Mortise chisel AUCTION

Hey!

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>That thing looks familiar!

So Scott...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>How'd you like it?

Re: So Scott...

Brad in Ottawa

>I'm not Scott... but since you asked!

I was the last tester in the bunch... I reluctantly accepted this task as I have only have one other mortising chisel to compare to, a new Sorby. I realise that many believe the Sorby is a poor chisel and a light mortising chisel at that.

Given that the purpose of the testing was to determine if the design that used, sans bolster, could stand up to constant pounding, I accepted.

I'm not sure how many tested the chisel before me but when it arrived it was in great shape and very solid. It did not seem to suffer for a lack of a bolster.

(Compared to my Sorby it was heavier and longer. The Sorby is a Sash mortiser as well so... the Jim Reed Special seems to be built like a tank in comparison.)

To test the Jim Reed Special, I took out a big mallet and some hard maple. My goal was to practice making mortises. I wish I could say that I took a more scientific approach to quantify or compare the performance to other chisels.

What I can say from a qualitative observation is that the chisel is still a solid piece that stood up to my testing (and several others en route to my shop.)

With that said I will make a bid on the chisel!

Brad

Re: So Scott...

jim_reed@marietta

>Thanks for participating in the test.

Another tester reports

Dennis

>In my tests i found the following

1. worked fine in pine

2. worked ok in red oak,edge break down came fairly quick

3. just wouldn't handle bubinga,edge folded over real quick, and one

would expect this with it being hollow ground.

I have found that i like my old butcher mortise chisels set up with long

35 to 40 deg bevel with top radiused a bit, then depending on wood 25

for pine up to 32plus for something like bubinga. One thing i now do is

sharped on 1" belt sander and i really like it, and in the case of

mortise chisel i think it helps with edge retention over hollow wheel

grinding and gives you better leverage.

Just for fun and to help the benefit auction,made new white oak handle,bolster,leather washer, and did same tests again with my grind and this time it worked as good as my old butcher's.

Dennis

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And yet another...

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>See that - now I'm glad I didn't hollow grind that thing!

I told Jim at the get-go that I know effectively nothing about the peculiarities of mortise chisels. Mine are all bench chisels. But, I have a small stash of mesquite that's beyond bone-dry, and figured I could deliver a beating to the ReedMaster '04, compare it to a 1/2" Ashley Iles bevel edge chisel just on edge retention, and send it on its merry way.

First off, the thing's a behemoth. I didn't weigh it (meant to), but it's stout. Edges were square, had a nice oak handle (even nicer blade gaurd...). Honed it up and put it to work side-by-side with the AI. I found a few things of note:

• First run through, I added no microbevel. After some abuse on the petrified mesquite, the edge rolled just a little. I rehoned at that point, and added a crude microbevel, a skill that I am particularly bad at.



• With the microbevel, the chisel worked like a completely different beast. After driving both through more mesquite (think about a 1-1/2" deep and 1" long mortise), the AI was, expectedly, shot. The edge felt sharp to my subjective and uneducated touch, but trying to pare at all by hand was completely useless. By comparison, the ReedMaster felt less sharp, but was able to continue chopping away with no noticible difference in effort. I stopped at about a 3" mortise.

Less than scientific, but Jim's chisel seemed to hold its edge very well. My only nitpick is that it really needs a bubinga handle...

Re: Another tester reports

Bill White

>Lordy me!! I thought that I was the only W. Butcher collector. Man, are they great chisels or what?