Bevel edge chisels in C16th - a footnote

[AndyT]

A while back we had a long, rambling discussion about the bevel-edged chisel and its origins. I don't want to re-open that discussion but just want to offer a bit more information about one of the examples discussed.

Larry Williams and Corneel both pointed out that the Rijksmuseum has this sixteenth century bevelled edge chisel, salvaged from the wreck of a ship at the island of Nova Zembla

and indeed, if you search the museum's website you can see a nice high res photo of it from the front.

The point of this post is just to say that I came across some older photos of the same chisel which include a view from the side and I was surprised - it's quite unlike any other chisel I've seen. The blade is not central to the handle, but placed right at the back:

The image is from a 1922 book, "Early English Furniture & Woodwork" by Herbert Cescinsky and Ernest Gribble. Ignore the reference to the eighteenth century in the caption - the next page makes it clear that these tools are earlier.

Has anyone seen any other chisels made like this? Any thoughts on why it was made like that (bearing in mind it's not a style that survived)?

(More info and links to download or read the book online here: http://openlibrary.org/works/OL187730W/Early_English_furniture_woodwork)

 

[Cheshirechappie]

That's intruiging.

The side view of the Nova Zembla 'chisel' makes you wonder if it is intended for general chisel duties or for something more specialised. Being no expert on 16th century shipwrighting, I wouldn't care to hazard a guess at what, though. It does look rather delicate in side view, doesn't it?

 

[Scouse]

Wonder if it's a convex bevel? :twisted: :-"

 

[AndyT]

Wonder if it's a convex bevel? :twisted: :-"

Scouse, I'm sure your location used to be listed as 'in the naughty corner' - please go back there forthwith!! :lol: :lol:

 

[barkwindjammer]

Augers and saws would most likely have been used to 'hog' out timber (possibly even steel or iron wedges-guillotine style?), this fine little chisel would have been used for paring/fettling, there is no way that profile would stand up to blows into anything thicker than fingernail thickness long or endgrain.

 

[Argus]

.

Perhaps the clue is in Cescinsky and Gribble's caption. It's a paring chisel.
As it was found in a ship wreck is no guarantee that it was owned or used by a seafarer.

Nowadays paring chisels are longer in the blade to allow a straight approach to the work or cranked.
The fact that no-one has found a 16the C cranked paring chisel is no proof that they didn't have one.

I'd say that it would have been more use to a carver than anyone else, used for low grounding work.


All very interesting
.

 

[Corneel]

That's very intersting Andy! Never would have thought that! And I've never seen anything like that either.

Anyway, paring chisel is probably the best name. I am rather sure that it came from the ship's carpenter, because this expedition was a reconaissance tour. There weren't any passengers or freight on board. They were looking for a passage around the north to east Asia. It proved to be an ill fated atempt, they nearly all died in a shipwreck and a winter on Nova Zembla. And when another guy found the route around Africa, all hope to find the shorter route around Russia was forgotten.

 

[Jacob]

Wonder if it's a convex bevel? :twisted: :-"

Very likely, or if not then just one flat bevel. Also a thin chisel like that would not take to being hollow ground.
The obsession with micro bevels etc is very recent. A lot of people seem to think that sharpening was invented in the last 1/4 of the 20th century. They are wrong.

 

[Corneel]

But the hollow grind is quite a bit older. (Drawing from the end of the 18th century).

 

[bugbear]

A lot of people seem to think that sharpening was invented in the last 1/4 of the 20th century. They are wrong.

They're not wrong - they don't exist, Strawman again.

BugBear

 

[Dangermouse]

Looks to me like it was a very early version of a cranked pairing chisel, with out the crank, if you see what I mean?

 

[AndyT]

Richard Arnold (who is very observant when it comes to historic tools) pointed out to me that if you happen to have TATHS Journal 14, and read the 2004 Mark Rees Memorial Lecture by James Gaynor "Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Woodworking Tools: The evolution of a British style" there are pictures of several more chisels where the body of the tool lies at the back of the handle, not the centre. There are some recovered from archaeological digs near Williamsburg and also this decorated example which is in the Science Museum (but not on display)

Yet another reason to join TATHS!

 

[longinthetooth]

That's some book ( "Early English Furniture & Woodwork"). Thanks for the reference & link. I noted elsewhere a copy for sale at £365! but downloaded the pdf.

 

[AndyT]

That's some book ( "Early English Furniture & Woodwork"). Thanks for the reference & link. I noted elsewhere a copy for sale at £365! but downloaded the pdf.

That makes me feel better at getting my copy for 99p + postage. Do you want to make me an offer? ;-)

 

[longinthetooth]

£364.99?