Paring Chisel from Wilco Flier

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hi Handtoolers,

a few weeks ago, Wilco posted some pics of his shop made paring chisels.

shop-made-paring-chisels-t66992.html

I was intrigued in a sudden by them. So I was happy when Wilco informed me that he started a side business with these tools and hurried up to order one. A paring chisel 15 mm wide at 55 EUR. By coincidence, he had just the one in stock that I did order. So it took only short time until I was able to hold the tool in my hands.

Wow! Visually it is a winner for sure. It's crafted with high attention to detail. The connection between blade, ferrule and handle is done in a perfect way, really something to admire. The blade is shaped ver thoughtful as well. While it is bevelled relatively strong, the lands aren't that sharp, that you have to be careful not to injure yourself while using it. Just about right to my understanding.

But how does it work? Well, the honing of the back took a little time but it was worth every minute. It works very very nicely for sure now. The steel takes a keen edge and the blade has just the right thickness that it allows the small amount of flexibility one likes to have while paring. I can't tell how the blade does hold the edge since I've no long time experience so far. But my first impressions are very good. It's a tool that shows the pride of the maker and that is something that I appreciate a lot!

Some pics:

You did a great job, Wilco. I'm more than pleased with this wonderfully crafted tool.

Klaus

 

[Harbo]

Very nice - but may I suggest when marketing them, a change of name - Wilco is very common?

Rod

 

[Mr_P]

That's stunning but after drooling over your website for many an hour I'd expect all your tools to be equally gorgeous.

ps Welcome back to a woodier world, the world needs more skilled craftsmen like yourself and Pedder.

 

[ColeyS1]

Lovely looking chisel !! Where us wilco's website? I quite fancy a look if someone could provide a link please

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[Graham Orm]

Lovely looking chisel !! Where us wilco's website? I quite fancy a look if someone could provide a link please

Sent from my GT-I9300

Klaus. That's a beautiful thing....no matter how well it cuts or holds an edge!

If you follow the link in the top post to Wilco's older post he has a web address at the bottom. However, my Kaspersky web protection tells me that it contains malware and wont let me open it.

Feedback please!

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Thats a lovely looking chisel but why in a tool of this quality does the back need to be honed on receipt? - not a criticism, I'm just curious.

Regards Mick

 

[ColeyS1]

Cheers grayorm, im guessing i need to get on a computer to see it. Viewing most things on smartphone generally works out o.k, just sometimes I need to revert back to pc to view certain things

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

If you follow the link in the top post to Wilco's older post he has a web address at the bottom. However, my Kaspersky web protection tells me that it contains malware and wont let me open it.

Feedback please!

Hm, that's exactly what I had to experience myself.

I emailed Wilco and asked him to check that.

Klaus

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hi

Thats a lovely looking chisel but why in a tool of this quality does the back need to be honed on receipt? - not a criticism, I'm just curious.

Regards Mick

Hi Mick,

the tool was ready to be used out of the box, no question.

However I'm used to hone every chisel I get, vintage or new, to get a mirror shiny back up to the very corner tips. That gives the last few percent of performance IMHO. The shortest honing time needed the LV PM V-11 chisels so far, the longest time needed the Kirschen and the MHG chisels. The paring chisel from Wilco Flier is somewhere in the middle of this region comparable to some Japanese chisels from Iyoroi. So I would call it rather good concerning the flatness of the back.

Cheers
Klaus

 

[Spindle]

Hi Klaus

Thank you for the clarification.

Regards Mick

 

[ColeyS1]

I clicked on wilco's link and also got the 'blocked threat' message. Hopefully something will get fixed so we can all go and view the website.

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[Wilco Flier]

Hello Handtoolers!

About my website, there is indeed something wrong there. I am busy with sorting it out. I'm just back from a five months period of voluntary work in Africa and in that time I had hardly acces to internet. I guess its been in that time that the trouble has showed up. This particular website, however, is a general one with only my hobby woodworking stuff, written in Dutch. A special (English) website about my tool making activities is in progres. I will let you know when that one is online.

@ Klaus, thank you for your testimonial here on this forum! I am very happy that you are happy with this chisel! You have made some very nice pictures of the chisel too! I have to improve my photographing skills a bit more I think! ;-)

If there is anyone here who is interested in this chisel too or a other custom made tool, feel free to send me an email to discuss the options. The lead time of the chisels is hard to predict, because as a small toolmaker I am constrained to a certain amount of steel to make the heat treatment economically justified. So I have to save up orders. But as I said, feel free to e-mail me.

I have just finished a small batch of tools, see the picture. It contains paring chisels, regular chisels, a plane blade which is an experiment, a draw knive, timer framing chisels and twe normal knives. A few of this tools are already sold, the others are still for sale or for my own use.

 

[Wilco Flier]

Very nice - but may I suggest when marketing them, a change of name - Wilco is very common?
Rod

Hello Rod,

I think that's because I'm Dutch, and so I have a Dutch name. ;-) I think the makers name is one of the best brand names for this kind of handmade tools, what do you think?

Besides of that, a uncommon name is easier to identifie, isn't it? ;-)

 

[iNewbie]

The shortest honing time needed the LV PM V-11 chisels so far, the longest time needed the Kirschen and the MHG chisels.

Whats your view of those chisels, Klaus? Thanks.

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

The shortest honing time needed the LV PM V-11 chisels so far, the longest time needed the Kirschen and the MHG chisels.

Whats your view of those chisels, Klaus? Thanks.

The overall quality and performance of these chisels is just stunning. They take very keen edges with ease. Yes, the sharpening of this steel isn't a big deal at all. And they hold the edge in a very surprising way. I'd say, at least 3 times as long as O1 blades, maybe more.

My set of five chisels is a preproduction one. That will be the reason that on of those didn't like to hold the edge when I got them. I ground it shorter about 3 mm and now it shows the same excellent characteristics as the other ones do.

If you are looking for a high class bench chisel that will be in hard use, then go for the LV PM V-11 chisel. You won't be disappointed. In the opposite, I believe that you soon will replace more sizes of bench chisels with them.

Cheers
Klaus

 

[iNewbie]

Thanks for you personal insight, Klaus.

 

[mqbernardo]

too bad his site seems to be down... those chisels are sweet! thanks for the heads-up.

 

[mqbernardo]

BTW, what´s the steel on these?

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

BTW, what´s the steel on these?

It's the well known high carbon tool steel O1.

Klaus

 

[mqbernardo]

thanks, i like O1.