Buttonhole Chisels

Handmade antique buttonhole chisels and cutters
© 2011 Dexter Nasterbaldeks

Dearest friends,

Though this may seem far afield of our usual woodworking merchandise and machinist's fare, we have to admit that buttonhole chisels are very much like their wood cutting and carving cousins! Built to the same exacting standards as there woodworking brethren, buttonhole chisels have been a mainstay of many seamstresses through the centuries.

Image Credit: Jim Bode Antique Tools

18th Century boxwood buttonhole chisel 5 3/8th inch long

A buttonhole chisel? you ask. Yes, a buttonhole chisel is used to cut the buttonhole after it has been embroidered. The stitches on either side of the buttonhole should be so close together as to be almost indistinguishable. A thin chisel is just the thing to cut the fabric, and leave the embroidery undamaged.

Image Credit: Jim Bode Antique Tools

Figured Brass and Steel

They come in a variety of sizes, or better said, buttonhole widths. As you will note, they come in bewildering number of styles, and embellishments. Similarities are the short blade length and... I believe that a short blade length is the only similarity!

Image Credit: Jim Bode Antique Tools

18th Century ox bone buttonhole chisel, 4 inches long

To use a buttonhole chisel properly, one needs a hardwood block underneath the embroidered fabric to cut against. Carefully place the razor sharp chisel of the correct width between the embroidered sides, and give it a sharp rap with mallet, or the palm of the hand. The fabric will part cleanly, with no pulled threads, and without damaging the embroidery.

Image Credit: Jim Bode Antique Tools

3 inches long with a blade width of 1/2 an inch.

Once again an interesting side passage in the annals of tool making. At this time, we do not have any of these exquisite tools available, but many of our tool selling friends do. If I may, allow me to recommend Jim Bode Antique Tools for collectible tools. His selection is perhaps without peer, and for those of you who desire nothing but the most exclusive and rare items, Jim Bode Antique Tools is the first place you should begin your search.

Image Credit: Jim Bode Antique Tools

18th Century Brass and Iron

Please feel free to comment or share your thoughts. If you have a particular tool that you wish for us to find, please email us so we may focus our searches and help you find your needs. Remember we will be specializing in combination planes and will have a substantial collection for your inspection.



Sincerely,
Your faithful servants,
Dexter Nasterbaldeks&
Sinister Nasterbaldeks

Stanley No. 45 Combination Plane

Stanley #45 Plane Acquisitions!

Dear friends,

We have had the good fortune of acquiring several Stanley No. 45 Combination planes in the last few days whilst traveling through our usual routes. They are in various states of benign neglect or disrepair, which is exactly how my dear brother prefers them. He is anxious to begin his restoration, and he assures me that he may have a surprise or two in store when he has completed them!

The Stanley #45 Combination planes are undoubtedly the most famous and well known combination planes in the Stanley line, and undoubtedly of any other manufacturer's also. A combination plane is an adjustable plane that can be fitted with different cutters which can be adjusted for any number of cuts. Dados, flutes, reeding, almost anything you can imagine can be done as long as the appropriate iron/cutter is at hand.

I must apologise for the poor quality of the photography, as it was done hurriedly and with a "point and shoot" camera. It does please me though to be able to show you these Stanley planes before they are ministered too and brought back to an elegant and clean approximation of their former glory.

Of course Sinister is already well into the planning phase of just how he will refurbish these soon to be hand tool treasures. Again, we do just enough to those that require "just enough," and a complete overhaul to those tools that are in need of such.

The Rosewood totes obviously needs refurbishment/refinishing and in some cases replacement. Nickel plating needs careful cleaning with a 50% solution of ammonia. Steel needs burnishing also.

Of course the cutters, when supplied, will be sharpened to a keen edge. You will of course be treated to a lovely photo of whispy shavings being produced!

