A purfling cutter that I designed myself many years ago. It is in stainless steel and gunmetal with rosewood handle. Note the handle rotates and can be locked by twisting.
Looking back I offered this tool at a ridulously low price and got little interest at the time. Now I am NOT interested in making it again.
Tags: Hand tools, Holtey, traditional
Fascinating,I was wondering if you had made any other tools…
I would also be interested in seeing the furniture that you started out making?
Cheers
Black
Go on, I’ll bite. What does it do?
Hi Black
Didn’t have digital cameras in my furniture making days so no library of pictures. If I remember right you had to have a massive camera on a tripod and put your head under a shroud. The furniture I liked making was campaign furniture. I do have a coffee table in the military style (I know they didn’t have coffee tables!) but it is buried under a steam loco.
Karl
Hi
Purfling is “a narrow binding inlaid into the edges of the top and often bottom plates of stringed instruments. Purfling serves to reinforce the plates and prevent cracking along their edges”. This tool cuts the groove for the purfling.
k
Thanks Karl.
Karl,
I don’t know if you remember, but I emailed you about your purfling cutter a few years ago. You made one for Zachary Taylor and he showed it off in a book he wrote on box making; I wanted to know if you were still making them.
I think you said back then even that it wasn’t something you would probably ever make again.
Still looks like a beautiful piece of work.
Cheers,
Ethan
Hi Ethan
Yes this is the purfling cutter I made for Zachary Taylor. There doesn’t seem to be a market for high end tools amongst the luthiers, so it is not economically viable and I have to try and make a living!
k
I found your resource via Google on Thursday while searching for taylor made and your post regarding Purfling cutter photo gallery « From the Workshop looked very interesting to me. I just wanted to write to say that you have a great site and a wonderful resource for all to share.
Thank you for your nice comments.
k