My favorite chisel failed after 15 years, and I blame myself

I've been using the same 3/4 inch chisel since I started framing in Denver, and last week the handle finally split right down the middle on a stubborn mortise. I always told apprentices that a cracked handle means you're hitting wrong, but turns out 15 years of pounding on it with a rusty hammer does the same thing. Has anyone else had a favorite tool die on them and just stare at the pieces for a while?

1 comments

1 Comment

river_scott17d ago

Grab the pieces and give them a proper burial, man. That chisel earned it after 15 years of hard work. I bet the handle split right where you grip it, too, like it waited until you weren't looking to betray you. I had a framing hammer die on me once, head flew off into a drywall pile, and I just stood there holding the stick like an idiot. Rusty hammer is the real culprit here though, that thing probably had it out for your chisel from day one. Buy yourself a new one, name it something dumb, and move on before the ghost of the old one starts haunting your toolbox.