As the machinist half of the equation so to speak, I am curious if there might be a desire for additional cutters. I am particularly fond of O1 steel, and it would not be inconceivable for us to supply cutters in basic profiles and widths.

Also, we will make available extended steel fence faces for increased stability when using the Stanley #45. These should be available in the latter part of the year, shortly after we start. Other than the appropriate locations for the threaded screw holes, my brother has not finalised the design as of yet...

Now my friends, a question for you, would there be any desire, or objection to the use of exotic woods in the recreation of the totes and handle that are missing? I would dearly like to see a well done tote in superior/extra fancy curly maple. How do you, my dear readers, feel about that?

As always, please feel free to comment or share your thoughts. If you have a particular tool that you wish for us to find, please email us so we may focus our searches and help you find your needs.

Sincerely,
Your faithful servants,
Dexter Nasterbaldeks &
Sinister Nasterbaldeks

Stanley 118 Low Angle Block Plane

Refurbished Stanley #118 Low Angle Block Plane

Dear Friends,

As an example, we would like to offer for your aprobation a Stanley No. 118 Low Angle Block plane, completely refurbished by my dear, if quiet, brother.

He has transformed the solid if homely No.118 to a beautiful little gem of a low angle block plane. It has been cleaned, polished and painted, and though some consider it at best a mere tradesmans tool, it is in fact a lovely little block plane that responds well to a bit of tuning up.

Please judge the now exceptional condition of this plane for yourself through the pictures we have included.

The blade has been sharpened to perfection, and is, in other words, razor sharp.

Price as shown: $21.00  SOLD
Shipping: $3.85

To be sure, the time spent on the this particular Stanley #118 was just enough to make it stand out. Of course, though we enjoy these little daliances, we dedicate far more time to the better made, more solid items in tool lines.

Please feel free to comment or share your thoughts. If you have a particular tool that you wish to find, please email us so we may focus our searches and help you find your needs.

Sincerely,
Your faithful servants,
Dexter Nasterbaldeks &
Sinister Nasterbaldeks

An Introduction and Our Mission

My dear friends,

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Dexter Nasterbaldeks, and my brother, the quiet one, is Sinister Nasterbaldeks. We are the Brothers Nasterbaldeks, travelers, traders, and purveyors of fine vintage tools for the discerning craftsman.  It pleases me to no end to be able to offer to you a selection of fine tools for your perusal. I invite you inspect them carefully. All tools that we mean to have you use, have been carefully restored with an eye towards maintaining the character and mood of that tool. We do take careful pains to restore them to better than new working condition. In other words, irons are razor sharp, frogs and beds flattened, saw teeth sharpened and restored, wood gently cleaned of offending soiling, plane soles flattened, and many other mundane tasks to tedious to bore you with. Our goal is to offer these tools to those of you that will continue to use them in your personal quest for excellence.

Each tool listing will be accompanied by a series of photographs and a complete description. Furthermore, the description will tally all the work done to the tool, to help guide you in your selection. In some cases, additional accessories will be made available, and listed along with the tool in question should you be interested in their acquisition.

We will offer some tools that have been completely refurbished, and every so often my brother Sinister will remake a tool, from stem to stern as it were, completely. These will be carefully and completely annotated and disclosed.

On occasion we will offer a particular tool that is desirable as a collector's piece. Those will be left as found. We will offer them to our loyal customers first via an email, and then to the general public.

Our return policy will be very simple. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, we will gladly return the purchase price to you.

We are just now beginning to catalogue our tools, and as there are many, and we are in the midst of our travels, it will be a while yet before we are able to present any offerings to you. I suspect that this fall will be the official start to the Emporium. In the meantime, we will offer historical data and anecdotes to keep you interested, educated, and entertained!

Please feel free to comment or share your thoughts. If you have a particular tool that you wish to find, please email us so we may focus our searches and help you find your needs.

Sincerely,
Your faithful servants,
Dexter Nasterbaldeks &
Sinister Nasterbaldeks