I need new skew bench chisels, please help me choose

[Mike Henderson]

I was using them to mortise in knife hinges for a door on a small night stand for my daughter. My mortise chisel was way to large to fit in the frame, and I just couldn't get a comfortable shot with a standard bench chisel... the skew chisels made it very nice to get a good angle on the cut.

They have also come in handy in other tight spots for clean-up type work...

I've put in a fair number of knife hinges with standard bench chisels and never had much difficulty. The mortise is not very deep because the hinge is only maybe 1/8" thick. It's usually end grain but a sharp regular chisel seems to work fine for me.

Certainly if a skew works better for you, that's what you should use.

My experience with skews is that they get so little use that you can make them from inexpensive chisels - just grind them to whatever skew angle you want. I've used the Irwin blue handle for 1/4" skews for dovetails.

Mike

[Dave Gaul]

I've put in a fair number of knife hinges with standard bench chisels and never had much difficulty. The mortise is not very deep because the hinge is only maybe 1/8" thick. It's usually end grain but a sharp regular chisel seems to work fine for me.

Certainly if a skew works better for you, that's what you should use.

My experience with skews is that they get so little use that you can make them from inexpensive chisels - just grind them to whatever skew angle you want. I've used the Irwin blue handle for 1/4" skews for dovetails.

Mike

Mike, my issue was clearance. I only have a full length 1/4" mortise chisel. It is too large to fit inside the frame that I was installing the hinges on. I should have made the mortise before gluing up the frame.

I am quite new to hand tool use. My best bench chisels as of now are the blue marples from a borg. I have an older set of buck bro or stanleys from the borg, I may grind them skew and see how that works.

I also like David's idea of making my own.. sounds fun!!!

[John A. Callaway]

I have the Lee Valley set you linked too... I like them ALOT. They feel really good in the hand, and you can just tell they are made well. Money well spent.

I would never attempt to take a mallet to them though. They are hand pressure only, and that is okay.

however... I have started buying Two Cherries bench chisels a few at a time...to replace my cheap Irwin set. I am quite fond of them... but like most chisels... the edge or sides of the chisels is too tall for some work done at angles...like dovetailing...but all in all... I really like the way these fit and feel in the hand. you can instantly become aware these are good tools. If you need a skew chisel that can take a light tap from a mallet... the two cherries brand gets my vote. I amy even order a set of these for myself. I hadn't noticed they were making these...

[James Taglienti]

I made a pair from some old socket chisels... I picked my shortest ones, since I figured I wouldn't use them much- and I was right. I havent used them once. But my wife likes them and she will use them even where I'd use a normal one. She likes the angle, It's easier to get a slicing action, and the wide cutting edge on a relatively narrow piece of steel is easy to get a good grip on.

in dovetails, I just use a chip carving knife I picked up somewhere.

But they are real easy to make- I think I spent about 45 minutes on the pair and just ground them silly with a cup of water nearby to quench in.

[David Gendron]

I use to have a set, but replaced them with a fish tail chisel, I found the fish tail more usefull!

[george wilson]

Skews are good for wooden plane making. At work I got a pair of Crown skew chisels,and they seemed o.k.,though somehow Crown tools always look cheap to me.

[David Weaver]

Skews are good for wooden plane making. At work I got a pair of Crown skew chisels,and they seemed o.k.,though somehow Crown tools always look cheap to me.

You and me, too. They do something to finish the metal so that it looks polished without actually being smooth.

[Doug Shepard]

I've had a set of these other LV skews for a long time and have been happy with them though I've mananed to chip the edge on one pretty badly and need to spend some time resharpening before I can use that one again.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...504,41539&ap=1

I've also got a narrower pair of LN skews and like those even more.