Thread: Possible New Titan Chisel Handle Design Found

Scribbly,

A very nice find. Its a handle design that I have seen before without the hoop pin and double scribe detail on the handle. Although I dont have one like it there are some clues on an archive site I found some time ago - if I remember it was the Tasmanian state archives (will have to clarify). See the attached photos of the Titan factory in Burnie Tasmania, the turned handle designs are similar, although obviously no hoops in place.

Nick

EDIT: For those interested the Tasmanian archives site search for photographs is http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=7
Search "Titan" in the description

I have come to learn that there are also a few variations from what was listed in catalogues, possibly machining batch variations or possibly quality control problems.

And now for a (small) gloat and an example - my collection (aka SWMBO's nemesis).

the BE shown is a 3/16" (never listed in catalogues) next to a 1/8" (which is actually more like a 3/32"):

That is an impressive collection Nick.
The blade on mine is nominally 1/8 inch but in reality it is closer to 5/32 inch.
Thanks for posting the archive pix.
The handle that I have shown is extremely comfortable in the hand, and the large shoulder is perfect for supporting the thumb and index finger. It seems an ideal paring chisel handle design.
I know I have never seen the large shouldered variety of handle before. It would be great to find some more.
Cheers
SG

Hi SG,
I'm sure I've seen one like that before, but I can't find a picture of it atm.

I would guess it's an early long paring chisel.

The problem with identifying Titans is that references are pretty much limited to the McPherson's catalogues, which I'm sure did not include the full available range. Two examples of this are the long plain edge paring chisel, like yours, and
the plain edge firmer with plastic handle that Burnsy had.

I think Nick has a plain edge long paring chisel in the top right hand side of his pic. I'm only going by the squared shank that long parers have.

I think there was more variation and detail in some of the earliest handles. The light socket firmers have a similar looking hoop and the two lines like yours, but a different shape at the bottom.

Here's a pic of the closest one I've got. It doesn't help much as it's lost it's hoop.

Best wishes,

Steve

Originally Posted by Scribbly Gum

Now I have never seen a Titan handle of this design.
Further, the top iron hoop is quite thick and is held in place by a panel pin above the hoop, not in the usual fashion of a drilled hole in the hoop itself with panel pin.
If anyone has seen this enlarged shoulder and top hoop arrangement before on a Titan, I would be very pleased to hear of it.
Many thanks
SG

Hi SG, congrats on the find, that's a nice looking chisel.
I've been busy with work and post-flood volunteering so haven't had time to hang out here for a while but today am actually digging through all my titans to see if I can get them all together in the one place (really I am trying to find all my titan gouges but that's another story). I'll see if I can find anything like this one. The curve of the thumb ridge is much deeper than on most of this style, as someone noted (Steve or Nick?) - there are a lot of variations.
pjr

Originally Posted by stuffy

The problem with identifying Titans is that references are pretty much limited to the McPherson's catalogues, which I'm sure did not include the full available range. Two examples of this are the long plain edge paring chisel, like yours, and
the plain edge firmer with plastic handle that Burnsy had.
Steve

Hi Steve, yes agreed, McPherson's didn't have the entire range. As you noted, there are some found in the wild that they didn't advertise, and from the product numbers, I have speculated there are likely to be some more.

Do you (or anybody else out there) know who else may have sold Titans? I have bought old catalogs from a range of other resellers but have not yet found any other that included anything I could identify as titans.

I've also never found anything produced by Titan themselves either. You would think they might have had a brochure or product catalogue but if they did, somebody has already collected them all )

Any help with other sources would be much appreciated.
pjr

Originally Posted by nick_b00

And now for a (small) gloat and an example - my collection (aka SWMBO's nemesis).
the BE shown is a 3/16" (never listed in catalogues) next to a 1/8" (which is actually more like a 3/32"):

hi nick, mmm, nice.
I've wondered whether the really small sizes were a special range for schools or something - at least that's where they seem to be sourced from whenever they come up for sale. Do yours have any school or education dept markings?
pjr

Originally Posted by pjr

hi nick, mmm, nice.
I've wondered whether the really small sizes were a special range for schools or something - at least that's where they seem to be sourced from whenever they come up for sale. Do yours have any school or education dept markings?
pjr

No formal markings, however there are a couple from the same source with S.H.S engraved on the shoulder. Maybe a "......." High School. They were sold to me as unused high school stock.

In terms of other advertising or information all I have seen is a few magazine and newspaper advertisements from time to time.

Nick

Time to come out of the tool cupboard. No expert but I have a reasonable collection of Titans and have never seen the handle design SG has shown. I do have an unused Titan replacement handle that is similar to the top chisel in stuffys' post though the bottom hoop maybe a touch larger.
Have seen a variation in some of the handles from earlier chisels to later but I think it was more likely that quality control of the turned handles may not have been as tight in their early days.
Looks as SG says to be a comfortable design and I will now be looking hard to try and track another of the same design down.

Originally Posted by nick_b00

No formal markings.....
In terms of other advertising or information all I have seen is a few magazine and newspaper advertisements from time to time.

Thanks Nick, I think I might know the source - I have a couple of those too ;-)

Re advertising, thanks I understand. I've been digging through trove again and have found a few ads I had not located before but so far nothing really new or startling.
eg, here's a new-to-me ad from women's weekly 1965 that lists a set but not in any sizes that are unknown or anything:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/51393490?searchTerm=titan%20chisel&searchLimits=l-australian=y|||l-category=Advertising|category%3AAdvertising|||l-title=The+Australian+Women%27s...|titleid%3A112


pjr

ok SG, I've found the chisel I had in mind, it does have a handle similar to your example but now I'm not so sure it's actually a Titan - it has a ridge around the top of the socket, quite unlike all the Titan's I've seen. Anyway, it's the 3/16" bevel edge socket chisel shown here with a couple of small Titans, a 3/16" and a 1/8" which have the usual Euro style handle. I guess I need to work out what it actually is because now I've looked at it more closely I'm not convinced.

Looks suspiciously Scandinavian to me Peter.
I have found socketted Bergs in the very small sizes that have no stamp on the blade, but chisels from Jernbolaget and Toledo had similar handles and similar sockets. I don't think it is a Titan.
Nice chisels.
Cheers
SG

Scandinavian is what I was thinking too. I long ago gave up on trying to collect one of every Titan but now I must find at least one with this style handle - thanks for pushing me back onto this slippery slope!

I know this is an oldish thread, but ...

SG

I was wondering, that if you still had this chisel, whether you could post the dimensions of the handle. It seems to me to be one I would like to copy.

cheers