# aristocrat chisels or not



## neilyweely (18 Apr 2008)

I have an opportunity to purchase 3 aristocrat chisels which to my untrained eye look ok; black h  andle, screw-in blade, striking plate etc 

Anybody ever heard of aristocrats??

Are they worth having?

Thanks again-


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## neilyweely (18 Apr 2008)

I take it thats a 'no' then.

I think they are called aristocrat, they have aristocrat engraved on the blade, and it has 'Ward and ....... Sheffield England' ; could be Sons?

They are black handles, good quality chisels. And I bought 'em now, so I don't suppose it matters.

I'd still like to know if they are any good though!!!


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## Jake (18 Apr 2008)

Here's a search result


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## MrJay (18 Apr 2008)

No shame with Ward and Payne - good Sheffield tool and cutlery makers by all accounts. Pics please.


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## neilyweely (20 Apr 2008)

Yeehah- I have sussed it out. Have been shoutin at kids and mrs and everything!!! There is the picture!!







Ok. Hope it's worth it!!!

Cheers,
neil


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## neilyweely (20 Apr 2008)

when I first posted this pic there were 2 the same. I don't know why but this has been corrected.

Thanks whoever took the time to help me out!


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## DaveL (20 Apr 2008)

Neil,

It's all part of the service here.  

We often sort out posting problems, its nice you noticed. =D> 

*DaveL with his MOD hat on.* :roll:


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## neilyweely (21 Apr 2008)

dave

well thanks all the same
I fear you will have your hands full with me though, I am blundering buffoon!!! I shall do my best to operate like a pro, but the truth is that I am lucky to be legible at all.

So are these a copy of the LN chisels, just with a plastic handle, I have tried to gather some info on the web to no avail, and am now having to ask you gents again, so please help.

Thanks a lot Dave.


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## Evergreen (24 Apr 2008)

Neil

LN chisels are true socket chisels i.e. the bolster is a simple steel cone which fits over the end of the handle and stays there by friction. I've got a vintage socket chisel by another American maker and my foot had a narrow escape when the blade just fell off the handle without warning one day. I've since made another handle for it and took great care to match the end of the handle to the socket perfectly. So far, so good.

Your Aristocrat chisels are a more sophisticated design with a screw to keep the blade on and avoid the problem of perforated feet! I guess they were a step along the path to chisels with plastic handles moulded on to the tang. They were expensive to produce and eventually got overtaken by the likes of the Stanley 5001.

Your Aristocrat chisels are probably good steel and they're very unusual. Enjoy them!

Regards.


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## neilyweely (24 Apr 2008)

evergreen.


To tell you the truth I have acquired so many marples, sorby, cherries and other chisels over the last month ( mostly from auctions ) that it's gonna take me a while to test 'em all. Should I consider the Aristocrat chisels the 'cream' of my little collection, in which case I will leave 'em at home and not risk some site muppet choppin nail heads off with 'em. 
Guess I should try 'em and see which I get on best with, and revere those.

I have some fairly new sorby plastic (unbreakable) mortice chisels, along with some of the orange see thru handle marple bevel edge that I use daily, and need to respect more than I do.

Which brings me to this question - 

I need to protect the ends of my chisels, and don't fancy spending thirty quid on a chisel roll, any suggestions please?

Thanks everyone for your help....

Neil


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## MrJay (24 Apr 2008)

I wouldn't take any tools on site. It's not safe.


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## Alan Smith (25 Apr 2008)

I doubt if you will find anything better than a traditional chisel roll. For site work it's what works best for me. There a re some nice soft tool caddys coming onto the market now which I imagine would have chisel accomodation on them but they are a lot more than the cost of a roll.


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## Evergreen (25 Apr 2008)

Neil

I'd definitely keep those Aristocrat chisels at home! They're so unusual that if they went walkabout, you may never find any more. I agree with Alan that you can't beat a traditional chisel roll like this one:






I've used this plasticky canvass one for years to keep my favourites in.

Regards.


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## neilyweely (25 Apr 2008)

Evergreen - like the look of those chisels, they look like mine!!!

funnily enough, I think I came across a few more aristocrats today!!

The only problem is that they are all the same bloody size...

Never mind, I think they will be another near freebie, so I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse!

I hear there are some old marples paring chisels there too, which are nice but not so practical for me, so I may let 'em go. 

Cheers mate


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## Benchwayze (26 Apr 2008)

I like Alan's advice re the tool roll.
But if you want guards for your chisels in the shop, to avoid accidents, here are two suggestions.

