Firmer chisel

What is a firmer chisel ?

The firmer chisel is an emblematic tool used by craftsmen, carpenters and cabinetmakers. It is a tool used to carve and shape wood. It has a razor sharp edge that allows it to cut the fibers of wood and remove more or less large quantities of wood.

The composition of the firmer chisel

The firmer chisel consists of several parts :

• A resistant handle, with two rings called "ferrule" and "steel hope" which will allow the use of a mallet without cracking the handle on one side, and the fixing of the balde by the "collar" to the handle on the other
• A flat blade generally made of tempered steel, with a bevelled side with a very precise angle and very sharpened in order to work correctly the wood. This blade will be able to slide under the wood and spread it by levering. A sharp blade is essential for the chisel to be effective.

How to use your firmer chisels ?

The chisel is a two-handed tool. You need one hand to guide and the other hand to apply force. With a little practice you will master this tool, the first or second time would not be enough to handle it well. It is necessary to take care to always work in the grain not to mark it. The blade must always be sharp to make good cuts. You can also use it with the chisel in one hand and the mallet in the other. After positioning the chisel at an angle depending on the desired depth, tap the head of the handle to start digging into the wood.

How to choose your chisel ?

A good firmer chisel

It is important to correctly choose the chisels you will use. Between firmer chisel, carving chisel, gouge, flooring chisel, etc... choose carefully the tools that suit you. The main criteria are :

The function of the tool

A chisel is very versatile. It will allow you to correct the shape of your pieces of wood, and to make traditional assemblies with the help of a carpenter's chisel made to make tenons and mortises. The gouge is the carver's tool that allows you to model the shape of the wood according to the gouge used.

Its durability

The quality of the material of the handle is essential. Hornbeam wood, for example, is known to be resistant and a good component for chisel handles.

The quality of the cutting edge

It is essential to have a material that will sharpen easily and last a long time. Chisels are usually made of hardened chrome steel (rust resistant and long lasting, but harder to sharpen) or carbon steel (easier to sharpen, but more regular maintenance).

RALI tool holders

The firmer chisels we offer are tool holders that have the advantage of being multi-functional. The tool handle will allow you to work with wood in a classic way. They will give you access to a wide range of clip-on chisel blade sizes, 3 different blade sizes per tool holder. The L holder has the special feature of attaching a scraper for scraping wood or composite surfaces, or a saw blade adapter that will allow you to make cuts with your holder.

How do I sharpen my firmer chisel ?

Sharpening a blade

The blade of a chisel must always be sharpened to ensure that your chisel is ready for use. An unsharpened blade will make your cut lose quality and will make you lose time. You need a sharpening stone to sharpen your blade. The sharpening is done on the side of the board, flat, and on the side of the bevelled edge while keeping its angle (approximately 25°) to guarantee a good efficiency.

The RALI blades

Our blade changing mechanism, similar to that of our hand planes makes your experience easier and saves you precious time. Our easy-to-change blades allow you to always have your blades sharpened when you need it. Our blade designs are sharp to the edge and have the perfect angle for any chisel job. With a single handle, you have access to multiple blade sizes to best fit your tool to your task. Supplied in different sizes and sharpened, they give you the choice depending on the type of wood you work with and the handles you use.