Stanley chisel ID???

[Bill Brehme]

Hey Guys, I was wondering if anyone could help me identify a chisel I spotted at the flea mkt?
It was a Stanley socket chisel with a handle very similar to a 750, in fact (to me) the 'whole chisel' itself looked just like a 750...
The marking on the socket was:
Stanley
D
made in USA

Whats throwing me here is the'D'.
Has anyone else seen this before? If so, what does it signify? Is it worth buying???

Thanks in advance for any advice. Bill

[Brian Hale]

I've got a few of those "D" chisels and i believe it's Stanleys Defiance line. I'm pretty pleased with them but wouldn't spend more than $10-$15 for one.

Brian

[Mike Brady]

I agree that the chisel you have is a Defiance by Stanley. They often have a natural finish handle instead of the dark red stain, and a lower quality of metal finish than the 750; but I believe they are the same quality. This was probably done to achieve a lower selling price than the 750 line.

[Bill Brehme]

Yea, that was my 1st thought, that it was a Defiance model. But the 'defiance' is usually spelled out on the socket..
Also this one had the red stained handle?
I dunno, after all, this 'is' Stanley were dealing with here.
I've heard of completely unmarked 750s and such.
The chisel size was about a 3/8". Maybe the socket size was too small to write out DEFIANCE???

[Richard Niemiec]

I have a couple of these, I just call them "Ds" and maybe that means Defiance, I guess so, but what I do know is they hold an edge as well as my 750s, and 3/8 is a nice size. My two also have the red stained handle. So I'd say its a keeper, but price at the flea is another matter. RN

[Hank Knight]

Bill,

Like the others, I have several Stanley "D" chisels. I can't tell any difference in them and those marked "750" or those without any markings at all other than "Stanley." I've read that the D chisels are not finished as well as the "real" 750s, but I can't tell if that's true. I have some 750s with polished blades and some without polished blades. The same with the unmarked Stanleys. I have 2 marked 750s with natural finished handles, the rest have red handles as do the Ds and the unmarked ones. I can't tell any significant difference in the steel. All hold an edge reasonably well, but not as well as some of my other chisels.

I've never seen a good explanation of the difference between the Stanley "750 style" chisels, or even if there is a difference. Nobody seems to know for sure, even the old tool dealers. I've seen some hostile words directed at eBay sellers who represent chisels as "750s" but are not marked "750." I don't know whether the criticism is warranted or not. In my view, sellers should describe the markings on the chisel without naming it a "750" (unless it's marked as a "750") and let the buyer decide.

In any event, if the price is right on the "D" chisel you're considering, my advice is to go for it. It should prove to be a good chisel,

My $.02

Hank

[Bill Brehme]

Thanks fellas, your tips and advice come much appreciated as always!!!

Now I have to sit on my hands for a whole week and hope the guy comes back and still has those 'D's'. $5 each!!!
The market is only one day a week on Wednesdays..

Sigh...TAP TAP TAP... SIGH... TAP TAP TAP..............