Thread: Paring chisels -- where to find or buy

I think Sorby was making some, but I think maybe they have been discontinued. You may still be able to get them in North America.

I made a similar post a while back when I was looking. It basically came down to three options.

1.) Narex
2.) Wait it out and put together a hodge podge of vintage, or maybe, by some stroke of fantastically glorious luck, find a full set for sale via Jim Bode or eBay
3.) Blue Spruce

I ended up going with the Spruces.

From what I could tell, and I think my search was thorough, there simply aren't any "boutique" or high end tool manufacturers which are making long paring chisels aside from them.

Unfortunately, I'm not home to measure their thickness, but, I feel like it's down around the same as your Berg. I know that the 1/8" chisel is thinner than it is wide, so they'd be less than 3.2mm.

Dave at Blue Spruce is awesome on communication and he would definitely be able to give you an answer.

So I use those. I got the whole set (7) and I sent him some figured Crow's Ash from which he turned me some really great handles. I opted for the longer, paring style handles. I really couldn't be happier with them. They hold an edge well (A2 Steel), are nice and long for control, the fit and finish is perfect, and they work exactly how they should with regards to visibility, corner accessibility, and shearing of grain. I don't even use my bench chisels for paring anymore. They're that much better.

Titan made a long paring chisel. You may consider PM'ing Doggie.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Luke

If you are patient & watch the ads every day, you do occasionally see long, thin chisels available, but it would probably use up too much of your remaining lifetime to put together a half-decent set! It took me a couple of years and three or four rejects before I managed to find a 3/4" chisel to fill the gap in the set of New Havens I acquired whilst living in Canada - couldn't find any NHs, but eventually got an Essex that is as nice. I love those chisels, and I reckon the 1" NH would be far & away the most-used tool in my shed (especially if you include pencil-sharpening duties! ) There are long chisels around, but the only new ones I could find were far too thick & cumbersome by comparison. Here's a Henry Taylor (top) compared with one of my NHs, and the HT just doesn't come close! Paring chisels comp.jpg

Another option is patternmaker's chisels, and Sorby still do them, but I don't think they'd be what you're looking for. I have a couple, and they are occasionally very useful, but for serious paring, I always go for the New Havens......
Cheers,

Try here
Sorby Boxwood-Handled Paring Chisels - Lee Valley Tools

or here
Blue Spruce Toolworks For Your Finest Work Woodworking Tools & Chisels

Originally Posted by NCArcher

Try here
Sorby Boxwood-Handled Paring Chisels - Lee Valley Tools....

Nice chisels, (I have a couple of of them) but these are the patternmakers' chisels I referred to - not quite what the OP has in mind, I suspect.
Cheers,

Originally Posted by NCArcher

Try here
Sorby Boxwood-Handled Paring Chisels - Lee Valley Tools

Originally Posted by IanW

Nice chisels, (I have a couple of of them) but these are the patternmakers' chisels I referred to - not quite what the OP has in mind, I suspect.

Thank for the link NC, but as the other Ian says they're not what I have in mind.
With a Lee Valley store "just down the road" I've been able to compare the Narex, Sorby and Lee Valley ones and they are all very robust -- much nicer than saying "fat" -- compared to the Berg.

I think I'll be contacting Blue Spruce

Hi Ian

As I understand, you are seeking a comparable modern chisel to the Berg. Keep in mind that your examples are bench chisels, and so I conclude that you use the term "pare" as an adjective and not to describe a specific type of chisel, such as traditional paring chisel, which is long and thin.

I had a full set of Bergs (1/8" through 1 1/4"). They were nice chisels but sold to fund a set of Kiyohisa. Later I replaced them with a set of vintage Stanley #750 (1/8" through 1"). I replaced the handles, which I found to be too short for my liking, wanting something that focussed on paring as opposed to chopping. I also ground the sides to narrow lands ...



As you are aware, the #750 blade is essentially the LN chisel of today. Now this is where it gets interesting. You describe the Veritas chisels as "very robust", a description with which I agree. By comparison, the #750 - both Stanley and LN - feel much thinner and more delicate. HOWEVER, when I reviewed the Veritas chisels in their O1 version, I measured them and the LN equivalent sizes ...




