I get rather shirty over the whole inshave/scorp thing. I shouldn’t but there it is.
I was taught that an inshave has two handles and a scorp has one. I don’t mind people mixing Them up. Their jobs are interchangeable so If someone mixes the names up it’s ok with me.
It’s the damn Box Scrapers that tick me off!
Everyone who has a box scraper thinks it’s an inshave (or a scorp) and insists they know what they are talking about blah blah blah…
So what is a box scraper that I think it’s different? Use for one, a box scraper was used to remove labels or paint from a shipping crate or barrel for re-use. Because of this, it’s edge is placed at a higher angle to the surface to be scoured.
Because of this, every merchant and every distributor had one or more of them on hand.
Whereas inshaves and scorps were used only by coopers and some types of chairmakers.
So there are thousands of box scrapers around. A few hundred coopers inshaves knocking about. And only a few dozen of the chairmaker’s types of scorp or inshave around.
So the thing is, how do I know the difference? OR how can YOU tell the difference?
Inshaves used by coopers usually have a nice wide (7″ to 10′) blade with a curve made for the barrel and bucket staves. The curvature is an arc of a circle and does not come up at the corners. The handles are in line with the blade because you aren’t scooping with it, just shaving and arc.
Scorps used by coopers on the insides of the barrels or buckets have the circular blades nearly parallel with the handle. In use it’s a straight pull with little or no scooping action.
Inshaves used by chairmakers have a circular or elliptical cutting edge to get into the back of the seat hollow. they come up at the edge. The handles are High above the edge to permit the scooping action needed for a chair seat.
Scorps used by chairmakers usually have a higher angle of attack than the coopers tool in order to be able to scoop into and up out of the seat.
Box Scrapers have two handles like an inshave, a short blade (4″ to 5″) very little arc, and no upturn at the corners.
Now, Can you use a box scraper for hollowing seats? Yes, somewhat. You have to watch out that the corners don’t catch. And it’s sometimes difficult to get into the back of the seat/saddle of a stick chair.
My main objection is that good bowl or chairmaker’s inshaves are priced higher than box scrapers due to rarity, quality etc. And the fact that the scrapers were cheaply manufactured and made in the thousands. Pricing the box scrapers the same as the inshaves seems wrong to me.
But that’s just me. I don’t have to buy an over priced box scraper if I don’t want to.
be well
make something
PS all these photo’s are mine, all of these tools are mine… 🙂
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