John Ruth wrote: "The "upper ferrule" is properly called a "Schlagring" - I
believe the late Jim Thompson, who signed himself as "The Old Millrat,"
introduced this term to the Porch. It's of German origin.

"Jim used to turn them on a metal-cutting lathe out of pipe.

"And, yes, they are of greatest use on a heavy-duty chisel.  They are frequently
seen on Japanese-style framing chisels."


I think there is something to be said for the term "upper ferrule" for the half-
assed imitation of a hoop (the correct English-language term for what Germans
call a "schlagring") on these inexpensive chisel handles. A proper hoop is a
solid, heavy-duty iron ring shrunk or press-fitted into place, able to withstand
long-term battering from a steel hammer. A thickness of 1/8" is not unusual,
certainly more than 1/16" for examples that actually do a job. The modern "upper
ferrule" is made of thin stamped steel fitted loosely and held in place by a
dimpled spot, utterly without function and unable to withstand any degree of
impact at all. Better be rid of an upper ferrule right away. And I would save
the traditional terms for traditional parts that serve a function.

You can bob off the upper ferrule, using a hacksaw to avoid the risk of damage
to your wood-cutting saws. However, you can also remove the metal, leaving the
wood stub under it (this usually comes down to hacksawing in a steep spiral
around the ferrule), then using the stub as the core of a series of leather
washers. The leather washers are surprisingly effective for resisting battering
on a bench chisel or firmer, though I can see how you might want something more
solid for a real heavy-duty housewright's  framing chisel. Or you might use the
wooden stub as the core for a rawhide turks-head, or even for a genuine hoop.
Lots of possibilities. And, of course, eventually you can replace the whole
handle; even without a lathe you can make a comfortable single-tapered octagonal
handle with a slice of copper pipe as a blade-end ferrule. My first chisel
handle was of this type, and it is still in use (on a tuning gouge) after about
thirty years.

Tom Conroy
Berkeley