Please help me identify these Japanese chisels: with pics

[Andy Pratt]

I was recently given a set of Japanese chisels by a customer and I am looking to get an idea of their type/brand/quality/value so that I can decide what to use them for. I already have a set of lie-nielsen socket chisels and those will stay my main shop set regardless of what these are. If it turns out these japanese chisels are somewhat low quality I'll use them for jobsite chisels and if they are higher quality I will keep them in the shop and take good care of them.

No maker's marks are visible anywhere except "japan" and the only thing you might not see from the pictures is that the socket portion of each chisel appears to have been put together out of two pieces, with a line visible in the same spot on each one. Either that or it is a scoring mark from some part of the manufacturing process. IMGP0188.jpgIMGP0190.jpgIMGP0192.jpgIMGP0193.jpgIMGP0194.jpgIMGP0195.jpg

[Thomas love]

Andy ask in the neander forum, I am sure you will get an answer there.

[Andrew Hughes]

Hi , Andy I think the box says something like these chisels will make you happy and sharpen very easy.Just kidding,if you havent used any Japan chisels one thing to know is that you may have to shapen them a half dozen or more time to get to the good steel.They may be kinda brittle and the edges may chip at first.Even my cheap Japan chisels hold a edge longer than the lie neilsons I used to own.Andrew

[Zach Callum]

The only way to know if they are any good is to use them. I bought a set of Sandviks on e bay for cheap. Guess what? They have replaced the lie nielsens as the go-to set in the shop. I also have a few no name Japanese chisels that are great, these stay in my home shop.