what are they called?

Frank Fusco

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Mountain Home, Arkansas
I saw a show recently where a guy was using a very large chisle. It was about 4" wide and 18" long before the tang and handle. I've seen these before but this time I couldn't bring the right terminology for it to mind.
Not "big chisle". But a certain term.
Don't really need the info but it's bothering me I can't remember.
And, while yer at it, tell me what the date is for me and wifey's anniversary is. :eek::rofl:
 
OK "slick" it is. Now I know. :thumb:
But, still wonderin' why don't they just call it a 'honkin' big chisle'? :dunno:

Maybe because its a slicker name... shorter at least..

So there are actually several types of framing chisels. For cutting mortises and other hammer work you would generally use a socketed firmer chisel which (often) has an iron band on the back of the handle to prevent it from splitting under the heavy work. A slick is usually wider, longer, and has a handle comfortable for pushing. It was traditionally used for shaving more like a big unboxed plane or "slicking" the wood off. A quick and arbitrary google search yields http://www.fullchisel.com/blog/?p=2331 which has a nice short summary..

If you look at the top of http://www.logbuildingtools.ca/slicks_chisels.html you can see the slicks have a very different handle on them than the firmer chisels lower down.
And I just learned that over 4" it would be called a "slice"..
 
The name slick comes from the German name for it of "Schlick." The translations from that to English are silt or wicked/evil so maybe it was a German-Bostonian, lol a wicked chisel!? :)
 
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