Sharpening Handbook

Lock Mortise Chisel

Bevel face alignment with the handle

The Lock Mortise Chisel is essentially a scraping chisel.

click on the gray block to see more

Hone the bevel face in line with the handle by rubbing a diamond file against it.

Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show a man who never makes anything. The capacity for occasional blundering is inseparable from the capacity to bring things to pass.

Herman Lincoln Wayland

Replacing Wooden Handles

A good source for the shape of a handle is The Wood Turner's Handy Book (1887), by Paul N Hasluck (see pg. 67, fig. 39).

Other good sources are:

Making a New Chisel Handle for Tired Hands: Part 1, by Aaron Keim and published on the Fine Woodworking website. (Part 2 is also on the web site now.)
Socket Chisel Handle, by Tom Caspar and published on the AAW website on the “Woodturning Fundamentals” eMagazine.

More Information

Books & Papers

The Handyman's Book, a book by Paul N. Hasluck. My copy is the 1903 edition and is quite useful.

Published Articles

Making a New Chisel Handle for Tired Hands: Part 1, by Aaron Keim and published on the Fine Woodworking website. (Part 2 is also on the web site now.) Aaron noted,
Some of the most important tools in my shop are my chisels. Whether I am chopping, carving, or paring, they are in my hands all day. As I have gotten older and my arthritis/tendonitis has gotten worse, my needs have changed. In this blog, I will talk about my preferred chisel handle and show how I make a replacement handle to suit my needs.
Socket Chisel Handle, by Tom Caspar and published on the AAW website on the “Woodturning Fundamentals” eMagazine.