Narex Paring Chisel Passaround

[morfa]

Ok, it's in my backpack ready for the postie tomorrow.

 

[Heath Robinson]

I'd love a look at this, and the chap I share a workshop with, who's a pattern maker would be both a good judge, and keen to see it.
Paring chisels have been a part of our conversation quite often over the last few weeks, so this seems fairly serendipitous!

 

[SteveB43]

Maybe a silly question, but these aren't just for clearing out and smoothing housings right?, and why would you want a paring chisel over an inch wide, surely for precision work you'd want something half inch or less?
All musings and uses for a paring chisel gratefully received,
Cheers!

 

[James C]

Maybe a silly question, but these aren't just for clearing out and smoothing housings right?, and why would you want a paring chisel over an inch wide, surely for precision work you'd want something half inch or less?
All musings and uses for a paring chisel gratefully received,
Cheers!

They are quite good for trimming end grain due to the usually low bevel angle.

I've seen them used for cleaning the sides of motice walls.

 

[bugbear]

Maybe a silly question, but these aren't just for clearing out and smoothing housings right?, and why would you want a paring chisel over an inch wide, surely for precision work you'd want something half inch or less?
All musings and uses for a paring chisel gratefully received,
Cheers!

The "classic" cabinet maker's paring chisel was long, thin. bevel edged, and 1 1/4" wide.

Here's one use:

"Each man knew his chisels and mortise gauge perfectly, and no tenon
was ever trimmed to thickness with a plane or a chisel - unless
something somewhere had gone wrong; then the comments and asides
would fly, to the embarressment of the unlucky victim. Similarly, no
shoulder plane ever touched a shoulder, unless an unusual or
unfortunate accident had occurred; this was because the sawing was so
accurate, no cut ever being made across the grain without a
preparatory V-groove. The long paring chisel was always on the bench
and in constant use, especially when making the V-grooves. The wood
was held either in the vise or against the turn-buttons that were
screwed to the far edge of the bench. The chisel was picked up and a
cut made freehand in the scribed shoulder line, the chisel turned
over in the hand so quickly that it was difficult to see, and then
the V formed - the waste peeling out in a continuous strip"

BugBear

 

[morfa]

I'd love a look at this, and the chap I share a workshop with, who's a pattern maker would be both a good judge, and keen to see it.
Paring chisels have been a part of our conversation quite often over the last few weeks, so this seems fairly serendipitous!

Heath, you just send a PM to riclepp with your address and he'll send it on to you once he's finished.

I've just sent the chisel on. It's very nice I have to say. I'm definitely going to buy one in the future.

 

[JonnyD]

I've got three of these and am happy with them. The backs took a while to get flat but they are a big chisel. They seem to hold an edge well and are nicely balanced.

Cheers

Jon

 

[Heath Robinson]

Pm sent. I'm looking forward to this!

 

[James C]

I use a 1 1/2 Bevel Edged chisel I found in my Grandads garage to make the V-groove for crosscuts. Very useful for accurate sawing.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Maybe a silly question, but these aren't just for clearing out and smoothing housings right?, and why would you want a paring chisel over an inch wide, surely for precision work you'd want something half inch or less?
All musings and uses for a paring chisel gratefully received,
Cheers!

I worked with a guy on bespoke kitchens who used an 1 1/2" Paring chisel bevel down for flushing drilled and glued plugs with a flick of the wrist that was great to see and they required the minimal work afterward’s.

Paring chisels offer great control for paring (fine slicing) and trimming shoulders as the chisels extra length gives a better feel for working level or plumb to a surface.


Cheers Peter

 

[riclepp]

Heath

Just to let you know the chesil is in the post and on its way to you ow, you should get it tomorrow or latest Friday.

Have fun

Regards

RL

 

[morfa]

Good, glad to see it's on to the next person. What did you think of it?

 

[Heath Robinson]

Post damnit!

 

[Heath Robinson]

Sorry, trying to make tapatalk work. What I meant to say was -

Thanks Richard, it arrived today.
There's quite a lot of it! It's a bit longer than all my other paring chisels, and the handle's quite large too. I like the long blade, but the handle's a bit much for my tastes. Now, if only someone would demonstrate what it would look like with a nice london pattern handle ...
I haven't had a chance to swing it in anger yet, but that'll happen tomorrow. First impressions are good, and if the steel's as good as my Narex mortice set, I'll be ordering some of these!

Jake

 

[riclepp]

It stays sharp for a while and slices really nice. What has put me off is the overall length and the handle. If I bought one, a trip to Doges workshop and a commision for some of them nice handles whould be in order. But apart from that it is okay, but not for me

 

[Heath Robinson]

After having this for a few days, I've noticed a few things.
Firstly, the handle is a little loose. Not disastrously so, but there's play there. Doesn't seem inclined to come off though.
Secondly, the blade seems to be a bit softer than some of my other sharp things. It could be down to the finer angle of the bevel, or just my perceptions being out of whack, but I'll have a better comparative test this week. I'll also try a "how long will it stay sharp" test next to one of my other paring chisels (though they wouldn't be any comparison for hardness via sharpening feel/speed really, as they're much thinner blades), with an oak off cut.
Thirdly, I'm really considering having one of these in a little holster about my person at all times! It's quite surprising how many uses I've found for it. There's a few odd jobs where there really isn't a substitute for something long and sharp. Adjusting jigs, trimming inside drawer runs, removing tonsils, altering a weird lighting project's internal cavity after the glue had set, haranguing visitors to the workshop, to name but a few.
Fourthly, the handle (play aside) has really grown on me. Being quite chunky, it seems to give a nice level of control over the tip when most of the blade is out of reach, inside things. I think I'd like it to be shorter - it doesn't fit inside my toolbox chisel-hanging rack with the lid closed :-( but I think that one day I'd like to try a range of handles on one chisel blade, to see which suits me best.

