Chisels

[John Edwards]

All the recent post’s on chisels has me wondering.
Cost aside what is (would be) your favorite Western style chisel? And why ?

Perhaps a set of LN`s. Or Stanley 750`s. Perhaps putting together a set of Whiterby`s

Myself I have a set of plastic handled Sorbys that are for abusing. Set of Harris Tool chisels that I really like and a set of Barr’s for fine work.

Then why a Western style over a Japanese?

[Dennis McDonaugh]

John, I prefer western chisels because they are not as brittle as their Japanese cousins and I like to sharpen with a hollow ground. I don't have a real favorite although I like the size of the stanley 750s. I have ordered two LNs, but they are backordered until mid April.

[Stephen Dalfollo-Daley]

John,

If i walked into a store with reasonable price (or regular pricing with a 20%) and they had the following LN, 750s (decent shape not perfect), Witherbys (decent shape not perfect), two cherries....i would buy them in the following order:

Witherbys (great old tool - time consuming to put together a set, great for the kids)
750s - a beautiful chisel with character, good steel, great to pass on
Two Cherries - save a little but a wonderful chisel, good hand, holds edge very well
LN - great chisel, handles lack charater...steel lielyover hyped

Through in a set of Marples for just wailing on and for using when you know they will be damaged...

most other chisels i would put in the secondary wishlist...like the wish list i carry to garage sales when the seller doesn't know what they are selling...

Japanese chisels....I would like...but can't decide yet, so it will wait.....they are high on the 'character list'

[Mark Singer]

For the price of the 750's these days ....I would get the LN's ...I have 720's and LN and many others...I save the nice ones for finer work..

[Alan Turner]

Cost and difficulty of fettleing all aside, give me a set of TH Witherby's.

[Stephen Dalfollo-Daley]

Mark, which ones are the "nice ones"?

[Mark Singer]

Stephen,

The LN's, the 720's some Japanese, Ashley Iles, Odd USA makers...These I sharpen with Shapton stones,
The Nootigeten, Marples, Sorby, Hirsch, Two Cherries, I use for general work not dovetails larger joinery...I have a set of Marples Mortise chisels, these I Tormek
I also like the broad flatter gouges, #3, 4,5,etc for joinery and chair parts...sharpened w/ Tormek and slipstones

Mark, which ones are the "nice ones"?

[Derek Cohen]

A very similar thread came up about two weeks ago, that time it began with Japanese chisels. A cut-and-paste of my reply, with a few alterations follows.

I have been using Japanese bench chisels for some years, and really enjoy their sweet balance in the hand, and the sharp, durable edges they hold. But recently I bought a few Japanese dovetail chisels (Matsumura), which are fairly inexpensive, and I can imagine that these could well do all that the bench chisels could do as well.

I imagine that the professional woodworker will have a different take on chisels compared to an enthusiastic amateur like myself. This could come down to durable and usable verses fun and what-the-hell. In comparison to other hand tools, chisels are relatively cheap items. I really enjoy using them since they require a more immediate involvement. So I have a few "sets" of chisels, all built up over time, costing a little at a time, and now probably worth a lot more than I paid (in other words, these collections sound grander than they really are). In addition to a set of Iyoroi bench chisels, I have:

Witherbys: The classic American chisel. This has got to be the toughest steel out there. If I had to choose one chisel for durability, it would be a Witherby. They get sharp and stay sharp a long time. The down side is that the shoulders are thicker than desired for paring inside dovetails.

A E Bergs: The ultimate paring chisel. These highly desirable and collectable Swedish chisels are light and the blades are thin. I have them sharpened at 20 degrees and they excell at paring and dovetails. Good steel but not as tough as either the Japanese or Witherbys.

Others include: a set of Nooitgedagt bench chisels (amazing value for money on eBay some years ago) which are used for rough work, and a large assortment of Japanese, Ward, Sorby and Marples vintage mortice chisels, and Witherby Mortice and Sash Mortice chisles.

They are fun.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[RichMagnone]

I just purchased a set of LN's from FTJ. They have LN chisels in stock. Had them in my hands in 4 days.

[Ernie Hobbs]

I picked up a set of nooitgedagt chisels on ebay a couple of years ago. They are awsome! I also have a set of blue handled Marples chisels that I use for jobs that I don't want to screw up my good chisels. I haven't really compared to japanese, so I can't make a good comparison to them.

[Clay Craig]

Well, as long as we're playing 'cost is no object' western ones, I'd like a set of the Stanley 50 bevel edge butt chisels. I have a coupla random sizes, and the length (short) handle size (small) and balance (toward the tip) all are good for me - I can work holding these at the tip, without cramping my fingers before I finish paring the first few DTs. And, for paring, the steel's plenty good enough on these.

I've briefly played with a set of the LNs, and they also seem to have the same ergonomic advantages - the steel on them seems so exceptionally light, though, at first I wondered if they'd tried to make an aluminum chisel! Anybody weighed the originals (750s?) and compared them to the LNs? Is my impression of the LNs being lighter weight correct?

Clay

[Mark Singer]

I was watching some Stanley 750's on Ebay....They were mint....how does $182 ...Each sound! That is what they went for! I still have the link to prove it!

[Dennis McDonaugh]

That was nuts wasn't it Mark. All bought by people with no feedback, but from the usernames its probably the same guy. I have a full set of user 750's that are in nearly new condition. Paid $35 for the most expensive one and I thought that was a lot.

[Jerry Palmer]

Of the vintage chisels, I see that Witherbys are a favorite. I've gotten most of my old chisels buying "lots" off e-bay and these have included a couple Witherbys. One of them had be de-tempored by some previous owner and so I set about retemporing it. My presumption was that the old chisels were pretty much the more or less simple carbon steel of the late 19th/early 20th Century. I've retempored quite a number of old chisels using a water quenching method, but this caused the Witherby to crack and I lost about 1/4" of the chisel because of that. Back to the drawing board and the use of an oil quench and I was able to harden then draw the tempor with no further difficulties. My thought is that maybe Witherby was a little ahead of their contemporaties in the use of added alloys. Anyway, I use nothing but oil quenching on old carbon steel stuff now.

BTW, I agree that the Witherbys are some of the best, although I've a little Fulton 1/4" chisel that I wouldn't trade for even and LN.

[James Carmichael]

I was watching some Stanley 750's on Ebay....They were mint....how does $182 ...Each sound! That is what they went for! I still have the link to prove it!

I don't doubt it, that's why I usually target "no-name" chisels, just too many nuts out there. Seems to go in waves, I guess kinda like commodities trading. A few people start targeting a particular tool/brand, and the rush is on. That happened last year when I was watching Disston saws. Just after I quit bidding on any, #12s that were good users were hitting triple-digits. I searched recently and they seem to have settled down.

Of course, this is just as I was thinking of selling my #12, I prefer the D8.