A Chisel For Hard-To-Reach Places
By Benjamen Johnson
This odd-shaped chisel with two blades rotated 90˚ to each other allows you to cut square-sided mortises in tight places you’d never be able to reach with a conventional chisel.
Chris Becksvoort designed this modern reproduction of the traditional drawer lock chisel, and Lie-Nielsen manufactures it with 0-1 tool steel and precision-grinds it here in the USA.
You’ll pay $75 for a pair of these chisels. We’re not sure why Lie-Nielsen sells these chisels in a set of two — from the picture we can’t see much difference between ‘em. Maybe somebody can give us a clue in the comments.
Drawer Lock Chisel [Lie-Nielsen]
January 13th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Mirror image. The one head is completely symmetrical and could be used either way. The vertical (lower head in the picture) would have to be a mirror image to get both sides of a recess.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I would surmise that one is a left hand and the other a right hand. When working in tight spaces both would be required depending on whether you were working bevel up or bevel down. When cutting mortises, a greater amount would would have to be removed and plus needing to square both ends.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
OK, now I understand, one chisel head for each of the four sides.
Thanks Corwin and Harley130
January 13th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I have an old one manufactured by Spann Sage.
This pair - like most Lie Nielsen products looks like the took an old design and did it one better
January 14th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Can’t see the…! One is a left and the other a right bevel, no?
January 21st, 2009 at 12:03 am
but it looks like both chisels top heads are beveled the same way. flat on the top and an angle to it on the handle direction.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
If you watch the video they have demonstrating these, you can see the application where you’d need both the left and right. In order to get to both sides of a rectangular (or square) mortise in a closed box you need the the flat spot of the blade to be on opposite sides.