the is the BEFORE look of my ice sculpting chisels. VERY BAD! 🤮
updated 8/8/23 when restored to the site; added and corrected info
trying to get my ice sculpting chisels fixed up
Earlier, I posted the photo above of some chisels that I had that were in very bad shape. I sent them to Samurai Sharpening (Michael Pizzuto) and they came back in the condition shown below for about $20 per chisel (a little more in one case). When I sent them, one of my chisels featured a corner that had been knocked off and another had come apart from the handle!
Considering how bad they looked when I sent them off, I was pretty ecstatic to see how they look now. I lucked out a little bit and got them back quicker than I thought I would. If you need some work done, it’s a good idea to call ahead, (303) 423-6560, to make sure he has the time to work on your tools. Also, make sure that you pack your chisels carefully and include a list of the chisels you’re sending (I didn’t do that and it created a little confusion). Chisels should be sent via U.S. Postal service (insured) to the address below:
Michael Pizzuto
Samurai Chisel Sharpening
14891 W. 76th Dr.
Arvada, CO 80007
phone: (303) 423-6560
For one of the chisels, Pizzuto had to replace a collar so that the chisel could be reconnected to the handle. If one of your chisels requires this, it might take longer because the collars are specially made in Japan. Pizzuto had some on hand when he fixed my chisel, so I was once again fortunate.
Now there are a few ways to sharpen and restore ice sculpting chisels. You can try it yourself and I know of a couple people who can do it for you. I might have been willing to give it a shot for a couple of the chisels in my pics. The chisel on the far left, for example is not an expensive chisel. And the 4th chisel from the left is a JB Prince chisel. Not cheap, but not exactly a Misono or Hiryu either.
For my Japanese chisels though, Pizzuto is my first choice, simply because he has been doing this for so long. Even better, he was trained by the best, Mitsuo Shimizu, the master Japanese ice sculptor who has written a number of fantastic books.
As an aside, Shimizu’s green book was one of my main references when I was first learning to sculpt and I had the pleasure of meeting him in person at the Olympic Arts ice sculpting competition in Provo, Utah in 2002.
the AFTER shot: my ice sculpting chisels look GREAT!
I would especially want Pizzuto to handle chisels and tools that are a little trickier to deal with, like my large chisel with the nicked corner in the photos here, or gouge chisels, with their difficult to sharpen cutting surfaces. And I know they’re not his favorite to sharpen, because of the sheer number of cutting surfaces, but I’d also want him to handle my Japanese handsaws.
Good, sharp chisels make for better quality work with less effort. If your Japanese ice sculpting chisels look half as bad as the “before” photo in this post, then forget about calling Saul, you better call Pizzuto!
the two ice sculpting chisels on the right were particularly bad. Wow! Look at how much better these 2 look now 😳
links and stuff
This ice sculpting chisel restoration post is listed on the ice sculpting tools page. Er, well, if it’s not by the time you read this, then I suck 😬 Plus, you could also find photos and info from this entry on the ice sculpting secrets Instagram account or the facebook page. You can comment there as well as below. And if it won’t LET you comment below, then definitely comment on fb and/or IG. Thanks!
