallet Lee Valley sells tomorrow.

Is this something I should be concerned about? Can I use a spokeshave, rasp and some sandpaper to shape new end to the handle just a little lower down? Or will this keep happening?

I really like the Veritas chisels that I have and would eventually like a whole set (when they actually become available to purchase). I am a little worried now that the maple handles aren't as robust as other manufacturers handles and it may be extremely hard to replace as I read they are epoxied into place (correct me if I'm wrong).

[Jim Koepke]

Joel, my vote is to try to repair the end of the handle with rasps and sandpaper. Then don't hit it with a metal mallet. Chisels for use with metal mallets tend to have hoops to prevent things like this from happening.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

Joel, my vote is to try to repair the end of the handle with rasps and sandpaper. Then don't hit it with a metal mallet. Chisels for use with metal mallets tend to have hoops to prevent things like this from happening.

jtk

+1 ........

[Tom M King]

Anyone who has never done similar to a chisel handle has never used one to amount to anything, or has a really bad memory.

I can tell you absolutely that I have never done that to one since only using Wood is Good mallets, and that includes 15 hours in a row over two days once with a 1-1/2" timber framing chisel that the hoop had been long since lost on. My elbow was unharmed too.

[Kris Cook]

I have a wooden mallet that I have had for 30 years, a round weighted mallet that I made on the lathe but my go to mallet is this hammer.

[Rafael Herrera]

That shape of handle is bound to get smashed and/or crumble over time. It'd benefit from a bit rounding at the top. Look up carving pattern handles.

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[Tom M King]

I have a wooden mallet that I have had for 30 years, a round weighted mallet that I made on the lathe but my go to mallet is this hammer.

I use one of those on wooden wedges in molding planes.

[JOEL MONGEON]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'll get my rasp out and see what I can do. I might have to look into some of the Mallets recommended here too.

Thanks again.

[Rob Luter]

To my eye it looks like it took a hit on the edge that resulted in localized damage. I use a metal hammer with my chisels most of the time. It's a shop made version with domed faces (see below). In terms of weight I'm sure it's similar to the LV brass mallet you use. That said, the geometry of the striking face generally prevents impact on the edge of the handle. Also, It's a tapper, not a basher. If I need to bring the heat, I use a Veritas Cabinet Makers Mallet (at bottom). I put a leather pad on one of the faces to soften the blow a bit.

[fritz eng]

Interesting that there are no responses with woodworkers using wood carvers mallet (cylindrical) for hammering end of chisels

[Mike Henderson]

Interesting that there are no responses with woodworkers using wood carvers mallet (cylindrical) for hammering end of chisels

That's what I use. I make the mallets myself.

Mike

[Edward Weber]

That's what I use. I make the mallets myself.

Mike

+1
I also use wood mallets, if necessary, on the chisels made for striking.
Simple to make

[Derek Cohen]

Interesting that there are no responses with woodworkers using wood carvers mallet (cylindrical) for hammering end of chisels

For many years I used a round, carver’s mallet. I made them myself. What could be easier? I treated myself to a Veritas brass mallet and a resin-infused Blue Spruce carver’s mallet when they first came out …



Both are beautifully made and well-balanced … for carving. It became increasingly evident to me that I preferred the more controlled directionality and force in a smaller, hammer-like head when I began using Japanese chisels some 25 years ago. A gennou head is small, and it concentrates it force. It is so beautifully balanced that there is so much more control over a strike than the larger carver’s mallet, where the round sides/face also run the risk of a glancing blow …



I would not use a gennou on a non-hooped chisel handle. The hard head will eventually mushroom or chip the handle end. This is going to affect the comfortability of the handle, since bench chisels are also pushed with the palm of the hand.

For this reason, my non-hooped chisels have their own dedicated mallets, and made in wood. Over the past several years+ I have also modified this. The problem with wooden mallets is that the faces can/do become chipped and rough, if only from indentations formed from striking. These transfer to chisel handles.

At first I used leather as an interface. However pounding would flatten it - back to square one- and it would peel off. Also, I found the softness cushioned the blow, which was taking the mallet in the wrong direction - I want more force from a smaller area.

I discovered UHMW. This is hard and will not deform, but also has some give and does not mar the handle ends. The downside is that it cannot be glued, and therefore needs to be nailed or screwed to the face. This works as long as the nails are driven well below the surface. I love the firmness of these face - good feedback, which one does not get from softer coverings on Wood is Good, which is also round and a carvers mallet.

The three that get used mostly: very heavy joiner’s mallet (32oz) used when morticing into extra hard wood; re-handled Veritas cabinetmaker’s mallet (20oz), used for morticing and most pounding; re-handled and re-headed Chester Toolworks (guess who made these so many years ago - was primarily a plane hammer, but now my go-to lighter-work chisel hammer. About 8oz) ….



Examples of the heads …



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Henderson]

You can make your own brass hammers - I have a tutorial here (goes back to 2008). I used 7/8 inch brass stock and would use a bigger piece of stock if I did it again.

Mike

[Edward Weber]

+1 ........

+2
If it doesn't have a hoop, don't hit it.