Thread: The Yanks call them a Slick - now that's a Chisel!

Chris Vesper has made a slick and quite often has it at the wood shows.
http://www.chris-v.com/index.htm

He may be able to give you more info.

As you said very very sharp and not hard to use.

One of these are for sale in a shop around the corner from me he want's $70 dollars - its a tang version - always walk past and say that I need to buy it - but just have not had the money to commit to it. Well worth having a few I think.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

One of these are for sale in a shop around the corner from me he want's $70 dollars - its a tang version - always walk past and say that I need to buy it - but just have not had the money to commit to it. Well worth having a few I think.

and exactly which corner is that then?

My secret - I am saving my pennies and then I am going to bargain with the fellow. I worry that some else will see it and take it away.

Never seen a tanged slick--interesting! And the price is good to boot.

Timber framers used slicks as well as ship and boat builders. Some people used them for the DTs on log cabins if the logs were really large. Not aware of too many other uses. It's a tool which gains power from cupping the end of the handle in a palm and pressing a shoulder into it. Otherwise it is simply used to more or less pare with. Other large chisels (and or saws) were used to get the surface roughed for the final work with the slick.

For one large log structure I helped make, an adze was used to flatten logs and a slick to remove high spots when fitting them together.

Take care, Mike

HURRY UP THEN!! Man the last time I saw something like this was in Bassendean one day me and the missus are there visiting all the small trinket and old gear laden shops... about to leave and notice this one stuck back around the corner so wander in... a whole shamozzle of wonderous gear!!! 2 hours later I finally found my way toward the outside again then I saw them...

A stack of about 40 or so VERY VERY OLD planes mostly wooden but some solid steel ones... man... Derek woulda had a purple fit tryin to get his wallet out fast enough all about $20 each some less some slightly more... a fair stack of them all in a box in a corner down near the back of the counter... safe enough I thought as my mind worked out that I needed more money didnt have time and her bloody highness was already at the car tapping her foot and glaring... okay buggar it theyre safe enough for now I'll come back next weekend and pick em all up thinks I

yeah right... come back the following weekend and not a bloody wooden or steel plane to be seen ANYWHERE!! let alone a stack in a box behind the sodding counter

My motto is.., GET THE BUGGARS WHEN I SEE THEM... thats why I refuse to give her the credit card back!!

So go get it... NOW!!!

I can't remember where I read this but I've heard there are some really big ones out there that were used by the US Navy on board aircraft carriers to fixup the flight decks made of teak.

Never used a slick.

Thats a major haul of tools alright Wayne. Congrats.


interested in selling any ? I'm after a #10 at the moment.

Thanks gents.

Jake, I will definitely be selling a few items in due course - I just want to have a bit of a rationalisation of my collection to see what I want to keep and what I can sell. Actually, I just realised what I said: What I want to keep! (Head rolls back in uproarious laugter!).

What I can sell?

I already have a #10 but it's a definite keeper. I'm also a bit interested in a #10 1/4 which I believe has a tilting handle. Any experience with these?

It's quite good buying on stuff in the US at the moment, but shipping is usually a deal breaker on the larger planes - even if using surface mail which can take 3 months or more. The only way to make it work is to bring the items back in accompanied luggage. Never had a problem with Customs so far, although the bags always get opened & scrutinised by the US Department of Homeland Security. Probably fair enough, too.

Dingo, you're spot on with the methodology of buying second hand tools. If it's there & what you want - snap it up on the spot. Take it away immediately. Those who hesitate will miss out. Happens to me every time. Thumbsucker, keep in mind that the brand name slicks sell for double that of the unbranded ones. There seems to be plenty of generic hand forged ones around - maybe the old blacksmiths made quite a few?

Mike, thanks for the info. That's about what I pictured these things being used for. Keep them razor sharp, grip with both hands and put a bit of shoulder behind them. No mallet use - ever. They have enough weight to give them some inertia, so once you start the slice they keep going.

Jim, had a quick look at Chris Vesper's site. The slick he made is obviously for his own use. I wonder what he'd charge for them as retail cost?

Originally Posted by Hardenfast

I already have a #10 but it's a definite keeper. I'm also a bit interested in a #10 1/4 which I believe has a tilting handle. Any experience with these?

nah. Haven't tried one. I did see one on ebay recently. You probably saw it. price took off. Look like it had a little nicker on the side.

At work I use the bosses #10 everyday. Its a good joinery tool I've found. Set right and sharp you quickly clean up any rebate nicely cause you can use either edge.

Found it most useful for checking out head ends to take jams (for windows)....can chop out most of it with drop saw just above depth, then deepen the shoulders of the checkout with a chisel quickly to stop tearout from the plane, then plane it flush to the front rebate. Crossgrain planing makes it quick..then card scrap with the grain to clean up tool marks. . I did about 60 of them one morning

Been playing with the idea of buying an old #5 and turning it into a #10. Remember reading somebody trying that.