Should I bin my old stanley chisels and buy softer steel chisels

[gettingold]

I have my grandads old stanley chisels with plastic handles but I cannot get them sharp with a 1000 / 1200 diamond stone so I'm thinking of buying chisels with a softer steel so can someone recommend a brand to buy. If I do buy chisels with softer steel should I buy waterstones to sharpen them because you never see anyone on youtube with expensive chisels using diamond stones.

 

[johnnyb]

I'm not sure what you mean by this tbh. Are you saying your struggling to sharpen your grandads chisels? Those Stanley's are pretty decent chisels neither to hard nor to soft. They might be a struggle to sort out using just an oilstone if there battered maybe find someone with a grinder.

 

[johnnyb]

I like diamond stones as there flat and generally easy to use. Waterstones are OK as well but more trouble and mess(and expense)

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Well if you are going to bin them I have a bin here

 

[robgul]

I've just been sharpening my Stanley plastic handle chisels (set of 4, vintage 1969) having not used them for ages - no problem with diamond stones and a guide.

 

[deema]

Diamond is the hardest material, unless they are diamond blades, they will sharpen with a diamond stones. A 1K grit stone isn’t going to be taking off much material, so I’m guessing they are very blunt.

 

[Jacob]

Old chisels not likely to be especially hard. Easiest to sharpen freehand with oilstone. The standard for a beginner is the Norton IB8, double sided coarse and medium, all you need for almost all purposes
Don't fiddle with jigs, water-stones and other paraphernalia they're just for enthusiasts (there's a lot of them about! ).
The key thing is to bring up a burr then turn face down and take it off.
Also - don't wait until they are blunt, touch them up at regular intervals whilst in use. A little and often. Should be as sharp or sharper when you finish the job, as they were at the start. Not unlike sharpening a pencil if you were drawing a lot, and about as difficult.
PS are they the black handled 5001s? They are top of the range chisels. Laminated I think .

 

[Jameshow]

Could you not find a local carpenter or mens shed who will give them that initial sharpen and let you practice and then go one and use?

 

[Cabinetman]

it’s as @Jacob says, the problem is you are trying to rub metal away with something with no bite, like Jacob all I’ve ever used is the Norton combination stone he describes.
The Stanley chisels are perfectly good enough for anything I’ve ever wanted to make in more than half a Century of furniture making.
Ian