The LV and LN blades were the same thickness and mass! The extra weight in the LN comes from their larger socket.

My Stanleys feels different from the Veritas. I like the edge durability of the PM-V11 steel. It is good. However my Stanley #750 feel closer to the Bergs I once had. It's been a while since I used the LNs, but I would look at the version they sell with the long Japanese paring handle (introduced by David Charlesworth). The downside is that these only come in A2 steel.

I have the Blue Spruce dovetail chisels (1/8" through 3/4"). The handles are fantastic - extremely comfortable and well-balanced - and the A2 blades take a good edge. However I find the chisels very light weight now - lacking "oomph" - and mine do not get much use. The Veritas PM chisels are my go-to - in spite of their appearance, they are balanced and powerful. Of course, if you want something light, then the BS may be what you are looking for. I would not be chopping with them, however. What of the Stanley's? I do like using them, but the O1 steel does not hold an edge long with WA timber.

For a size comparison, here are a 3/4" Koyamaichi dovetail chisel, Blue Spruce and Veritas ...

​


Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi Ian

As I understand, you are seeking a comparable modern chisel to the Berg. Keep in mind that your examples are bench chisels, and so I conclude that you use the term "pare" as an adjective and not to describe a specific type of chisel, such as traditional paring chisel, which is long and thin.

yes it is a bit tricky with the nomenclature. What I'm looking for are some thin bench chisels to use for paring. I'm not necessarily looking for the length (250 mm or so) of a pattern maker's paring chisel, more a shorter length delicate chisel. My "choppers" are a set of LNs in A2 steel.

To give an idea of what I mean by thin and/or delicate, the Berg I posed the photos of is 3/8" wide and it's thickness tapers from 2.7 mm at the business end out to 3.9 mm near the tang. I have another of Dad's old Bergs (5/8") that tapers from 3.35 out to 4.85 mm
My 3/8" A2 LN "chopper" tapers from 4 mm out to 7 mm -- which is comparatively robust compared to the Berg.

For comparison, the 1/2" refurbished Stanley you sent me -- thank you again -- tapers from 3.4 to 5.2 mm which is a bit "fatter" that the 5/8" wide Berg, but a bit thinner than an LN.
I also have a 5/8" red (plastic) handled Berg with me and it tapers from 3.9 out to 5.4 mm -- which is similar in taper to the old Stanley.

Originally Posted by derekcohen

I had a full set of Bergs (1/8" through 1 1/4"). They were nice chisels but sold to fund a set of Kiyohisa. Later I replaced them with a set of vintage Stanley #750 (1/8" through 1"). I replaced the handles, which I found to be too short for my liking, wanting something that focussed on paring as opposed to chopping. I also ground the sides to narrow lands ...

snip
[the] Stanley #750 feel closer to the Bergs I once had.

I have the Blue Spruce dovetail chisels (1/8" through 3/4"). The handles are fantastic - extremely comfortable and well-balanced - and the A2 blades take a good edge. However I find the chisels very light weight now - lacking "oomph" - and mine do not get much use.
snip
Of course, if you want something light, then the BS may be what you are looking for. I would not be chopping with them, however. What of the Stanley's? I do like using them, but the O1 steel does not hold an edge long with WA timber.

Thanks Derek

comprehensive and informative as always.

Looks like I should be seriously considering the Blue Spruce


any Long paring chisels can wait till I need the length, for now the bench chisel length is what I'm after.

I often wonder why some of us find these thinner chisels so attractive for paring duties.

Is it just the overall weight? My New Havens taper in a sweeping curve to a very thin business end, but not so thin as to be flexible like the long patternmakers' type. By comparison, the Henry Taylor referred to above doesn't have much taper & feels cumbersome & clunky. It's meant to be a 'firmer' BE, I suppose. Something else about the New Havens is their long, offset sockets, which allows the back to remain flat on the wood until the thumb-rest bulge of the handle contacts the edge. The Henry Taylor's socket is symmetrical, which might make it more robust for bashing, but isn't so handy in a paring role. I put a very shallow sharpening bevel on mine, so they are quite unsuited to bashing.

