Recommend a mostly power tool guy some chisels

[Jeff Bartley]

I haven't tried the PMV-11 chisels but I have a small smoother with a PMV-11 blade......it's an incredible steel! If I were in your shoes (and undecided about which to buy) I'd buy one of each LN, LV (PMV-11), and either a LN O1 or a LV O1. I'd try each for a few weeks and let the results lead the way to a final choice. All of these have excellent resale value so you'll only be out a couple bucks when all is said and done.
Of course that's advice from someone who's making do with a set of blue Marples!! My method of dealing with those: I've taken to sharpening them at the end of every working day so they're fresh the next morning. And even then I sometimes sharpen mid-day!

[David Weaver]

I would buy the ashley iles chisels, and sharpen them as they need it. that's just me. They'll sharpen on anything and sharpen easily and they have a nice thinner profile.

I've had LN chisels, but I didn't hold on to them because I couldn't justify the price, I just don't see it when I look at them. I still prefer plain good quality white II japanese chisels or vintage western chisels.

[Chris Griggs]

If your wife is encouraging you to spend more then spend more.

General considerations...

If you want/need a lot of different sizes/ size options go for the AI's. Lots of bang for buck there. Good 01 steel, narrow side bevel. I've only tried one once, but by all accounts they are great chisels.

If your fine with a 5 piece set, are willing to spend a bit more as your wife reccoemends and want a set of chisels that have exceptional comfort and balance, then either the LN or the LV 01s are a great option. If you want A2 and/or socket get the LNs. If you want 01, flip a coin. If you specifically don't want a socket only chisel then get the LVs.

Other things to consider if deciding between LN and LV. The LV set is 1/4" - 1", the LN set is 1/8"-3/4". I have the LV 01s. I absolutely love them. I've used the LN A2 in my friends shop, I absolutely love them too. I prefer the hybrid tang/socket design of the LV. I prefer the sizes (1/8-3/4) in the LNs.

So I guess the first thing to do is make a firm decision on what you want to spend. Once you do that you may have a clear choice to go with the AI. If you decide to spend a bit more, consider the little difference I've mentioned above and then pull the trigger on one or the other.

[Matt Meiser]

These kinds of chisels make good beater chisels for when you do not want to take good chisels out that might want to become MAGICAL by growing legs. They are also good when a friend or neighbor wants to borrow a chisel.

I've actual already got a set of the blue Irwin/marbles for that purpose already. They might actually be better chisels.

Did you own any Narex's? What was it that you disliked?

No, but I'm disinclined to buy another "cheap" set again. Maybe that's not a fair assessment of these.

[David Weaver]

The narex are probably OK. The new marples chisels SHOULD be better than they are, they have no excuse to not do a blind copy of the older marples chisels, but that doesn't seem to stop them from trying to make chisels with fatter sides and softer steel.

If I was a betting man, I'd bet LN's 01 chisels would maybe be slightly harder than AIs, at least in terms of uniformity. But I like the style of the AI cabinetmaker's chisels better, they cost half as much, and resale only matters if you sell, otherwise the difference in cost is money lost.

The conondrum is that I've seen plenty of vintage chisels that easily stand up to new O1 chisels, and they can be had inexpensively. So when you look at the LN's, you think "why again am I paying $300 for O1 chisels", and the alternative, A2, is something that's not really well suited to chisels, especially when it's hard. It stands up no better than O1 but sharpens less easily.

Now, if there were just sets of the good vintage chisels put together out there for $10-$20 each like you can find them for if you look around.....

(I'm going to guess that not offering discounts for cash like places used to has a lot to do with credit card company lobbying dollars.....)

[Jeff Duncan]

I'm going to add one other though that I haven't seen mentioned in this thread.....how the chisels 'feel' in your hand. I have a set of the LN skewed chisels and while they are very nicely made, I find them, (well I guess the handles really), to be small for my hands. Yeah yeah I know if I were so inclined I could make new handles, but I like keeping things original for the most part. My bench chisels are a set of Freuds' I bought close to 20 years ago or so, and still find them a nice chisel to use.....not sure who made them? But they have a nice sized handle and the steel holds an edge. I'm looking into buying a set of the Henry Taylor Pattern makers style chisels myself right now. They seem to be pretty reasonably priced with the larger handles I prefer.

