Ashley Iles chisels

[Herv Peairs]

Ashley Iles makes a few different chisel styles. You didn't specify which style you bought. I have the MK II bench chisels and the butt chisels by AI.

Oops, I thought I did specify but I see I did not. They are the MK II bench chisels. The beaters I have from the tool meet may well be carpenter's chisels, I don't know enough to say. The only one I have that is clearly a cabinetmaker's chisel is a 1/4" Marples. That one is similar in substance to the AIs, except the Marples has a longer blade.

[Steve Hamlin]

I have mk I and mk II
The mk I spent a couple of years being abused with hammers (knowing the abuser, I wouldn't be at all surprised if lump hammer as well as claw hammer) Only damage (apart from rust) is mushroomed handles and one split handle
The mk II are the chunkier of the two

[ken hatch]

Up until this point in my hand tool journey I’ve been working with a handful of beater chisels (mostly sockets) from a tool meet, as well as a few plastic handled Stanleys I had lying around. These have been good for learning to sharpen and some starter projects. But now I want something nicer, and something with narrow lands.

I was looking at a set of Veritas bench chisels in O1, but ended up with a set of Ashley Iles partly because of price, partly because the set included a 1/8” chisel. They arrived yesterday, and wow, they seem delicate. I’m afraid to hit one with a mallet. Am I just too used to the heavy build of my beater chisels? What’s your experience with AI durability? I’m not concerned about edge, more about bending the tang or breaking the handle. I should add that I don’t strike my chisels unusually hard or use a clawhammer on them or open paint cans with them or anything like that.

Thanks, Herv

Herv,

I have AI chisels that are used as bench chisels, in other words used cleaning out dovetail sockets sometimes using a hammer or mallet and other general bench use. The lightness is a feature much like bench chisels use to be, if you have ever used pre-WWII tanged chisels you would recognize the balance and feel. BTW, in over 40 years of using chisels I have split only one chisel handle, that was a Veritas Maple handle on one of their new chisels. Lee Valley made it good with no question.

You did good with the AI chisels. If you want a decent chisel to beat on that isn't too heavy buy a couple or a set of Narex firmer chisels with Hornbeam handles. They take a lot of abuse (chopping mortises) with no or little ill effect.

ken