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I’ve been working on making chisels for close to 9 months now. I’ve finally made up a number of sets for review. As comments come back, I’ll make some final tweaks. If the reviewers simply don’t care for these, this product will likely die on the vine. But if everything works out as I expect, I should be able to offer 18th c style firming chisels with features and sizes that make sense for the work we do. These won’t be clones of other chisels on the market. They are a new look at what chisels are for, what features they should have, what matters and what doesn’t. My hope is that they offer serious woodworkers a new perspective on the oldest woodworking tool.
Adam
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Adam, I hope this all works out as you expect and you are able to offer these chisels to the rest of us. I have looked in vain for a chisel like this…to my knowledge there is nothing like this available, so please keep us posted. Thanks for all you do. I enjoy your articles, and look forward to them each month.
Dear Jim,
I hope I followed you. Please correct me where I haven’t.
Few of my tools are commonly available. Most are downright rare. One of the subtexts here is how similar I am to Norm. I have nearly every tool there is and many many special "silver bullet" tools. That’s not a good thing.
In terms of balancing excellence, I tend not to do that. Like many of my readers, I’m an artisan at heart. Whether I’m playing a musical instrument, cooking a meal, or making a dovetailed carcass, I’m doing the absolute best I can do. I tend not to think about marketing, investments in tooling, etc. For me, doing my best isn’t about public acceptance or financial success, it’s pride, and more often the case, my desire to faithfully represent my craft.
I’m very much a devotee of Roy Underhill. The anti-commercial aspect to my column points to that. I’m not sure I’ve responded to the point you were making. I loved your shalom.
Adam
Adam,
Best wishes on this venture. I continue to enjoy your writing. I too have enjoyed making and using my own tools,planes, foot-powered lathes and scroll saws, and I can relate to the insights one can gain by it. I count my blacksmithing tools and their use as an important part of my woodworking capability.
Can you say something about the experience of wearing two hats, being both a recognized authority on 18th century woodworking while engaging in the practice of tool making? It would seem a challenge to balance the benefits of owning/using an improved hand tool, handmade handsaws or chisels, versus the obvious need to be proficient in employing commonly available tools. I say that as one who owns many new and 19th century saws and as one who has worn and wears multiple hats, geologist, government regulator, ordained Lutheran pastor, and now a chairmaker.
When do you know that marketing has to be set aside for the sake of pursuing excellence in the art of woodworking? For example, when is a slight improvement not significant enough to warrant an investment. In comparison, Roy Underhill has a legacy of championing the benefits of using traditional methods, but marketing wasn’t part of the mix.
Shalom,
Jim
Adam,
I don’t have a lathe and when I’ve rehandled tanged bolstered chisels I used your handle design and find it to be a great improvement over rounded handles. I’m sure adding steel to your specs to this style handle will yield a popular product.
Josh
Bill,
"Forged" and "smith" are imprecise terms. The quick answer is yes and sort of. I have help. I’m hoping that help will continue or increase. That’s a business issue.
Technically speaking, these are forged, solid, high carbon steel chisels, not unlike cast steel chisels from 2 centuries ago. Chisels from 1750 would probably have been blister steel tools, not wholly unlike a Japanese Sword.
Machining a chisel out of a solid bar wouldn’t necessarily result in a different final product. This approach is not on the table for me, but I don’t want to continue the hype and myth that others have used. The final product, as we experience it as woodworkers, has a great deal to do with the technique used for heat treating.
While I’m not discussing my methods openly, I can say that metallurgy is really not what makes these chisels special. I think folks will like them or hate them based on other issues/features. And I’ve spent the bulk of my time and effort working these non-metallurgy related issues.
Success here will be a new attitude about chisel use, what features define a good chisel, and competitors modifying their designs to compete with this one. Note that my definition of success does not include a new sports car for me.
Adam
Adam;
Are the chisels forged? If so are you the smith?
Bill
Looks very nice! I assume you’ll be bringing something similar to the conference in KY? I’m looking forward to attending your chisel seminar there, and would love to try out one of your chisels!
Thanks,
Andy
I’m going to hold off on being more specific until I hear back from the reviewers. We are a community of artisans, and I’m taking advantage of that fact. I may well change features based on what the others have to say.
Adam
Adam, I am thoroughly excited by your work. I have been waiting since you posted about these on your website.
I am definitely waiting in line to buy a set. When will you tell us more about them?
Adam,
This is great, I hope they make it to the general public. If nothing else, please expound upon the differences and their applications.
-Shannon
rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog
Fantastic news! I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of your experiment!
-Dean