Another topic of interest is how we approach the cutting of our frames and timbers. I see a lot of timber framers doing their work with saws and chisels and the well known slick, which many consider an absolute necessity in the craft.

I have never owned a slick, I don't think I probably ever will

A few cultures have much different methods. In Switzerland, Austria, and much of central Europe the chisel takes a back seat, finding use mostly as a cleanup and paring tool -even then to a much more limited extent than most are familiar with in this country. Instead of the saw and chisel, joints are cut out with the axe an adze. Having seen this done, I will say the axe in the hands of a skilled craftsman is a wonderful tool, much faster than the chisel, but harder to master. A couple of different axes is all you need in your toolbox, and they can replace a broad range of tools.

It's just interesting to see the different methods.


As to to the original topic of what methods persisted I have thought about this in regards to the recent discussion on apprenticeship and training.
There were many people that moved to this country from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland -far more so than came from England. So we might wonder, why did English methods prevail? Well I think the answer is found in the training programs. The parts of the German speaking countries these people came from were rural and isolated. The guild system was not present. Carpenters, then, learned from their fathers, or their uncles, or their neighbors. When they came to America, often times they hired the established craftsmen, and their children learned from them.