1) Don't have them hanging from a rack with the cutting edges exposed; especially if you have to put your hands anywhere near them for other tools. 

My bench is against a wall, so I rest my chisels in a rack, on the wall just above the tool well . Just a rebated strip of hardwood, screwed to the wall. The handles are held in 'Terry-clips' of the right size. Also has the advantage that the handles angle out towards me. 

2) If you do want guards for your chisels, cut an old plastic container into strips. (Appropriate sizes of course!) Fold the strip over your chisel ends and wrap gaffa-tape around to form a 'pocket'. Presto! Chisel guards as good as the freebies they sometimes give away with woodwork magazines; probably not F&C though, who wouldn't stoop to such tricks just to sell a magazine? Would they?  

If you want to be posh:

http://www.toolshopdirect.co.uk/item.ph ... n/MAR38018



Regards
John


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## neilyweely (26 Apr 2008)

alan smith

Can you let me know about these tool-caddies please, not sure what you mean.
I am always on the lookout for tool storage, i have hundreds of tools but only storage for half of 'em.

Cheers mate

Thanks evergreen

Neil


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## Benchwayze (26 Apr 2008)

MrJay":2kgd7nj9 said:


> I wouldn't take any tools on site. It's not safe.


You're dead right there. Someone might expect me to use them and do some work! \/ 

John


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## Benchwayze (26 Apr 2008)

neilyweely":354jbrkb said:


> alan smith
> 
> Can you let me know about these tool-caddies please, not sure what you mean.
> I am always on the lookout for tool storage, i have hundreds of tools but only storage for half of 'em.
> ...


Neil, 
See if you can get hold of a copy of 'The Toolbox Book'. Library should have it.
There's and open-top tool-tote in there, made in the 'Arts and Crafts' style. But the basic idea is simple enough if you didn't want to go to such design lengths.

John


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## neilyweely (27 Apr 2008)

benchwayze

thanks for that mate

I will try that tommorrow.

See y'all soon

neil


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## Benchwayze (27 Apr 2008)

neilyweely":4jxe2wjs said:


> benchwayze
> 
> thanks for that mate
> 
> ...



Y'welcome Neil.
John


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## neilyweely (28 Apr 2008)

thats a negative for Bedford Library

am gonna try and find it online and maybe print the bit i need.

Will pick up chisels tomorrow and post mo pictures of any curios.


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## Benchwayze (29 Apr 2008)

Hi Neil, 

If you don't have any luck with the 'Toolbox Book', I'll see what I can do about a drawing.

Regards
John


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## neilyweely (1 May 2008)

I now have 4 half inch aristocrats. I am wondering what they are worth and if they are sellable?

I really don't need 4, maybe I will keep 2, depending what they are worth.

If they are only worth a fiver each I shall keep 'em, otherwise I may let a couple go. Would like someone who appreciates 'em to have 'em, not someone who is gonna ruin em or take them for granted (like me!!)

Any ideas what they may be worth anyone???

Cheers

neil


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## Rock Crusher (5 May 2008)

I recently acquired a box set of Aristocrat chisels at a yard sale here in Oregon. I have not been able to find out much about them until a search led me to this fine site. All of the original packaging is still intact and none of them has been used. 







I presume they are from 59'...same year as me. They look to be top quality and I guess plastic was new enough to be a change from wood handles. The fellow I bought them from told me they were his grandfathers who was an attorney and presumably woodworker. Any comments? Ed.


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## DaveL (5 May 2008)

Hi Ed,

Welcome to the forum.

Your picture has been caught by our spam trap, this will stop once you have a few more posts to your name, here it is:






I have never seen any of these Aristocrat chisels, thanks for posting the picture.


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## neilyweely (5 May 2008)

rock crusher

Wow, great chisels mate, 

can you let me know the sizes they came in?
They look good in the boxes, don't they, but I think I would be afraid to use' em, so am kinda glad mine have been used already.
!959 you say, they were cutting edge (doh) back then then. Can you also post a picture of the literature you have there with them, I would love to be able to read that.

Thanks a lot, and welcome to the forum.

neil


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## Rock Crusher (5 May 2008)

From what I have been able to glean from a few weeks of online searching only 4 sizes were available...1/4"...1/2"...3/4" and 1". Here is a couple of pics of the flyer they came with. 











Its good to finally find a place to discuss such things as these as my wife and kids are thouroghly unimpressed with my tool collecting. Ed.