I also recently purchased a set of Buck Brothers cranked neck chisels and they will be going back. I knew they would not be top quality but figured something along the lines of the Marples blue handled chisels....I was wrong! These are the cheapest made chisels I've ever come across! They have the same rough grind on all the faces of the chisel. And when I say rough, I mean rougher than any cheap a$$ box store chisel I've come across! Out of a set of 5 there's one flat enough to make work. The worst ones have close 1/16" of bow along the length of the blade I am so saddened that this American company has lowered it's standards to the degree that their product is essentially useless to any craftsman


Oh and FWIW I'm another "mostly power tool" guy who just happens to 'find' ways to use my hand tools whenever possible

good luck,
JeffD

[Sam Takeuchi]

Irwin/Marples are weird gizmos. My blue handled Irwin (Sheffield made, not recent ones made in PRC) I bought as my first set years ago were long considered piece of crap, but recently they have been very good performers, so much so I like them ok now. It didn't hold edge worth a crap at all, but these days, it does that fine, sharpens up very nicely. I would even say I grab Irwin more than Narex (Narex was disappointment to me to be honest...I wanted to like it, but never did). But Ashley Iles MKII would be my first recommendation if you have to balance the budget and performance. It would be ideal if you can have the best, but it's ok to find something that fits your budget. Just that get the best quality item in your budget, that's all. For that, that's my recommendation.

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah,I'd send them back with a strongly worded letter . But.... If you buy three more sets of them you might find they are remarkably consistent !

[David Weaver]

Irwin/Marples are weird gizmos. My blue handled Irwin (Sheffield made, not recent ones made in PRC) I bought as my first set years ago were long considered piece of crap, but recently they have been very good performers, so much so I like them ok now. It didn't hold edge worth a crap at all, but these days, it does that fine, sharpens up very nicely. I would even say I grab Irwin more than Narex (Narex was disappoint to me to be honest...). But Ashley Iles MKII would be my first recommendation if you have to balance the budget and performance. It would be ideal if you can have the best, but it's ok to find something that fits your budget. Just that get the best quality item in your budget, that's all. For that, that's my recommendation.

Caveat that marples chisels found with english origin are fine. They may be inconsistent, but they're fine and they're ground well for cabinetmaking work, and are good especially if you grasp the handle of the tool when you work to a line.

[Danny Thompson]

Buy one or two of either LV or LN and see if you like them. Then buy one or two more. I use the small sizes most, say less than 3/4", then skip up to something wider like 1 1/4".

Buying a few that fit your needs is a great way to maximize bang for the buck. I've got the LN 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1" plus an AI 2". I could easily get by with the 1/4, 3/4 & 2". The A2 is quite hard, so if I were buying today, I'd try the LV PMV-11s.

[Randy Clements]

I have a 3-piece set of Craftsman chisels in 1/2, 3/4, and 1" and they are pretty much garbage. For 20 bucks for the whole set, I guess... I have ordered a 1/4" and 3/8" Round Back Ashley Isles dovetail chisels. I will let you guys know how they are. About $25 each...

[Jim Koepke]

It looks like this is coming down to the brass tacks and gnats eyebrows.

Are there any woodworking supply stores in your area carrying some of the brands you are thinking of acquiring? Being able to hold a tool to see how it feels in your hands for me is a big part of the deal when buying new tools.

Other considerations are preferences like the style of tool. For chisels it works down to a few features with what is on the market.

Hopefully the following will help you to narrow your field.

- socket or tang (My choice for socket chisels has been expressed many times. The main reason is it is easy for me to make new handles to fit my hands and way of working. Chisels that are a joy to hold tend to get used more. The quality between tang and socket chisels is pretty much the same, it is a personal choice.)

- How much of a bevel is desired on the edge. Will your use be mostly paring dovetails or do you need something for more general use. Thin chisels are nice for paring, but a heavier style may be in order if you will be pounding out a lot of mortises.

- What is your sharpening set up? Some steels work better with some sharpening methods. No matter how good the steel, it will need sharpening.

