What Chisels

[orangetlh]

Hello everyone. I have decided that i would like to buy a new set of chisels and was just wodering, what kind of chisels you all use and how well you rate them. I am looking for a set dedicated to the finer cabinet making. I have a set of the stanley blue plastic handled chisels at the moment, although they are very good and strong, because i also work on site they they normally end up being used for cutting bumps out of walls and just generaly abused as most tools end up being on site.

I have looked at the kirschen sets, and also a bahco set that i have seen in our local tool shop. They look very good and well polished but i dont know how good the steel is. I would also concider japanese tools but i will have to think of a way the apprentice and trainee cant get their hands on them! Memories of a lovely japanese ikademe saw being used to cut battons off a wall, blade ended up s shaped.. was not happy!

 

[JesseM]

I recently bought a set of 2 cherries chisels replacing a set of marples. They have been good to me so far. Be aware the polishing process can hollow some areas. Mine were polished but I don't seem to have any trouble spots. One small annoyance is the lacquer they put on the blades. You have to remove it before sharpening or you risk clogging your stone. I use mine for hobby woodworking so I can't speak to their professional use.

 

[Chris Knight]

Two Cherries get the popular vote for modern chisels at a reasonable price. Ashley Iles for a rather more expensive set and Lie Nielsen if you can afford them.

Another alternative is not to worry about a matched set and instead buy older chisels that are easily found (Ebay, boot sales etc) and usually of excellent quality (steel-wise). As long as the back of the blade is not pitted they clean up well and can be re handled if necessary. Look for blades that say "Cast Steel" on them (this refers to the way the steel itself was made, not how the chisel was formed).

Apart from steel quality - which is often better than modern chisels, the big advantage of older chisels is that they were usually shaped better for their intended purpose than most modern ones. Thus bevel edged chisels have a fine, thin bevel that can be used for eg cleaning out dovetails. Modern chisels often have cross between a firmer and a bevel edge which is not so useful, although of course a grinding wheel can be used to create a suitable bevel if need be.

 

[Philly]

Orange
Try searching the forum for "chisels"-there is a lot of info there for you. The Ashley Isles come well recommended too.
Cheers
Philly

 

[Anonymous]

Orange, I have 2 cherries and Ashley Ilses. AI are much better chisels although the 2 cherries are good.

Mine are here here

 

[orangetlh]

thank you everyone. I think i might buy one of the 2 cherries and see how it goes before buying the set. Also can you give me some information on where i can buy Lie-neilson and ashley isles chisels? I have always wanted to get something of the Lie-neilson quility and i dont use hand planes enough to justify the cost, so chisles might be more apropriate.

 

[Howjoe]

Hi,

Try:

http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalo ... isels.html

I bought some AI chisels. Very pleased.

Cheers,

Howard

 

[ByronBlack]

I'm a kirschen fan and think the 1101 set that I bought are excellent value for money, easy to sharpen and hone and are easily one of my most used and favourite tools. I can totally recommend them.

 

[orangetlh]

hmm decisions decisions. Tony i see you have some japanese chislels on your rack. How do you find working with those and how would you comapre them with the Ashley Iles?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi oange

Indeed I do have some Japanese chisels. They are great for chopping out. in fact, I used them all afternoon today whilst cutting the dovetails for a cabinet. The japaneses ones I have came from Dieter Schmidt and are excellent (and cheap). They hold an edge forever and take one **** of a pounding. The AIs are a more refined tool . For instance, I used the japanese chisles today to cut the waste out of the DTs and gave them a right old pounding and then I used the AIs to pare away any excess wood.

My general rule is to use the AIs for paring or chopping out small amounts and the japanese when I am doing some serious chopping.

The draw-back with the jpanese chisels is the length of the blade (very short), however, they hold an edge for longer than the AIs which in turn hold an edge for a lot longer than the 2-cherries.

On the whole, I rate my AIs as my best chisels and use them 10 times more than the japanese which I use 10 times more than the 2-cherries.

 

[ByronBlack]

maybe there are some quality control issues as I used some AI's at a course, and I would say that after a couple of sharpening the 2xCherries held an edge equally well than the AI's, and this was sharpning/honing on the same set of oilstones.

 

[orangetlh]

Thanks tony. I always assumed that the japanese chisels were for very fine work and couldnt take a bashing. Perhaps i should buy some of those for site work! I just rememberd today that i have got 4 Robert Sorby hexaganal handled chisels that i bought when i first started college but i have never used them :shock: I never took them in as our treacher said if you spend more than £30 on chisels you were just a snob! How wrong was he when you concider how poor quality cheaper chisels are. Will dig them out today, scrape the rust up and give them a sharpen on my brand new Tormek.... (gloat) By the way if you want perfect chisels and plane irons everytime i would seriously concider investing in a tomek!

 

[ByronBlack]

Tormek's are great - but I think there is real value in learning to sharpen by hand, i've yet to manage to get a better edge on my chisels and planes than when I use waterstones. I used my brothers tormek for a while with a number of jigs, and could never get as good an edge. But, each to their own!

 

[orangetlh]

i generaly only use the tormek to grind a bevel and put a secondary bevel on by hand with waterstones. the only ones i dont do this to are any chisles 6mm and under and my shoulder plane wich i only use one bevel. As i havnt always got my stones on hand the second bevel makes it easier just to touch up the cutting edge. Sharpening by hand is certainly an art, one i am just about getting used to.

 

[ByronBlack]

I think you have a point with the narrow chisels though - very easiy to grind a hollow into the stone, i'm still having to perfect a technique for those.

 

[gcpt]

you would find the LN's are top drawer. Great value at $50 a piece. I have some quality chisels and the Ln's are every bit as good at a fraction of the price.

take care,

Gordon

 

[Philly]

Welcome to the forum Gordon!
Not often someone says the L-N chisels are great VALUE-the exchange rate doesn't do us too many favors there :lol: But the L-N chisels are certainly great chisels.
Cheers
Philly

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Great value at $50 a piece.

:shock:

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Scott]

:lol:

Welcome aboard Gordon!

 

[gcpt]

The LN"s chisels when compared to the better quality japanese chisels which cost up to $500 a piece represent great value for money. In my view the Ln's are better designed: sharp bevel instead of the more traditional verical sidewall. The benefit of a kife edge bevel is that it is easier to clean out dovetails.

You think your exchange rate is bad. What about our Canadian loonie?

cheers,

Gordon in Calgary.