A nicker is a term given to a pointed blade or double pointed blade
which sits towards the front of a wooden fillister plane, a wooden
moving fillister plane or a wooden dado plane.
The nicker with a single point is also known as a fillister tooth
iron and the nicker with two points is also known as a trenching
iron and as a dado iron.
The nicker is positioned with the point(s) protruding just below the
line of the sole of the plane with the nicker wedged firmly in
place with a wooden wedge.
A nicker works in a similar way as a
spur
does.
The purpose of the nicker is to help produce a good cut by preventing
tear-out and splintering of the timber on cross-grain work.
The nicker makes sure the corner and edge of the rebate / rabbet
has a clean, square finish.
As the plane is pushed along the wood, the nicker scores / slices the wood
just before the plane blade shaves the wood.
The slicing / nicking of the wood alters the structure of the surface
in a positive way which enables the main plane blade to make an
effective smooth cut.
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