I wonder why there are so few similar chisels made today? I have a couple other chisels of different brands that are similar to the NHs, and have seen enough others to get the impression that chisels in this style were pretty common a hundred years ago. But from this thread & Luke's, it seems like Blue Spruce are the only ones who make something vaguely similar.

I suppose you can use any chisel as a parer a pinch, and it is a bit of a luxury to have a set dedicated to that job alone, so perhaps most folks would put them very low on the 'want list'? Having lived with mine for 25 years or so now, I know I could never give them up. This thread has confirmed my resolution that they'd be the fisrt thing I'd grab to save in a fire!

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

I often wonder why some of us find these thinner chisels so attractive for paring duties.

Is it just the overall weight? My New Havens taper in a sweeping curve to a very thin business end, but not so thin as to be flexible like the long patternmakers' type. By comparison, the Henry Taylor referred to above doesn't have much taper & feels cumbersome & clunky. It's meant to be a 'firmer' BE, I suppose. Something else about the New Havens is their long, offset sockets, which allows the back to remain flat on the wood until the thumb-rest bulge of the handle contacts the edge. The Henry Taylor's socket is symmetrical, which might make it more robust for bashing, but isn't so handy in a paring role. I put a very shallow sharpening bevel on mine, so they are quite unsuited to bashing.

I wonder why there are so few similar chisels made today? I have a couple other chisels of different brands that are similar to the NHs, and have seen enough others to get the impression that chisels in this style were pretty common a hundred years ago. But from this thread & Luke's, it seems like Blue Spruce are the only ones who make something vaguely similar.

Lately I've been making a few tenons with 1.5mm shoulders. This is where a delicate chisel comes into its own. The dimensions of the more robust chisels just obstruct too much of the work.

I put the demise of delicate bench chisels down to the demise of hand tool use and then skill following in the wake of low cost, readily accessible power saws and routers.
Why develop the skills to use a chisel when a router will "scream" it out in a few seconds -- that's after you've spent an hour or so setting the machine up and making test cuts !

Originally Posted by IanW

I suppose you can use any chisel as a parer a pinch, and it is a bit of a luxury to have a set dedicated to that job alone, so perhaps most folks would put them very low on the 'want list'? Having lived with mine for 25 years or so now, I know I could never give them up. This thread has confirmed my resolution that they'd be the fisrt thing I'd grab to save in a fire!

Not sure if mine would be the first thing I grabbed in a fire. There's just too many "special" tools that would need saving. Luckily at the moment they're living in a wheeled cabinet so as the "first thing" I could wheel the cabinet to safety

Originally Posted by ian

.......There's just too many "special" tools that would need saving. Luckily at the moment they're living in a wheeled cabinet so as the "first thing" I could wheel the cabinet to safety

Well, I was sort of joking, but I do occasionally worry about how I would ever replace some of my tools if something unspeakable happened. The paring chisels just came to mind as my first 'save' because I've discovered how damn difficult it would be to find any replacements. I could go with Blue Spruce, which I'm sure are excellent tools, but the look of them just doesn't get the juices flowing the way the old NHs do.

Maybe I should get a set of wheels too, for peace of mind!
Cheers,

We were interested in the discussion on paring chisels particularly the Blue Spruce paring chisels. They are available in Australia from Henry Eckert Fine Tools, you can see them here. We have been selling them for a while now, the feedback has been very encouraging.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by LNA

We were interested in the discussion on paring chisels particularly the Blue Spruce paring chisels. They are available in Australia from Henry Eckert Fine Tools, you can see them here. We have been selling them for a while now, the feedback has been very encouraging.

Cheers,

Thanks David

I am aware that you carry them, it's just that I'm currently located in Canada meaning that dealing direct with Blue Spruce a little more convenient.

I would get a vintage english paring chisel and probably not much of anything else. (marples, nurse, greaves, butcher, ward,....)

I've got two japanese parers left, Kiyotada. I've sold off all of the rest (nobody would sell off a Kiyotada chisel, me included). But I generally use an old set of marples parers and if I lost them, I would go right to ebay and pay whatever someone was asking for vintage paring chisels with a forged bolster (and people ask quite a lot sometimes).

I'd figure it would probably cost me $75 each for the vintage. It's funny how people see that as a lot, but modern chisels that have far less skill in their make are seen as a good deal at the same price.