- Do you use all of your chisels or mostly just a few sizes? Only a few of my chisels, ranging in size from 3/32" - 2", go unused for any length of time. This is mostly because of duplicate sizes. If you use all the sizes, then you will want a full set. If your work tends toward one or two sizes, then buying just those sizes may be a better choice.

jtk

[Adam Cruea]

I'll be an outlier here and recommend the Stanley chisels. I wouldn't suggest going with the set of 8 as it's just overkill, but instead get the set of 4 plus a 1/8". You're looking at less than $150 for a decent set of chisels at that point.

I've used my dad's Lie-Nielsen socket chisels, and honestly, I felt the Stanley chisels were just as balanced. By no means am I an expert, just a general observation here. The Stanley chisels can also take a decent beating (except for the 3/4 I had to send back to Stanley for snapping below the socket weld) and they will take a wonderful edge (sharpen them and they'll easily cut paper without effort, shave an arm). My only complaint about them was that they had some hefty machine marks when I got them, but that was 3 years ago (or maybe 2), so maybe that's changed. Oh, and they're covered with a layer of lacquer that you might want to remove.

Anyway, I have the Stanley set of 8 and I don't regret buying it one bit. They're mid-priced chisels; go into it expecting an LN chisel, you'll be disappointed. Go into them expecting a Lowe's FatMax, you'll be shocked.

[Mel Fulks]

Comments on such things as how comfortable a chisel is to hold are a perfectly valid consideration,and remind me how different modern commerce is from earlier times. Many of the old chisels were sold without handles.Lower priced chisels now are often sold in plastic cases tougher than the steel in the tools .Try going into one of the BORGS and opening one of those packages trying out the plastic handles ,testing the edges on the pc of maple you have brought for that purpose .And then just handing the whole mess to a cashier and leaving with the comment that they are of low quality.If you just buy them because ' this is the 21st century so they must be good' ,you will not only be disappointed but will have to drive back to the store and stand in a line to return them.A very slow moving line.When you get your turn and say "they don't hold an edge " , the clerk will sigh in exasperation and say he uses his to open paint ,and dig up dandelions and " hasn't had any trouble with mine ". When tools were sold primarily to those who needed them to make a living it was quite different. I contend that selling low grade stuff to those guys was dangerous,tools were expensive. There are ,of course, more extant company records, than those of individuals.But there are enough of both to prove that people did not take being cheated lightly .I have a reference to a tool makeing company buying some iron by tonnage ,weighing it, and demanding adjustment for a five pound discrepancy. Yes ,it was hard for them to make good stuff. They did it anyway. We now have tools for the pro and a different bunch for the homeowner ,that is a largely a twentieth century innovation .

[Matt Meiser]

Are there any woodworking supply stores in your area carrying some of the brands you are thinking of acquiring? Being able to hold a tool to see how it feels in your hands for me is a big part of the deal when buying new tools.

And there's a part of the problem. My Woodcraft really doesn't stock much. A few of the individual Pfiels, some cheap chisels, and the Woodriver butt chisels. There's really nowhere else to look for quality hand tools. The closest LV (London) is a 3 hour drive plus border crossing time which can be significant. The place I found the Stanleys, that;s all they had. There was an open set which I got to handle extensively but not try. They definitely could have bigger handles but I don't think they are too small, and that's a "problem" I could fix in the future. The same would be true of the LN's in that case. The Pfiel I held I felt like the handle was cheap and lightweight which I associate with soft, and I don't like the faceted design.

Available stock may come into play here too. Lee Valley availability dates change every time I look. TFWW is the same story on the AI and I haven't heard back from The Best Things. The place I saw the Stanley's had 2 sets on Sunday so those are easy to get. I assume since LN doesn't have a stock issue because its not listed on their site. I'd like to get them soon which might narrow things to LN or Stanley.

I don't have a 1/8 now and I've gotten by without. I've occasionally wanted something small and have used a utility knife. Maybe that's good enough. Then a 1/4, 3/8, and 3/4 would probably be good for me, plus maybe a 1" in the future. I do use the larger ones from time to time. Right now I have 1/4 to 1 by 1/8 increments.