Rider Mortice Chisel

A good mortice chisel needs to be robust to withstand repeated heavy use when chopping out mortices or cutting other joints. The Rider mortice chisels fit the brief perfectly. They incorporate a couple of refinements to make them easier to use and achieve better results. Starting at the top, a steel hoop prevents the handle splitting from constant mallet blows. A small button of timber protrudes above the hoop to minimise damaging the mallet head. The handle is dense European Hornbeam chosen for its resilience. Sanded smooth and given a light oil finish, the Hornbeam has a superb feel in the hand. The handle ends in a polished stainless steel ferrule with a shock absorbing leather washer between the handle and the chisel’s bolster. The forged blade is Cr-Mn steel and is heat treated to 59 HRC. The steel’s fine grain ensures a keen, long lasting edge. The bevel only requires honing before use. Although, you may wish to sharpen with a steeper secondary bevel, depending on the type of timber you are using. Improved cutting performance comes from a slight taper in the cross section of the blade, the top being slightly narrower. There is a fractional taper in the length of the blade, less than 0.5mm over the entire length. These tapers give just enough clearance even in a deep mortice to stop the chisel binding in the cut. The blades are approximately 140mm long with the overall length 305mm. European made.