[OP]
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FYI - Toms Toolbox - LN 01 Chisels
For anyone interested, I just noticed that LN has 3 different sized O1 chisels available and in stock for the moment under Tom's toolbox. Haven't seen them have the O1 material in quite a while. Anyone needing them for a set take notice. Last I looked, the 3/8, 5/8 and 3/4 were showing as in stock. Probably only have a limited number of them though. Good luck.
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They dropped around noon yesterday. I was fortunate enough to grab a 3/16 for myself and help two of my friends grab one as well. The 1/8 went OOS first with the 1/10" mortise chisel.
[OP]
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You think these are newly run, or are they just cleaning out some new old stock they had? I don't think I've seen anything from them in O-1 in maybe 5 years. I could have missed it, but seems like they've only had A2 for the longest time.Originally Posted by Matthew Eason
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I talked to LN yesterday. I believe these are very old stock that they have had on the shelf for many, many years. Possibly 20.
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Has anybody considered Ashley Iles chisels? They're also O1 and very good quality.
[OP]
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I bought a set and returned them. I didn’t like the way they felt. To me, they felt unbalanced and the handles didn’t feel right. I also didn’t like the ferule as it seemed like it snagged my hand and work easily. It was flared out towards the tip end. I wanted to like them though. There is a post somewhere on here that I made about them.
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would someone explain why they prefer O1 over A2? Personally I never had any issue sharpening A2 steel and from my research it is able to hold an edge better than O1. Is the interest because these O1 chisels are offered in hard to find sizes?
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I've had a set going on probably 10 years now. I'm considering replacing, they do not hold an edge like I want for chopping. But I do like the balance for paring and I have no issues with the ferule. I have the long handled ones.
[OP]
Contributor
Ha, this just proves how subjective the feel of chisels is and how it varies person to person. The set I got might have had abnormal ferules mind you, but they flared out at the tip end a little kind of like a bell. I kept scraping my fingers on it, and it also caught the edge of wood when trying to pare. I returned the AI chisels and got LN ones instead. I like them but the handle falling off is a curse and a blessing, depending on what you are doing. Ironically, the Two Cherries chisel I have feel better in my hand, but they don't have very narrow lands like the LN and AI chisels. I've just ordered a couple of LV PM-V11 chisels to compare as well. I'm thinking I'll end up with a variety of chisels for different tasks by the time I'm done.
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I've a few of the Mk2 bench chisels. The TFWW store sells a dovetail chisel model and the "american pattern" model, I don't have any of those, nor do I plan on getting them.
If we're talking about the Mk2 chisels, I quite like the pattern. In general I prefer chisels with a tang, with an octagonal bolster if possible. I also prefer the handle shape, it's called the "carver's pattern".
On the other hand I do not like socket chisels, mainly because I don't like the feel of the rim of the socket when I'm holding the chisel.
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I have only one tool with an A2 cutter, the new SW Stanley 9 1/2. It kept chipping and I kept increasing the bevel angle until it didn't. On chisels, the bevel angle I use can be as low as 20 degrees, so I don't know if A2 would be able to hold its edge in that configuration. I don't have an issue sharpening this iron either, my washita is able to hone it.
I've no use issues with the O1 chisels and plane irons I have. They're easy to sharpen with what I have and don't see a reason to switch them for A2.
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The vast majority of my woodwork is done in Southern Longleaf Heart Pine and Cypress. 01 is my first choice if I can't get W1. I like really sharp and low angles. If I worked the petrified stuff that Derek does, I'd probably want something else too. I can and have sharpened A2, but I just don't like it. I have a hinge mortise plane with an A2 iron, that may have had a minutes work in it's life, so it really doesn't bother me.
I don't remember ever paying any attention to the way a chisel felt in my hand, but may have never had one that bothered me.
Last edited by Tom M King; 04-13-2023 at 4:44 PM.
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The type of handle makes a big difference in the usability of a chisel. I've vintage, AI, Harbor Freight, etc., they all work pretty well. To me a defective chisel is one where the edge folds, that's a junk chisel, this notion of "holding an edge" is pretty subjective, all of mine do, and when they are dull I sharpen them and it takes me about a minute to do so.
Even a lowly Harbor Freight chisel can be made into decent chisel. Its edge does not chip nor fold. The steel is a pretty generic Chromium Vanadium steel. If you want thin lands, the bench grinder can take care of that. Replacing the handles is not that hard either.
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The two at the top have had the sides ground for very thin lands. Only the handle has been replaced on the middle one. The 4th is how they come from the factory. The one at the bottom is an AI.
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Those are some of my favorite wood species. Where do you source your lumber Tom?
Last edited by Rafael Herrera; 04-13-2023 at 4:46 PM.
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A few, but most of the Heart Pine is already in the old houses I work on. A couple of my sources will only deal with me, so not worth talking about.
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