Okay, it's like this: it dawned on me that it's no good pointing out the benefits of having a wide range of tools from which to choose, if the particular example from that wide range that you actually needed was unusable at the time. So I thought I'd make a handle. And it makes sense to make the other handles for the "set", doesn't it...? And that piece of beech was just hanging around and just long enough for the necessary three handles, wasn't it...
These aren't really a set at all, coming as they did, from iirc at least two different sources, but by a strange coincidence they are all by Ward & Payne. Perhaps not such a coincidence, W&P being a very common make. Because I absolutely hate hooped handles I thought I'd try leather washers and see how well they stand up to the task.
These aren't really a set at all, coming as they did, from iirc at least two different sources, but by a strange coincidence they are all by Ward & Payne. Perhaps not such a coincidence, W&P being a very common make. Because I absolutely hate hooped handles I thought I'd try leather washers and see how well they stand up to the task.
These are larger versions of the Marples bevel-edged chisel handle I have. A little scale courtesy of the sash mortise chisel...
Naturally the blades need considerable work yet before I can call these ready for use, but perhaps that's enough prevaricating about the bush for the time being...
Now I've gone into black & white pics in part because of the poor lighting I was using (it was late and God's Light Box had gone out for the day), but also in celebration of the news that Woodworking Magazine, well-known user of black & white images, is finally offering subscriptions. Huzzah! They're also going to 4 issues a year, which I'm less excited about. Well part of me is, but part of me would rather stick with quality over quantity - but fingers crossed, we can have both :-)
Such pretty things...the shapes are beautiful, enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe news about Woodworking Magazine is quite timely since I was just lamenting here recently about how it is not available at my local Borg Bookstore. Wunderbar!
ReplyDeleteVery good shape to the handles, Alf, and a decent size. But why protect the ends of the handles at all? If you're going to be beastly and use a hammer on them, won't that dislodge the leather? I've never really understood why traditionally leather washers were sometimes added at the ferrule end - if they were supposed to absorb shock, why not just hit them less hard?
ReplyDeleteEvergreen
As a leather washer manufacturer I would only caution that the type of leather used for this tool application was a solid piece of SOLE leather vegetable (oak) tanned.
ReplyDeleteThis type of leather is also great for parrots to chew on....
www.twinleather.com
leatherman, alas I'm undone in that regard then - 'tis only an old belt. The irony being I have family who ran a tannery (using oak) for some hundreds of years until comparatively recently, and I don't have one square inch of their product.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, you get to keep the link 'cos you demonstrated with the parrot comment that you paid attention ;-)
EG, I have some suspicion about leather washers twixt the bolster and ferrule. My suspicion is it takes up any slack in the fitting of the tang to the handle. Unworthy thought perhaps, but it's there nevertheless. The ones on the other end, well I dunno. There must be something in it 'cos it was such a regular feature. I just think it looks wrong without either them or a hoop - fickle fool, that I am.