While paring kumiko In the past I’ve often thought that I could create a tool to make this task a bit easier and possibly more ergonomic as well. Recently I had a customer/friend contact me to inquire as to whether I would be interested in creating such a chisel for him.
I made a list of the criteria we put together for this chisel:
(1) Wide blade for easy registration on the jigs typically used in kumiko work.
(2) Shorter blade so the pressure point of your hand is close to the cutting contact point. Something butt chisel length.
(3) Shorter handle as compared to a bench chisel so the end would fit comfortably in your hand and provide a way to push with the butt of your hand.
(4) A lower bevel angle to make for a better paring cut.
(5) Lower heat in the tempering process to leave the chisel a bit harder than standard. Paring and chopping are very different task. Leaving the steel in the blade a bit harder promotes a sharper edge better for paring than chopping.
(6) All sharp edges on the chisel blade where one’s hand may come in contact are broken/softened to make the user experience more pleasant and less wearing on the hand.
Below are pictures of the product created using this criteria. Woods are Desert ironwood, olive and figured resin infused maple.
Ron
