HAM-HCTOvalJB Jason Breach Oval Skew Unhandled

These fine tools are the result of collaboration between Jason Breach, one of the country's leading woodturners, and the well respected Sheffield toolmaker, Henry Taylor. Jason is a tutor in our Skill Centre here in Axminster and many students over the years have experienced first hand Jason's enthusiasm, skill and passion for woodturning. Jason specialises in box making and for many years has felt the need for some tools that you just can't obtain off the shelf. So Jason went about adapting some of his existing tools and they worked so well that he was encouraged to let others benefit from their use. These tools are now available, each playing a role in the production of a typical turned lidded box.

The special 1/2" oval skew chisel is unusual in that it is supplied without a handle, and it is meant to be used in this form as Jason has found that for the precision fitting of box lids, a handle just got in the way. The tool is of oval section with a flat ground edge on the long point side of the blade for stability on the tool rest during paring cuts. The bevels that form the cutting edge are ground differently in that one is flat ground and the other is convex and this makes the tool very versatile by leaving more material behind the edge for very fine scraping cuts. These fine cuts can make the difference between a lid that fits well and a failure, so a tool designed for the job makes perfect sense. The more you use this tool, the more uses you will find for it, as it is also excellent for all manner of fine detail work.