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## DaveL (5 May 2008)

Ed,

Here are your pictures:











As to SWMBO, best she doesn't understand too much about workshops and tools. :twisted: :wink:


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## Evergreen (5 May 2008)

Rock crusher

A boxed set of unused Aristocrat chisels? That's got to be unique! They look terrific and I'm sure you're right about their quality because Ward and Payne were well respected tool makers. The design award of your chisels dates back to '59 but it's possible they were produced in the early 1960s, allowing time for the design to get into full production. I never knew they were still hand forging then because it was a time of great industrial change, with an emphasis on automation. Your chisels would have been absolutely top of the range at that time and very unusual. I started buying tools in the mid 60s and don't remember seeing them on sale. Many thanks for posting the pictures. Made my day.

Neil

It's difficult to know what your spare Aristocrats are worth because a) they're not well known (like Sorby tools) b) I guess we all end up with lots of the smaller size chisels and c) perhaps people are not yet ready to spend more than a few quid on chisels with plastic handles! I came across a beaten up 1/4 " Aristocrat in a flea market last winter for £6. I've got a nasty feeling you wouldn't get much more.

Regards.


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## Hokie (5 May 2008)

Those look great. How do they sharpen? I've been looking for some here in the US.

BTW, been seeing alot of socket chisels showing up on the Bay without handles...

Mortise:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330232262113


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## neilyweely (5 May 2008)

evergreen
.
Cheers mate for all your help, don't think I'd sell em anyway. 

One of mine is pristine, the others have marks on the striking plate, but ALL the blades look brand new, which makes me think they are very good quality- some of mine came from an old school!!

Rock

thanks for all that mate, couldn't find it anywhere else.

Guys
Today I was at a 'cavalcade' which was a redneck steam engine fair, but had LOADS of tool stalls. Oh my days I was in my element

I found an old LN socket chisel (similar to aristo's) for 6 quid. It is now at dads for cleaning etc, but I will post pics soon.

And I got a few HSS router bits, including a BIG dovetail bit ; why don't they make them BIG? I wanna cut some huge dovetails!!!

Thanks fellas

neil


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## Rock Crusher (6 May 2008)

A one word search of this site using "aristocrat" will turn up but a couple of posts. One of them titled "More old tool adverts" by Mirboo will have two adds for these aristocrat chisels. There is also some discussion there regarding the asking price of these. I would attempt to post the link but I have already caused enough extra work for the moderator who I have yet to thank for getting my pictures posted. Thank you Dave. Ed.


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## bugbear (11 Nov 2016)

There's been another full boxed set of these, with paperwork on eBay:






Item 291929223894, sold for £128, 10 bidders.

Seller appears to be a flea market dealer type - lots of misc bits, including tools.

BugBear


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## AndyT (11 Nov 2016)

£32 per chisel looks high compared to 50p at a boot fair - but these are not ordinary! 
When a set of five bench chisels from Blue Spruce Toolworks is $575, I think whoever bought these got a bargain.


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## D_W (11 Nov 2016)

AndyT":1lckvgsi said:


> £32 per chisel looks high compared to 50p at a boot fair - but these are not ordinary!
> When a set of five bench chisels from Blue Spruce Toolworks is $575, I think whoever bought these got a bargain.



I would agree. The grind work on these chisels is superb, and they are not made of nonsensical A2 steel, which never made sense to me in a chisel in the first place. 

Reminds me of the $100 beautiful dovetailed moving fillister planes that people scoff at, but nobody scoffs at buying a slightly less refined modern version for several hundred pounds. 

I have seen those aristocrat chisels on ebay and have been tempted to buy them just because they are ward and the refinement of their grind is special, to say the least. Not a low-effort chisel by any means.


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## mbartlett99 (11 Nov 2016)

No idea about their chisels but my mum was given a full set of gardening tools by Ward and Paine as a wedding gift - she was their head nurse in the early sixties - three house builds and a few decades on and they're still going strong.


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## johnrichardwhite (16 Mar 2017)

neilyweely":3ad6ceas said:


> I have an opportunity to purchase 3 aristocrat chisels which to my untrained eye look ok; black h  andle, screw-in blade, striking plate etc
> 
> Anybody ever heard of aristocrats??
> 
> ...


When I was an apprentice carpenter and joiner 55 years ago an old chippy gave me a 3/4 inch aristicrat chisel it was the best steel I have ever had but be very carefull when grinding it will burn very easily so use plenty of cooling water,you have the best set of chisels in the world.


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