Having recently acquired a Veritas honing set-up (courtesy of Aces and Eights, many thanks!) and discovered some scary-sharp honing sheets in the packing tube for the chisel, I'll get a really precise bevel on this and one of my other parers, and apply them to the oak later in the week.

What happens now, then? Does anyone else want to have a look at it? Or do should I send it back? Or, better yet, is it like pass-the-parcel, with me as the last unwrapper... ;-)
I must say, for the price, I'm sorely tempted to buy a set of these.

 

[morfa]

I really didn't notice any play in the handle I have to say. The sheets of scary sharp passed me by as well. Oh well. I would agree that they're very handy. I only used mine for a DIY job (trimming a in situ piece of wood so a panel would fit) but it was much better than other chisels.

I think if there's no one else interested, then you just send it back to Matthew @ www.workshopheaven.com and he'll auction it off for charity.

I'd just like to say 'thanks' to Matthew for doing the passaround, it was very useful for me.

 

[riclepp]

I really didn't notice any play in the handle I have to say. The sheets of scary sharp passed me by as well. Oh well. I would agree that they're very handy. I only used mine for a DIY job (trimming a in situ piece of wood so a panel would fit) but it was much better than other chisels.

I think if there's no one else interested, then you just send it back to Matthew @ http://www.workshopheaven.com and he'll auction it off for charity.

I'd just like to say 'thanks' to Matthew for doing the passaround, it was very useful for me.

+1 to Matthew too.

LOL I didnt notice those sheets in there

 

[keithkarl2007]

After having this for a few days, I've noticed a few things.
Firstly, the handle is a little loose. Not disastrously so, but there's play there. Doesn't seem inclined to come off though.
Secondly, the blade seems to be a bit softer than some of my other sharp things. It could be down to the finer angle of the bevel, or just my perceptions being out of whack, but I'll have a better comparative test this week. I'll also try a "how long will it stay sharp" test next to one of my other paring chisels (though they wouldn't be any comparison for hardness via sharpening feel/speed really, as they're much thinner blades), with an oak off cut.
Thirdly, I'm really considering having one of these in a little holster about my person at all times! It's quite surprising how many uses I've found for it. There's a few odd jobs where there really isn't a substitute for something long and sharp. Adjusting jigs, trimming inside drawer runs, removing tonsils, altering a weird lighting project's internal cavity after the glue had set, haranguing visitors to the workshop, to name but a few.
Fourthly, the handle (play aside) has really grown on me. Being quite chunky, it seems to give a nice level of control over the tip when most of the blade is out of reach, inside things. I think I'd like it to be shorter - it doesn't fit inside my toolbox chisel-hanging rack with the lid closed :-( but I think that one day I'd like to try a range of handles on one chisel blade, to see which suits me best.

Isn't the first quarter of an inch (or thereabouts) a little softer than the rest of the blade? Think I read or heard that somewhere. I picked up a couple of the Narex beveled edged chisels and was going to get a paring chisel also. I haven't worked with the chisels yet as I have them only a short while and haven't flattened or sharpened them.
Having recently acquired a Veritas honing set-up (courtesy of Aces and Eights, many thanks!) and discovered some scary-sharp honing sheets in the packing tube for the chisel, I'll get a really precise bevel on this and one of my other parers, and apply them to the oak later in the week.

What happens now, then? Does anyone else want to have a look at it? Or do should I send it back? Or, better yet, is it like pass-the-parcel, with me as the last unwrapper... ;-)
I must say, for the price, I'm sorely tempted to buy a set of these.

 

[keithkarl2007]

After having this for a few days, I've noticed a few things.
Firstly, the handle is a little loose. Not disastrously so, but there's play there. Doesn't seem inclined to come off though.
Secondly, the blade seems to be a bit softer than some of my other sharp things. It could be down to the finer angle of the bevel, or just my perceptions being out of whack, but I'll have a better comparative test this week. I'll also try a "how long will it stay sharp" test next to one of my other paring chisels (though they wouldn't be any comparison for hardness via sharpening feel/speed really, as they're much thinner blades), with an oak off cut.
Thirdly, I'm really considering having one of these in a little holster about my person at all times! It's quite surprising how many uses I've found for it. There's a few odd jobs where there really isn't a substitute for something long and sharp. Adjusting jigs, trimming inside drawer runs, removing tonsils, altering a weird lighting project's internal cavity after the glue had set, haranguing visitors to the workshop, to name but a few.
Fourthly, the handle (play aside) has really grown on me. Being quite chunky, it seems to give a nice level of control over the tip when most of the blade is out of reach, inside things. I think I'd like it to be shorter - it doesn't fit inside my toolbox chisel-hanging rack with the lid closed :-( but I think that one day I'd like to try a range of handles on one chisel blade, to see which suits me best.



What happens now, then? Does anyone else want to have a look at it? Or do should I send it back? Or, better yet, is it like pass-the-parcel, with me as the last unwrapper... ;-)
I must say, for the price, I'm sorely tempted to buy a set of these.

Isn't the first quarter of an inch (or thereabouts) a little softer than the rest of the blade? Think I read or heard that somewhere. I picked up a couple of the Narex beveled edged chisels and was going to get a paring chisel also. I haven't worked with the chisels yet as I have them only a short while and haven't flattened or sharpened them.
Having recently acquired a Veritas honing set-up (courtesy of Aces and Eights, many thanks!) and discovered some scary-sharp honing sheets in the packing tube for the chisel, I'll get a really precise bevel on this and one of my other parers, and apply them to the oak later in the week.