ASHLEY ILES MK.2 BUTT CHISEL 7/8 INCH (22MM)

[johnfarris]

Received this chisel yesterday and used it today. Far from impressed, It didn't hold it edge for more than 5mins. I thought I was buying a chisel that would fair better than my marples this is not the case. Read some were on the forum that the starting edge tends to be soft but gets tougher once you get past this. The edge of the chisel is brittle and has a burr on the back

 

[Trevanion]

I've also had a similar experience with them regarding the quality of the fit and finish.

• The chisel steel on mine was set about 1mm off centre to the handle, whilst not a large issue it's not like it's really difficult to get that process correct.
• The Ferrule (The brass part) is made of some really cheap inferior brass which once the chisel is given a little air moisture into the handle it cracks the ferrule rendering it pointless. It's been a long known problem with the Ashley Iles chisels and they've never fixed it.
• The side bevels on my chisel weren't ground evenly and one side was down to a sharp point whilst the other side had about 1mm of meat there, whilst they are hand ground I would expect somebody to look at the part once they've done it. "Hand ground without aid of jigs or fixtures" isn't really anything to be proud of in my opinion.
• Whilst the chisel steel certainly is hard to a degree it's not really any better than some cheaper options as far as edge retention.
• They also buffed the underside of the chisel for some reason with a buffing wheel which left a large curve right at the edge of the chisel which took quite a while to remove.
• The grinding of the chisel was also quite rough which I admit doesn't make much difference to actual use but it felt rough to the touch, I've got some old Stanley 5002 chisels which have a finer side bevel and a much smoother surface finish, which also seem to hold an edge better.

Whilst I'm sure if I approached Ashley Iles they would replace it without a problem but I shouldn't have to, it should be spot on every time for the price of them.

 

[richarddownunder]

That's a bit disappointing. I found initially one or two of my AI chisels didn't hold a good edge, I honed them down a fraction and they were fine after that so I wouldn't despair about that. Its just a 5 min sharpening job.

The problem with the side being ground to an asymmetrical sharp edge isn't acceptable in my view, and I'd make them aware of the problem. I'm sure they would replace them which is a hassle but better to get something you are happy with. I had one ferrule split of my set not long after I got them, the rest have been fine over a period of 10 years or so. I got mine from the USA so I thought it was possibly because the handles had been dried to a lower moisture content for that market - its pretty damp here in NZ. If yours have split, I'd send em back.

I'm surprised they have buffed them. That has been a criticism of other brands of shiny polished chisels as it rounds over the edges. I thought AI just left them ground.

The grinding, symmetry, fit and finish of my batch is very good, but they are the older type. I wonder if any others have had similar problems recently? I'd Let them know if you are not happy. They have an excellent reputation for service. I wrote to them about my 1 split ferrule and they send me a packet of replacements (to NZ) of which I have only ever used the one. I find my set a pleasure to use and I kind of like the idea of using a hand-made tool to hand-make something.

Everyone gets it wrong sometimes, it whether its put right that is important.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Harbo]

Send it back

I bought a set about 10yrs ago and they have been excellent.

Rod

 

[condeesteso]

Agree with disappointment. Slightly skinny handles, rather poorly finished and fitted ferrule, but above all, steel not great at all. I found edge retention rather poor.
Just ordered a set of 4 Luban (off the bay). The Isles will be sold on soon I expect.
Have an old set of Crown (not vintage, probably around '90s) - never been great.
When I ever find just one set of really good butt chisels I'll stop looking !

 

[richarddownunder]

Odd they should be so apparently variable. Mine have little dimples where they have been Rockwell tested - I understood they all used to be tested (and heat treated to Rockwell 61) and you'd think they would have the heat treatment right by now. Its not a complicated steel (as far as I know). I have just been using mine today (they are actually the bench chisels not butt). As mentioned, they work a treat but I have found they hold up better at a higher honing angle (30 degrees, not 25). It'd be interesting to hear how the Luban go, they do look nicely finished.

Cheers
Richard

 

[custard]

I found initially one or two of my AI chisels didn't hold a good edge, I honed them down a fraction and they were fine after that

+1

You hear complaints about chisels all the time, I tend to disregard them because you can't really judge any chisel until after it's had several honings.

 

[condeesteso]

I'll report back on the Lubans when I have them prepped, they need an edge put on but the primary grind is good.
I picked up a friend's AI dovetail chisel the other day, a 3/4 I recall. The edge was rolled - a noticeable burr on the bevel side. That isn't wear - it was a kind of deformation or tearing of the edge. That's exactly what my AI butt chisels do. I may try a deeper secondary, I mean a bit more than a fine line of reflection... if you follow.
On the Lubans I am not expecting miracles (with the steel) but I'll probably go about 32 degrees, as I use these almost entirely with a mallet. Basically, suck and see.
btw - why does no-one make a premium butt chisel, I mean really good steel and the right proportions, put together excellently? I looked at Veritas PM-V11 but they are NOT what I call butts, at about 7 1/2" - 8" long. I'd hoped for much better with the Isles.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

So ........... you have an issue with the steel, you have an issue with the finish and you have an issue with the handles and ferrules.
Why not buy some good old chisels - clean them up, grind to your own specification and make/get someone to make handles to your design? Not butts, but I did a set of LidldeeAldi's with London pattern padauk handles that were beautiful - they're yours, you have total design freedom.

 

[richarddownunder]

I'd be interested to hear how the new chisels perform compared with the AI. As mentioned, I don't think the AI chisels are made out of a miraculous material. It's high carbon, O1 steel I think, and you can't go too far wrong with hardening and tempering the stuff - heck, I can do it in my shed with a blow torch! There are plenty of discussions about the trade-off between brittleness, toughness ease of sharpening etc. e.g https://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articl ... ool-steel/
http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/ ... sel-steel/ . Veritas seem to be using
another steel, PMV11, but, like everything, there seem to be trade-offs https://woodworkingmasterclasses.com/di ... harpening/. Personally, I'd experiment with honing angle before ditching a tool. As mentioned, a slightly higher angle on my AI bench chisels and they work very well and are easy to sharpen to a razor edge. I fairly recently bought an expensive block plane as a bit of a treat. As the cryogenically-treated blade was supposed to be excellent, I honed it to 25 degrees (I think...whatever the recommended angle was anyway). It didn't hold an edge well at all. In disappointment, I wrote to the company and they suggested increasing the angle. It's been very good since.


Cheers
Richard