Looking for good chisels.

Dave Shepard · July 04, 2008, 01:36:55 PM

I have a couple of Marples chisels that I have been practicing my sharpening on, but my selection is limited. Now that I have gained some confidence, I want to start building a set of high quality chisels that will last a lifetime. Most of the woodworking catalogs have brands like Crown and Two Cherries, but I know nothing about them. I am leaning towards Two Cherries at the moment. What brands do you like? Thanks.

Dave

thedeeredude · July 04, 2008, 06:29:10 PM

I like antiques. Old buck brothers and butchers and that sort. They take a little work to get in order, but that steel is just incredible. It feels like glass. As for new chisels, Ive never used any, but I've heard very good things about ashley isles and two cherries. Lee Valley sells the brand "Hirsch" and from what I gather these are made in the same factory as two cherries but aren't polished as nice.

Larry · July 04, 2008, 07:11:01 PM

I use a lot of C & S chisels that I am very happy with...some compare to 2 cherries or even better.

BTW C & S stands for cheap & sharp...been picking them up for a long time at flea markets and such. I like turning new handles for em.

ljmathias · July 04, 2008, 08:09:02 PM

I bought a few Barr chisels and they have worked extremely well. They come pre-sharpened and since I'm not so good at sharpening yet, that was a plus- let me see what a reasonably sharp chisel looks and feels like, and more importantly, how it works. We used some of them for almost a week during the TF workshop we had with Jim Rogers and didn't have to do a major re-sharp on any of them (except the one that someone dropped onto the concrete, sharp edge pointing straight down: ouch!).

Only problem I had with Barr was one of the handle rings won't stay on- something that shouldn't happen with a tool that costs as much as these do. Anyway, I have touched up these as needed and they've stayed sharp and shiny, shiny probably because I also bought leather sheaths for them so moisture doesn't get to them, something we have lots of here in the South.

Any way- good luck with whatever brand you get, and keep them sharp (but watch out for holding one in your hand while you brush off chips- sliced my hand pretty good just grazing it).

Lj

Ironwood · July 04, 2008, 10:02:13 PM

The BUCKS are my preference as well.

New? I would try the Japanese Woodworker catalog. They sell some AWSOME chisels. That's where I'de go for sure, or forge my own in the same process.

Ironwood

Dave Shepard · July 04, 2008, 10:25:50 PM

I was looking in the Japan Woodworker, will you loan my the $1200 for the set in the aluminum briefcase? :D :

I am going to stick with the western/European styles for now, I want to eventually replicate a carpenters tool chest at some point. That means no plastic handles as well.

All of my timber framing tools are refurbished antiques, haven't seen any new ones that I like*. I would like to go to tag sales to find some old bevel chisels, but just don't have the time lately. I also have this thing where everything has to come from a matched set. A very bad affliction. :-\

Dave

*Barr makes some very nice chisels, but they shouldn't be tapered on the sides, and should have a sweep along the back, and I can get great antiques that are just as sharp from Jim Rogers. Just my opinion!

Ironwood · July 04, 2008, 10:45:44 PM

Could you try one of the big annual tool collectors sales that are held in hotels? New England is a hotbed from what I gather.

Ironwood

Dave Shepard · July 04, 2008, 11:18:55 PM

I've never heard of them. There are a few flea market type things, and a couple of spots with semi-permanant "junk shops". Problem is if it's not made in China they want retail +. :( I'm not opposed to paying the money for new tools, but they have to be very good quality. Even these Marples chisels have taken about an hour each to flatten the backs and get the bevels even, and they were new. If I found a set of old Stanleys that were in good shape, I would surely snap them up, and have to pay handsomely for them, no doubt.

Dave

SwingOak · July 04, 2008, 11:28:49 PM

I just bought a 2" Fulton slick, and some corner chisels (one is a Swan, I forget what the other one is) off Ebay. No handles, but they are easy enough to turn. Both corner chisels looked new, never sharpened. The slick will need some sharpening. The sockets were clean and true.

There are a fair amount of chisels for sale on Ebay, but there also seems to be lots of tool collector ramping the prices up. Some chisels - especially the bigger ones timber framers like - go for 100's of $. The nice Buck and Stanley chisels go for big money. So you might as well get new ones, I guess.

I just bought a draw knife in an antique store that looks new - never sharpened - for $25. I'm going to be shopping for a broad axe or two, an adz, and a bark spud this weekend.

Ironwood · July 04, 2008, 11:30:11 PM

I belive Swans are cast steel.

Ironwood

getoverit · July 09, 2008, 05:23:39 PM

I have a set of Sorby chisels that I am happy with. I still look for some of the older high carbon chisels when I go out to the flea markets. Some of my friends own the two cherries chisels and they seem to like them alot too.

SwingOak · July 09, 2008, 10:22:49 PM

Quote from: Ironwood on July 04, 2008, 11:30:11 PM
I belive Swans are cast steel.

Ironwood

Hmm, I didn't know that. I guess I should check the hardness.

The other corner chisel I bought is a Reliance, made in Ohio.

SwingOak · July 09, 2008, 10:43:44 PM

Actually, I notice a lot of the large vintage chisels are cast steel. Although I personally would prefer my edged tools forged (that's the blacksmith in me talking), is the general consensus that cast steel chisels are better, not as good, or about the same as forged?

