# What is this "hook" shaped chisel?



## TedW (May 6, 2012)

I got this small hook shaped chisel bundled with a bunch of turning chisels I bought. It doesn't seem like anything I would use for turning, unless I enjoy tools flinging across the room. What is it and what would I use it for?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Looks like a goose neck chisel used for levering
chips out of mortises.


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## cdaniels (Apr 16, 2014)

also may be a bowl chiselfor carving concave areas


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## wiwildcat (Jan 10, 2013)

Curved hallower

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbCRmTfmFx4


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

I agree with Loren it looks just like a mortise chisel only hooked. Maybe for some kind of special mortise.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Ted, my first thought was a tool for cutting captive rings. Like these home made versions?


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Looks like homemade hollowing tool for small turnings like ornaments & acorns. Little confuse by shape of tip, looks like would catch a lot. Made small hollowing tools from allen wrenches tips had more round shape for easy scraping. Only used them to scrap away material under the hole or lip to make room for my spindle gouge.

Lot of info on how to turn ornaments and making homemade tools on the web.

Broke down and bought Sorby ¼" three piece unhandled HSS scraper set many years ago and still use them.

Looking at CFrye's captive ring link makes more sense to me for that purpose


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

I think Loren's right. Also called a lock mortise chisel, used for clearing out deep mortises like those used for locks on doors.

Here a link to a new one that Two Cherries makes:
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/EE-500-21.XX/Lock_Mortise_or_Swan_Neck_Chisels_by_Two_Cherries


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

It looks like a hand tool for mortises!.........Jim


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

cdaniels has it. I have one of these I bought along with a bunch of carving gouges in Norway 30+ years ago.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

If you look at the link jdh22 provided you will see that it is in fact a lock mortise chisel and not a carving tool.


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## Ripthorn (Mar 24, 2010)

Yep, very useful in deeper mortises (or ones deep relative to their cross section). I have a couple of them and there are some times where they are the best solution by far.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I have a couple similar to that and I use them for cleaning up the corners of mortices and other similar pockets. I'm not sure if that are what mine were made for but they are useful in the corners. I think that I got mine on Ebay with several other chisels.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## TedW (May 6, 2012)

I'm pretty sure it's a lock mortise chisel, although the bevel at the cutting end is ground at the opposite angle-perpendicular to the tool rather than in line, as the Two Cherries one is. On the other hand, I don't see any reason it can't be used as whatever it works for. I don't mortise locks, but I might turn some of those fancy captured rings (thanks Candy) and I will definitely be turning some small vessels some time soon. One thing for sure, I will not use it on anything heavy enough to grab it, twist my hand off, nail me in the forehead or worst of all, damage some perfectly good wood.

Thanks for all the feedback, it's really helpful.


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