Member
I bought a Lie Nielsen 1/2" chisel and then a Lee Valley 1/4" chisel so that I could get a feel for both. I am a Lie Nielsen man it would seem. The great thing is that, when taken care of, these tools hold their value so you can sell them off if need be.
I have held my fathers Stanley socket chisel set and the felt very close to the Lie Nielsens but without the price tag. I have heard that they are a bit hit or miss on how much work the faces need to get them flat.
Last edited by Mike Cherry; 10-09-2015 at 7:05 PM.
Member
Alright brother, just to let ya know, you opened a can of worms with this topic and yes those worms are right now ruining your tomatoes and eating your wife's roses. But dont worry the cave by the creek is here to help you kill the worms and save the roses .
I had the same delimma, same price range and went with the Lee Valley Narex classic for the following reasons.
1. Google em, they review very well and couple of the big magazines have praised them for their quality and value.
2. Google em again, they review well on the forums as well by more than a vfewery qualified Wood Smiths.
3. The four piece set of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch sells for 45 bucks. and they sell the other sizes individually for about the price of a case of beer, or in some cases a six pack
4. After you buy them I discovered these things easily take and hold a good sharp edge, even if you use a mallet (they have hoops!). You can pay for these things by using them to shave with for a couple months instead of a Gillette. It will take a few days to get use to, however Narex Chisels + Jesse not buying razors = Bank Account Win.
5. They come in a lovely shade of Brown.
Just mah two pesos.
Have a good'un,
Josh
[OP]
Member
ROTFL!!! Problem is, I have a full beard so all I do is trim!Originally Posted by Joshua Hancock
Only one life will soon be past
Only whats done for Christ will last
Member
I got the Narex set too for most of the same reasons Josh gave.
I got the larger set of seven. I have found that I mainly use the 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 for close work and the 1" for most everything else. So, I haven't knocked much use out of the 5/8. 3/4 or 7/8. I'd like an 1/8", but they don't have one.
I have used them for all uses and they worked fine. I've since found some old brutes of Craftsmen chisels I've used a couple of times for mortising as I don't have mortise chisels.
On the Narex chisels, I cut off the hoops and shaped the handle to give me the balance I like. They were too handle heavy for me.
workbench43.jpg
Member
Those handles look good! I hardly recognize them....
Member
Narex chisels have been recommended many times by many people here. There must be something to it!
[OP]
Member
Seems like they might be worth a try!
Only one life will soon be past
Only whats done for Christ will last
I believe there is more to this than just picking a brand based on price. Even within most brands there are different models to choose from. Narex, offers a ton of different types of chisels: carving, paring, designed to be struck, maybe ok to be struck..... Narex has made up variations of models for sellers. Highland Woodworking use to sell a model specific to them, not sure if they still do. By trying a couple different types the OP may find he likes one style of handle/blade better for one kind of work and another for another type work. He might buy 2-3 of two to three types instead of a whole set. It may not matter how great a deal you got on a tool or set of tools if you never use some of them or wind up replacing them with something you like better.
Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 10-10-2015 at 12:42 PM.
Contributor
Yes, choosing on price alone can lead to frustration. Though there seems to be many good choices in a reasonable price range.I believe there is more to this than just picking a brand based on price.
For me, it is very important how a tool feels in my hands. This may not be as important to others. It is often my recommendation a buyer tries to handle a tool before purchase. In today's world of online shopping this can be difficult if not impossible.
Money may be wasted if a tool is never used. When it comes to chisels, my 2" is the least used followed by my 3mm and 1/8". Most of my unused tools came in deals for a group buy. If they are worth the time to list here or on ebay, they are sold. If you can break even or make a little profit it isn't too bad.