Don_Papenburg · July 09, 2008, 10:51:39 PM

I have made chisels from truck springs ,that makes for some very nice chisels . I also had a drawknife made from a spring then I turned some purple heart handles ,made them big enough to fit my hands. Afull set of custom made chisels would be just the thing for your tool box.

thedeeredude · July 10, 2008, 07:29:34 AM

Cast steel doesn't mean the tool was made by casting steel at a foundry. It is a method of production of high quality steel. High carbon content iron was melted and cast into ingots which were then forged to make tools. It is also known as crucible steel. Putting the cast steel label on a tool was a way of saying that this is a quality tool.

wudhed · July 10, 2008, 05:04:52 PM

My dad uses a lot of the old chisels ( Witte, buck, keen kutter) they all have soft stell bodies with a laminated hardened cutting edge. I personally use Barr chisels and love them! I have one guy that works for me that uses the Sorby's and he has never had a complaint with them, he likes the extra length over the Barr's.

Wudhed

MSU_Keith · July 11, 2008, 02:12:21 PM

If you looking for a particular old tool you have got to get on the mailing list for these auctions:

http://mjdtools.com/

I have put several absentee bids in and now receive the auction lists on a regular basis - searchable on CD w/pictures. Lots of good old tools at a wide range of prices. Lots of fun just drooling over the list when it hits the mailbox. It seams that the slow economic times have brought the prices for old tools down a bit - or maybe its just my imagination.

Phorester · July 13, 2008, 09:35:54 AM

I have a Butcher 1" wide, and a Buck 1-1/4" wide, that I rescued from my father-in-law's tool cache. He died in 1994 and I keep finding interesting old tools at his house. These chisels had the p*ss beat out of the handles; they are split, and the ends are mashed into mushrooms of mangled wood. Looks like somebody tried to split firewood with them by hitting them with a big hammer. He was a pretty fair woodworker himself and also collected old tools, I suspect the damage was done by his then pre-teen son. I took the rust off, salvaged the handles as much as possible, and sharpened. They're bigger than I normally use but they are very nice chisels.

The Butcher has a thick splinter of wood completely gone out of the handle and a very rough mangled end, I've been thinking about sawing off about 3/4" off the end and reshaping.

Dave Shepard · July 15, 2008, 10:46:10 PM

I think I've got a better idea of what I'm looking for in a chisel. It is the Stanley 750 model. Haven't seen but one for sale locally. I've since found that Lie-Nielson makes a complete line of 750 replicas. Might have to go with those, if I can't find a complete set of old Stanleys.

Dave

SwingOak · July 15, 2008, 10:51:08 PM

The 750 is a popular chisel, although I've seen some commentary out there on the internet that some of them do not hold an edge well. There's plenty of 750's to be found on Ebay.

thedeeredude · July 16, 2008, 06:29:36 AM

When I was at the antique mall the other week I saw a full set of stanley everlastings with the roll. It was quite the bargain at $800.

Thats the going price for them complete sets with the roll though.

John S · August 01, 2008, 12:37:24 PM

Check out the current issue of Fine Woodworking. They review quite a few different brands.

Max sawdust · August 08, 2008, 08:27:06 AM

Quote from: Dave Shepard on July 15, 2008, 10:46:10 PM
I think I've got a better idea of what I'm looking for in a chisel. It is the Stanley 750 model. Haven't seen but one for sale locally. I've since found that Lie-Nielson makes a complete line of 750 replicas. Might have to go with those, if I can't find a complete set of old Stanleys.
Dave

Dave,
This is purly my opinion based on my experience. I do not like sharpening the A2 steel. .................
I suggest sticking to old tools or going with chisels that are O1 steel. I recently purchased the Lie Nielson Carrige makers plane with an A2 iron, it was not pleasurable sharpening it! I really perfer old steel or O1 steel. (Lee valley offers a choice on thier planes and has a good write up on the differences.)
Back to chisels............
I picked up some old early 1900's Swedish socket chisels,(from ebay) the steel is amazing! I also have some old post WWII west german tang chisels with OK steel.
As far as new chisels go I have some round back Ashley Isles tang chisels for dovetail work in O1 steel that are a dream to work with and sharpen. (From Tools for woodworking) Only reason I bought new chisels is because I needed light and small chisels for working into tight corners of dovetails.

max

timberfaller390 · August 08, 2008, 07:56:50 PM

Dave I have seen you mention in other posts that you are into blacksmithing. I started working in the fire at the age of 10 in the smithy of Joe Neely and Lonny Farmer, two very accomplished smiths. I find that my best tools and favorites to use are ones I made myself. If you haven't done any tool making you are missing out because there is nothing quite like watching a tool take shape by your own two hands and then watching that same tool and your same two hands perform thier intended task. Tool making is not the most difficult thing in the world to master but it does take time, suffice it to say that once you have forged a set of chisels that you would be proud to show and use, you will be an accomplished tool maker.

Dave Shepard · August 08, 2008, 10:30:18 PM

I have made a couple of timber framing tools, a pair of hook pins and a froe, and also a ring dog. I haven't gotten around to trying anything more complicated yet. Today was the first time I've been to the forge all summer, and I didn't even have time to pound iron. I think that it would take some practice to make a nice set of bench chisels. I'm going to try making a better froe next, and a scorp. (I haven't forgotten, thedeeredude! ;) )

Max sawdust, I have a L-N 60 1/2 with the A2 steel iron. It was supposed to be ready to use, but really needed to be polished. I found that the diamonds and my new ceramic stone had no problems with it. It is supposed to take longer to sharpen, and stay sharp longer. Time will tell, this is my first A2 iron. I must say the L-N plane is 8) 8) 8)

Dave