Pfeil Chisels

[Jack Curtis]

Jack, if you're willing to throw out roughly .4mm per inch when you convert, I definitely hope *you're* not working for NASA Personally, I hardly ever use rulers except for very coarse measurements. story sticks are much more accurate, and no need to worry about what system the tick marks are in...

That was just a quick estimating conversion device, not something to work by. I also prefer story sticks and the like.

Jack

[Zach Dillinger]

Buy some good, vintage chisels. You'll be extremely impressed with how sharp an edge they can take. Edge retention shouldn't be an issue, as you should be honing your chisels frequently, a couple of passes on a finishing stone quite often throughout the work process. Your work will be easier and your chisels will stay sharper, longer. When the modern steel edges fail (finally), they really fail and you've got more work to do, honing with coarser grits to start. Plus, you'll be using a chisel that isn't as sharp as it could / should be for longer, waiting for the edge to fail. Read Adam Cherubini's new column in the latest PW. He'll tell you all about it.

[Terry Beadle]

Back on the subject of your chisels...you set the primary at 30 or a micro at 30..my suggestion is to up the micro to 35.

It also depends upon the wood you are using them on. Cocobolo will dull even the sharpest of blades where as you could pop chips on basswood all day and not affect the edge much.

I bought a set of Ashley Isles, London pattern, and they curled on cherry at 30. I put a 35 micro bevel on them and they have stayed sharp through out several projects and only needed the occasional stropping.

Just me being too cheap to give up on Pfeil I guess, but they have a reputation as a very good German steel.