As we mentioned in a previous blog post about the oval skew chisel, woodcarvers generally have strong opinions about the skew chisel. Some praise it as a tool that’s versatile, efficient, and capable of producing an excellent finish that requires minimal sanding. Carvers who learn to use a skew chisel well use it often for all types of turned projects. Others insist that a skew chisel is so hard to use that it just isn’t worth the effort to learn. They complain that the tool runs back or digs in easily; a split-second dig-in can ruin a piece. These folks argue that a skew chisel isn’t worth much--except perhaps as a can opener. Alan Lacer is a seasoned woodturner and...
A Crown skew chisel doesn’t have anything to do with royalty. The shape of the blade doesn’t resemble a crown. What then is a Crown chisel? Is a Crown skew chisel used like other skew chisels? We’ll answer these questions--and others--in this article. What is a Crown skew chisel? A Crown skew chisel is a skew chisel manufactured in Sheffield, England by Crown Hand Tools. Ltd. Crown is a family-owned company that has spent over 50 years manufacturing traditional wood carving tools. What are the hallmarks of Crown products and processes? Crown Hand Tools are known for the following: Traditional handmade products that have been hand forged, tempered, and ground. Modern production processes such as cryogenics and powder metallurgy. Quality...
The oval skew chisel--along with its cousins the rectangular skew chisel and the round skew chisel--is a workhorse of a tool for wood carvers who turn their pieces on a lathe. Some woodturners swear by the tool and use their oval skew chisel virtually any time they use a lathe. Others try using an oval skew chisel and then swear they'll never use one again. Let's answer frequently-asked questions about the oval skew chisel to find out why this tool causes such a diversity of opinions. First, what are the main types of skew chisels? Skew chisels are classed as rectangular (AKA: traditional or flat), oval, or round. The classification is based on the shape of the profile or cross-section...
