I'm sorry about offending any francophiles out there, but that's the best appoximation I can come with. Can anyone help with the actual spelling? And possibly point me toward a source...

If my spelling is so atrocious that no one knows to what I'm referring, its a tool about three feet long with a wide chisel on one end and a mortising chisel on the other. Midway along its length is a handle.

On an unrelated note, which receives the appostrophe: the possessive of "it" or the contraction of "it is"?

The contraction of "it is" is it's. You could always run your posts or messages through a word processing program and use its spell checker feature to correct your spelling and grammar. Good luck, Jim.

[This message has been edited by J Rogers (edited 08-20-2001).]

Bob, I can't spell it either but you might try Barr Tools in McCall, Idaho. I'm pretty sure he's made at least one that went at a conference auction.

The spelling is bisaigue.

Mine is 4 feet long with a 2 1/2" paring blade on one end and 5/8 mortice chisel on the other.

Ken Hume

Bob, how many do you need ? or is your cordura pampered example a DEW tool and not a BD tool ? having been able to wield one (yours) again has definitly moved it to the tip top of my short list, if I find a source will let you know. But until then it's either have one made ( by Barr or elsewhere )or find someone with a the ability to source continental antiques.

Yours and yours will be home soon.

Denis Buet, a member of this guild (or was last time I visited him) brought several of these tools back from France with him.

I don't know whether he'd part with one or not.

Denis lives in Eastern WA, 509-382-2005

Good luck, David Lowry