The Ray Iles Twybil is designed to remove the bridge of waste wood between two drilled holes in round-ended mortices, a crucial step in making cleft gates.
Inspired by an old tool that we at Woodsmith once supplied, this twybil—sometimes called a mortising knife—has been refined with an improved oiled ash handle for better grip and durability. We asked Ray Iles to produce this tool because they are notoriously hard to find!
After drilling holes at either end of a mortice, the ‘beak’ end of the twybil levers out the short-grained bridge of wood between them. The tool is then reversed, and the knife end is used to clean up the mortice sides—more of a knife than a chisel.
Product Details:- Material: Carbon steel with a full tang running through the length of the handle.
- Handle: 150mm (6") turned oiled ash.
- Overall Iron Length: 260mm (10 1/4").
- Includes: A leather sheath to protect both you and the tool when not in use.
Historically, some twybils may have been used like small axes, but this tool is not for chopping. It is designed to be used with precision and skill, much like a knife.
