Posted by
Easy WoodCraft on
Mar 31, 2017
Firmer chisels are general-purpose woodworking chisels that are some of the workhorses of any shop. When most woodworkers think of firmer chisels, they envision rather stout, square-sided chisels like those shown in the top photo. But bevel-edged chisels (
see Bevel-Edged Chisels) are also firmer chisels—their sides are just tapered up toward the top. Most firmer chisels have blades roughly 4" long and come in widths varying from 1/8" up to 2". The handles may be wood or plastic.
Profile
The basic difference between a firmer chisel and a bevel-edged firmer chisel is its profile. The square sides of a firmer chisel create a strong blade that's fully capable of handling light to moderate mallet blows. The advantage of beveling the edges is that it gives greater access when trimming joints such as dovetails. The downside to this: The blade is not as stout as a standard firmer chisel's, and so a mallet should be used sparingly and lightly with this more delicate chisel.
Anatomy
A firmer chisel consists of three parts: blade, handle, and ferrule. In most cases, the blade has a tang that fits into a hole drilled into the end of the handle. The ferrule (often brass) helps prevent the tang from splitting the handle if the chisel is struck with a mallet. Registered mortise chisels are often confused with firmer chisels because they look alike. This is how you can usually tell the difference: A registered mortise chisel typically has a thicker blade and a ferrule on the end of the handle to prevent "crowning," or mushrooming of the handle end.
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