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§ 11. Of the Paring-Chissel.
The Paring-Chissel marked C2. must have a very fine and smooth edge: Its office is to follow the For∣mer, and to pare off, and smoothen, the irregularities the Former made.
It is not knockt upon with the Mallet, but the Blade is clasped upon the out side of the hindermost joints of the fore and little fingers, by the clutch∣ed inside of the middle and third fingers of the right hand, and so its edge being set upon the scribed line, and the top of the Helve placed against the hollow of the inside of the right sholder, with pressing the sholder hard upon the Helve, the edge cuts and pares away the irregularities.
This way of handling, may seem a preposterous posture to mannage an Iron Tool in, and yet the rea∣son of the Original contriver of this Posture is to be approved; For, should Workmen hold the Blade of the Paring-Chissel in their whole hand, they must ei∣ther hold their hand pretty near the Helve, where they cannot well mannage the Tool, or they must hold it pretty near the edge, where the outside of the fingers will hide the scribed line they are to Pare in. But this posture, all Workmen are at first taught, and Practice doth so inure them to it, that if they would, they could not well leave it.