Thread: Narex chisel handle options

It looks like the handle is being forced further down the shaft and this is causing the splitting. I doubt there is a viable material to use that will do any better. If that is the case then the strike button is not an extension of the chisel tang so perhaps getting the handle of and putting a steel distance piece between the button and the end of the tang and wrapping the chisel handle in some tape they use for cricket bats or similar might work.

I'm pretty sure these use the same blanks as the budget Narex chisels with the timber handles. Which is to say, Chris is right about the striking cap not actually being attached to the tang of the chisel.
As far as handles go, I'm not aware of any commercially available replacements. And making up a set which would be appropriate to your use of them wouldn't be worth it.
My suggestion would be to replace these handles with timber or donate them to someone who will, and then replace your chisels with a set from Blunderings that feature a through-tang construction.
Keep in mind that just because chisels have a strike cap, doesn't mean they're built with through-tangs. They're more chisels you *can* hit with a steel hammer, but shouldn't do it often.

I reckon it borders on fraud to just put a steel button on a handle like that - I would've assumed it was continuous with the tang too, but it's pretty obvious from your pics that it's not. I s'pose it does protect the plastic a bit. Fitting them with new wooden handles would be easy enough, but they'll probably take even less punishment than the original plastic handles. The Bluegum handles Titan used were tough, but regularly died at the hands of chippies of my dad's era.

There's no point in telling blokes not to bash chisels with a hammer, no one wants to carry extra tools to the job or go looking for a mallet when you're a floor or two up & just want to ease a bit off somewhere to get it to fit. I've been guilty of the crime myself, on occasion. I will say you don't need to bash 'em quite as hard when they're sharp...

Narex make replacement wood handles, they look like Beech and I doubt they'd last half as long as the plastic ones did under similar conditions. I reckon your best bet would be to just get yourself a few Fatmax thru-tangs and get on with the job, probably cost you less than the time spent looking for replacements & fitting them. In any case, plastic handles are moulded onto the tangs, so even if you could find some, retro-fitting them might be tricky.

Cheers,

Jim

I am not sure how adventurous you are in terms of replacing handles, but if you are interested there are to my mind two issues for chisels that are intended to be struck. Typically a ferrule either top or bottom or both alleviates this problem. There can still be issue. By chance I have found one solution and I stress it is not the only solution. There was a problem with the lower ferrule and while not exactly the same it is similar to the issue you had. Originally there was a standard sleeve style ferrule on the lower part of the handle, but under extreme provocation the handle was driven down onto the home made blade (not home made by me), which has a shoulder that is too close to the handle.

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You can see from the marks that the ferrule was driven up the handle twice as far as it should be and the handle was disintegrating.

I make the ferrules from old compression fittings. They have an internal thread, but most importantly they have a lip at one end which resists timber moving along the handle.

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I use them at both ends At the top end of the handle I allow some timber to protrude and if this burrs over when struck it provides additional retention of the ferrule as well as preventing the ferrule being beaten into the handle. Initially they are glued into place using epoxy. The threaded internals provide extra grip. This is another handle I have been preparing.

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Regards
Paul

As I said in my post above, if a steel distance piece is made and fitted between the strike button and the tang the compression of the handle should not occur. Then a hardwood handle with ferrules top and bottom should do the job. Wood handles were used with ferrules long before "plastic" handles were used. Don't use aluminium it will result in the same problem.

Thanks for the input gents.
Everything that’s been said makes sense.
I suppose my first task is to see if I can get the handles off without completely destroying them and then work out a course of action from there. I do have a set of these with timber handles but they are only used in my shed with a timber mallet. I am reluctant to use timber handled chisels at work as I have no intentions to carry a mallet on site.
Cheers Jim

This may not work for the long term but I found an old Stanley handle while going through a drawer in the shed looking for some bolts. Drilled out a little deeper and seems to be a good fit with a little epoxy to hold tight. I have purchased a beater with a through tang for framing and will keep this one for installing hinges, door handles , etc