Salvaging Abused Tools - Part 5 - Saving an Erik Anton Berg Firmer Chisel

 Occasionally one discovers a gem hiding in plain sight.

In this case it was a registered firmer chisel made by Erik Anton Berg of Eskilstuna in Sweden. There has been plenty written about the desirability of the steel used in these chisels, and it seems to begin with the quality of the Swedish ore used in the crucible cast steel of their forging, and it is complemented by the way they were tempered. They have a consistency in their quality which is hard to define, but is top shelf.

The blades of Berg chisels sharpen with relative ease, hold their edge and cutting power for a significant time, resist chipping and are easily re-sharpened. They are an excellent compromise between edge hardness and ease of sharpening, that makes them sought after for the tool chest.

This one inch firmer chisel has had a rough life - both blade and handle having seen better days. In its current form it doesn't look too desirable does it?

A trip to the wire wheel to clean off the rust and scale, then across to the grinder to square off the back-beveled blade. A new front bevel will be ground later.

 

The logo branding is hard to read - but it is unmistakably Berg!

Here it is after cleaning the steel and square grinding the blade.

The permanent marker on the blade is there to help me establish the new bevel when the time comes. It is a guide to the correct angle for the bevel-grind.

As you can see, quite a bit of steel has to be removed.

The first step in flattening the back is to get a uniform flat plane at the cutting edge. Here is the first step after flattening on a 400 grit diamond plate. After grinding the new bevel later, I will refine the back on my oilstones.

It can stay as is until it has its new handle.

I'll use the old handle as a guide, but first the blade has to be removed from the broken handle.  With the blade firmly gripped in a vice, the handle can be persuaded the come loose with a wrench and a mallet.

The top hoop and the ferule will be re-used.

The tang isn't tapered as are English and Australian chisels, but it is formidable.

I've chosen a piece of osage orange - a useful, hard and dense timber, well suited to tool handles.

Here I have roughed the blank down to size, and started work on the ferule.

At this point, I have fitted the ferule, and shaped the handle, with space at the top for the steel hoop.

I'll shape a second handle for another chisel from the remainder - before parting this off the lathe.

Here are the two handles from the single stick of osage orange

I'll use the second handle for a nice Charles Taylor firmer chisel blade that I have.

I forgot to take my beeswax to the Guild workshop when I made these, so they aren't as nicely buffed as I would like, but they will serve.

The Second Handle on the Charles Taylor Firmer

Next - grind the new bevel on the blade

E.A. Berg - Cleaned, Re-handled and Re-bevelled

Finally, hit the stones for a sharpen and a hone and we are good to go.

What is not evident from the pictures is the refinement in the blade. It is tapered slightly from front to back in all three dimensions - ie blade width, blade thickness, and - barely perceptible but finely sloped lands.

This is a splendid tool whose form is as good as its function.