Of course for all but a few, a tools performance is a primary consideration. The performance factor, along with personal preferences, can be a wide area to consider.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
I thought the discussion above was directed at specific chisels, Narex, which a number of people found to be a sound choice. The point being even in a given type of chisel like Narex there are choices to be made. Some of those choices do not relate to money but the preferences of the user and the suitability of the tool for specific work. It seems that it can be very hard to get off the topic of cost on this forum, so much seems to get redirected back there. Is a Narex paring chisel the best for an OP or is a sturdier Narex chisel with hoops on the handle? How about blade design, handle design, how well does the steel edge stand up to the job. Why are we discussing how to break even or make a little profit selling used tools here instead of tool performance? Yes, the performance factor and personal preferences are important too, maybe we could discuss those factors. Does tool performance relate more to brands, cost, how to restore old tools, buying/selling used tools or the actual design and functionality of specific tools? Maybe whether or not someone finds a particular tool handle comfortable is important but we are all different, including our hand size....Isn't discussion of various handle types and the reason for these handle types just as or more important?
Member
My friend Bill Houghton gave me a plastic handled 2" Berg that never gets put away. It's the most used chisel I have and lives on my bench top. YMMV
Contributor
This is not surprising. We all do different things in our own ways.
One of my bigger chisels gets a lot of work cutting rope.
When my fingernails get too long one of my carving gouges trims them very nicely.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
That may have slipped my notice. My comments are still somewhat focused on the original post:I thought the discussion above was directed at specific chisels, Narex, which a number of people found to be a sound choice.
I don't use them a ton but I do like having a nice sharp chisel available for those certain projects. I open to all suggestions.Without knowing more about the OP and what they are planning to do the question of which Narex chisel is best for them can not be answered.The point being even in a given type of chisel like Narex there are choices to be made. Some of those choices do not relate to money but the preferences of the user and the suitability of the tool for specific work. It seems that it can be very hard to get off the topic of cost on this forum, so much seems to get redirected back there. Is a Narex paring chisel the best for an OP or is a sturdier Narex chisel with hoops on the handle? How about blade design, handle design, how well does the steel edge stand up to the job. Why are we discussing how to break even or make a little profit selling used tools here instead of tool performance?
If they do a lot of chisel work using a mallet they will want a heavier chisel.
If the work is mostly paring then the lighter chisel might be all that is needed.
Another thought when answering questions on SMC is next week, month, year or hopefully even decade a web search may find this thread for a beginning woodworker. There may be possibilities mentioned that haven't occurred to the OP or a future reader of this thread.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
"Another thought when answering questions on SMC is next week, month, year or hopefully even decade a web search may find this thread for a beginning woodworker. There may be possibilities mentioned that haven't occurred to the OP or a future reader of this thread."
Exactly, which is why there may be more relevance in discussing specific "performance" considerations: types of chisels, handle designs, blade designs, what kind of mallet/hammer a specific chisel might or might not be designed to be hit with.....Who knows what might be the: favorite/most expensive/most cost effective/best/most restorable....a decade from now. Todays premium tool may be tomorrows bargain brand and todays bargain might be a premium tool a decade from now, there is no way to know. Not long ago Japanese electronics were considered"cheap", not so much anymore. That sword cuts both ways.
"Without knowing more about the OP and what they are planning to do the question of which Narex chisel is best for them can not be answered."
Right, which is why I think chisel: types, and the features/benefits of specific handle, blade....design as they relate to chisel "performance" are important topics regardless of brand name, current cost, even current preferences.
Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 10-10-2015 at 10:54 PM.
Contributor
I have narex chisels and like them. I got the 4 piece set and 1.5" one in addition to the set. As others have said I use the .5" and .25" ones the most. The 1.5" one gets its fair share of use as well. These are a great value. I thought they were the best value until I picked up a set of the aldi chisels for fun. All of the backs were slightly concave which made flattening the backs easy. They are 4 metric sizes close to the standard set of narex 4. They all took an edge and cut just as well as the narex ones. All for the grand price of 4.99. If you happen to see a set, go for it.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote