An Index of the range of Australian made Titan chisels and gouges
Yes, I know it's not a complete list. The only details of the range seem to be from McPhersons
catalogs which don't contain everything. It's close and slowly getting closer, but not yet close
enough.
Starting December 2009 - I'm trying to fill out my set of Titan chisels so started on a
list of what was manufactured. I've needed a list like this and hope it might be useful to
somebody else.
Jan 2010:
* Initial write-up - I'm surprised how many styles there are so my former plan to find one
of each is unlikely to ever be completed. Give up hope all ye who enter here.....
Apr 2011:
* Added some advertised chisel sets
* Restructured a bit
COMPANY MEETING
BROKEN HILL PROPRIETARY CO ANNUAL MEETING
as reported in
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic), Saturday 1 September 1945 Other subsidiary and associated companies continue to be busily engaged with the
production of a wide range of iron and steel products for various purposes. An interesting
development is in hand by our sub-sidiary company, the Titan Nail and Wire Pty Ltd, which
is the manufacture of a range of steel chisels for woodwork at their recently erected
Tasmanian factory.
Some notes to compile...
Titan called all their chisels firmers
Titan did not make any chisel they called a mortice chisel
In the plain edge chisels, Titan made a light and heavy firmer, the difference being
the thickness of blade. The heavy measured around 5/16" at the shoulder and the light
around 1/4"
There are many known examples of 3/16" bevel edge chisels but no documents or catalogs
mention them and no others in the 1/16th sizes are known at this time.
The first ever batch of Titan chisels went missing:
Put a description here ....
Blank boxes in the table denote that the size was not available in that style. So far there
are 15, possibly 16, main styles, with a total of over 150 across the range of sizes
available at various times. There is likely a further two styles, a plain edged long paring
chisel and a registered tanged chisel with bevel edge, that are known variants but not yet
found in the range of catalogs viewed.
This combined list includes the Long Paring Chisel with Plain Edges which, following the
numbering pattern, would be identified by Titan as #321 but, although an example may have
been sighted, this style has not yet been seen listed in a catalog of available
tools
Description
Titan#
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Registered Chisel
with Plain edges and Wooden handle
101
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Registered Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
106
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Firmer Chisel
with Plain edges and Wooden handle
131
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Firmer Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
136
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Firmer Chisel
with Bevel edges and Plastic handle
146
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
Firmer Butt Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
306
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Firmer Butt Chisel
with Bevel edges and Plastic handle
346
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
Heavy Socket Chisel
with Plain edges and Wooden handle
201
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Heavy Socket Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
206
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
Light Socket Chisel
with Plain edges and Wooden handle
231
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Light Socket Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
236
1/8"
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2"
Light Socket Butt Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
316
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
Long Paring Chisel
with Plain edges and Wooden handle
321
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Long Paring Chisel
with Bevel edges and Wooden handle
326
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
1 1/4"
1 1/2"
In-Cannel Firmer Gouge
with Wooden handle
163
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
Out-Cannel Firmer Gouge
with Wooden handle
161
1/4"
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
7/8"
1"
Put a description here ....
Blank boxes in the table denote that the size was not available in that style. What do
the dashes denote? Perhaps that the size was a manufactured item but just not stocked at
the time? (Need some clarification of what the dashes mean) ??
This scan from a 1951 catalog shows numbers for most chisels except for two, which have
been identified from other available information. These are the following:
231 - Light Socket Firmer Chisel, Plain Edge
136 - Firmer Tan Chisel, Bevelled Edge
This scan from a 1955 catalog shows Firmer Gouges but does not specify whether they are
in-cannel or out-cannel so I have listed both for now (until confirmed).
This scan from a 1962 catalog shows Titan ID numbers for most chisels except for two,
which have been identified from other available information, those are the
following:
231 - Light Socket Firmer Chisel, Plain Edge
136 - Firmer Tang Chisel, Bevelled Edge
The Titan ID number of this chisel style is recorded in the 1968? catalog as 136 but the
1951 and 1962 list this style with no Titan ID. Additionally, the handle style depicted
in the early catalogs is not the same as that in the later catalogs.
There are many known examples of a 3/16" size of this style chisel but not yet seen in
any catalog or reference.
This chisel has not yet been located in any reference but examples are known to exist.
Based on the numbering scheme, the Titan ID number was likely to be #321.
Nock & Kirby Tool Department
Ground Floor, 412-421 George St., Sydney.
The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW)
Sunday 22 February 1953
Supplement: Home Handyman p 8 Advertising
Set of 5 "TITAN" CHISELS, 47/6
Registered Chisels with first quality handles;
packed in leatherette roll.
Sizes available are:
1/4 in., 3/8 in., 1/2 in. 3/4 in., 1 in.
May be bought separately.
The West Australian (Perth, WA)
Friday 10 December 1954
Page 8 Advertising Illustrated
CHISEL SET
Set of three "Titan" registered carpenters'chisels,
in presentation pack.
Sizes ½ in., ¾in., 1in. 23/-
Set of six "Titan" registered carpenters' chisels
with ferruled handles in soft leather roll.
Sizes ¼in., 3/8in., ½in., ¾in., 1 in. and 1¼in. 65/6
Put a description here ....
c1
c2
c3
c4
c5
c6
c7
Put a description here ....
c1
c2
c3
c4
c5
c6
c7
Put a description here ....
provided by Peter Evans
provided by Peter Evans
provided by Tom Boukogiannis
provided by Nick Bourke
And thanks to:
Tom Boukogiannis of the HTPAA for providing some info
and clarification and for the 1964 scan.
Tom Sheppard of the Woodwork Forums for
providing images of some of his Titan chisels.
Peter Evans of the OldTools List and
TTTG for providing the Titan pages from the McPherson's
tool catalogs of 1951 and 1962.
Nick Bourke of the Woodwork Forums for
providing the Titan pages from the McPherson's tool catalog of 1966.
