Received two paring chisels, made by David Weaver. He forged these himself from the Swedish steel, 26c3, which is 1.25% carbon, 0.3%Cr (for toughness). Very similar to Hitachi white steel #1. Tempered hard. Cutting angle tested at 29 degrees, as delivered which seems about perfect. Old cocobolo handles, finished close to the wood. Width 1/4 and 3/4. Beautiful forged bolsters:
These are 15” long. Which means I can set the haft under chin or collarbone and just lean on it to make a scribe line cut. No arm muscle. Tiny sidewalls.
Fantastic! I bet they work as great as they look. I’d love to ask him to make me some chisels, but I have no idea how to contact him. He’s certainly on the right track compared to everyone else, aesthetically and ergonomically.
Just looking at them and reading the assessments, and maker's comments for the prototypes, those should be well on their way to that seemingly magical position.
I think David's hunger/ambition for overcoming challenges and achieving highest levels of quality is stronger than cashing in on the potential market that success can yield.
Yes. David has designed and made some really super chisels, and these reflect his craftsmanship and the experience/knowledge he has been working towards. His desire for recognition of these is as strong as any other individual in a similar position, but takes the form of interest by others, discussion and actual usage ... all rather than financial gain. He will no doubt only make for those he believes will appreciate the subtleties invested in his work.
Could you tell me what "finished close to the wood" means? Do you mean that the finish doesn't change the look of the natural wood much? Is this a regular expression used among wood finishers?
‘Close to the wood’ I believe is pretty standard talk. Means there is no visible build of finish, for example a gloss finish. Krenov’s finishes were close to the wood. In the case of these chisels, the cocobolo is just waxed and buffed.
