woodworking chisels

[Packard]

The chisels in the photo do not appear to have been set up. By this I refer to the reinforcing hoops being positioned further down the handle, and the exposed ends folded over the steel hoops. If you do this, it should not damage a wooden mallet. In any event, oire nomi (Japanese bench chisels) are designed to be struck with a gennou (steel hammer). This adds to their precision.

Here is my set of Kiyohisa ...



... and Koyamaichi ....



Examine the handle ends. You will see wood and not steel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yes. And a close look at the Garrett Wade offerings clearly shows the wood handle proud of the ring. As long as you strike the handle square-on, there should be no damage to the mallet.

I once read, what was certainly a hyperbole, that if you could keep a toothpick from bowing, it could support the weight of a grown man. The point being that in axial-compressive loading wood fibers can support enormous loads.

 

[onocoffee]

Here is my set of Kiyohisa ...

Even the chisels are gorgeous. Nice!

 

[thudchkr]

I should correct the record so as not to unfairly characterize the company. When I had initially looked at Blue Spuce's return policies, I thought i had only a 30 day window to send something back (which is what I did with the defective paring chisel, which they swapped out for a new one). After dbl checking following my original post, I saw that they have a lifetime guarantee for tool materials and workmanship. So I called them up yesterday and they told me to send it in. It is apparently still up to their discretion whether to fix/replace the tool, so we'll see what they do. I only use it for chisel work, and never for any extracurricular pounding, something that's reflected in the current condition of the tool, so I can't imagine they would diagnose any user error or misuse. I will say that their now being under Woodpeckers umbrella gives me some additional confidence, insofar as Woodpeckers takes the lifetime guarantee deadly serious. They sent me a brand new 26" precision square a couple of years back after mine had gone slightly out of square.

I also had the issue with the handle loosening from the head with my smaller Blue Spruce resin-infused mallet. You could turn the handle back and forth a little bit in the head. It wasn't really loose beyond that, and was still quite functional, but It bothered me to feel that movement when I was using the mallet.

I also had one of the handles on my Blue Spruce router plane exhibit that same small movement.

I contacted Blue Spruce about the issues and Kudos to them, they replaced both items.

 

[Duckler]

Wonderful discussion about handles and chisel strikers.
I have hopes of making another mallet or three. Materials on-hand include a 7” length of 1.25” brass rod, some massive slabs of phenolic (a/k/a micarta) and a variety of ash and hickory lumber.
I agree with the sense of enjoyment of self-made tools that actually work.

 

[derekcohen]

Wonderful discussion about handles and chisel strikers.
I have hopes of making another mallet or three. Materials on-hand include a 7” length of 1.25” brass rod, some massive slabs of phenolic (a/k/a micarta) and a variety of ash and hickory lumber.
I agree with the sense of enjoyment of self-made tools that actually work.

My recent thread about a travel tool box illustrates that one can make any hand tool. This includes chisels. These are M2 (HSS) steel blades, 3mm thick, with West Australian Sheoak handles ...





Currently chopping dovetails in the hardest wood I have ever used!



Regards from Perth

Derek