Frederick Skelly asked about the differences in qualities of chisels which made me think about different types of chisels.
Some of the chisels here may have 'quality issues' or they may be craftsmanship issues.
First off is my 1/4" Defiance branded chisel. The sides had vertical striations over the full length on both sides.
Edge of Defiance.jpgDefiance Stamp.jpg
The little patch shown here is all that is left after a lot of work on the sides. The actual width of the chisel measured out to 0.2418". This is my go to chisel when cutting 1/4" dados.
Not sure if this is a Defiance by Stanley or if it was before Stanley bought out Defiance.
Here are my main chisels for paring the dovetails on my current project.
3 Witherby's & 2 Bucks.jpg
The closest three are Witherby's and the two far ones are Buck Brothers. All but the farthest one are 1/2". The far one is 1". In between tails the Buck 1/2" is great for pairing. The bevel edged Witherby is used for chopping.
Between pins the skew chisels are great for getting up close to the sides without cutting into the pin as the minimal side on the Buck Bros might do. Of course on the job on my bench at this time even a wide chisel can get between some of the pins.
Pine With Pitch.jpg
If you look below the edge of the socket you can see light transmitted by the pitch in the wood. Kind of gummy and makes it necessary to use a little alcohol to clean the tools before they get put away.
jtk