Originally Posted by
Alex Yeilding
Wilbur, could you tell me what problems those are, or point me to some discussion. I was thinking of getting a Japanwoodworker or Hida "store brand" chisel to try out a Japanese chisel. To my mind they are not "cheap" tools, and I would think that for their own reputation, these two vendors would private brand something significantly better than Grizzly or even Woodcraft. But neither are they as expensive as the Imai's you have. Why should I bite the bullet and try out an Imai or similarly-priced chisel?
One of my issues with Japanese chisels is the cost. For $50 per tools, I can purchase an LN chisel which is generally acknowleged as a high end western chisel. But for that same $50 per tool, I can only get an entry level Japanese chisel - if I'm understanding how everyone has catagorized the Imai chisel.
So for me to bite off one of those Imai's, I'd have to believe that it will perform as well as an LN chisel. To bite off a more expensive Japanese chisel, I'd have to believe it will perform significantly better than a LN chisel.
Mike
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