The French have a way

[roberts]

I was not sure where to post these photos.
I wanted to introduce an antidote to all that heavy-weight electrical stuff over on the Japanese Heavy Metal section.
I give you: French Heavy Metal - la bisaigue

[Mathieu]

Shown here is only one end of the tool in action. This end is always used as a slick, the other end has the shape of a mortise chisel to chop the mortise. No hammer used for mortising, only this tool.
I tried it once and found it very akward to use since my lack of experience with it and therefore lack of skill. The owner was very efficient and fast with it.

I will be posting pictures of the chinese version of this tool soon.

[Chris Hall]

Cool!

My impression of Chinese carpenters is that they use an axe for a lot of things.

[Mathieu]

As promised the Chinese version. This tool is used to remove the majority of material when chopping mortises.

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The chisel used to clean up the mortise.

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In full action, using the axe as a hammer.

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[Chris Hall]

Thanks for the pictures - as I thought, the axe is the main tool. were the chisels laminated from what you could tell?

Those tripods are interesting too!

[Mathieu]

Yep the chisels where laminated and forged by the local blacksmith from his home village, located in the north of Yunnan province. These pictures where taken in Yangshuo.

[Chris Hall]

No striking hoop on the top of the handles?

[Mathieu]

Nope no striking hoopes. I was under the impression that the handles where easily replaced and at least one of his chisels had a fairly new handle on them but it was obvious that the blade itself had seen many years of use.

[Mathieu]

Another example still being forged in Germany.

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[john verge]

Mathieu do you fly into Guillin airport to get to Yangshuo? Seems to me i was there.John