Yet another chisel thread

[jb94]

Hi,
I’m looking to get a decent set of bench chisels (I want them to last a long time and be quality) and been going round in circles!

I’m torn between the Sorby bevel edge with London pattern handles (which I find most comfortable handle compared to straight handles, but old reviews here say the steel quality isn’t great but they were 20 years ago posts and I’ve not seen more recent reviews).

Ashley isles MK II which I’ve heard fantastic things about on here recently, but have the less comfortable handle for me

or workshop heaven Victorian chisels https://workshopheaven.com/workshop-heaven-victorian-cabinetmakers-chisels-beech/ but I’ve not heard much about them.

Ive got a few vintage sheffield chisels so was thinking of filing in the gaps with a few missing sizes out from the above, but since becoming a dad don’t really have the time to restore any more old chisels as I want my workshop time to be spent making something rather than cleaning rust.

Can anyone help me on this? I don’t fancy buying twice / dealing with poor quality tools. Thanks.

 

[Eshmiel]

Hi,
I’m looking to get a decent set of bench chisels (I want them to last a long time and be quality) and been going round in circles!

I’m torn between the Sorby bevel edge with London pattern handles (which I find most comfortable handle compared to straight handles, but old reviews here say the steel quality isn’t great but they were 20 years ago posts and I’ve not seen more recent reviews).

Ashley isles MK II which I’ve heard fantastic things about on here recently, but have the less comfortable handle for me

or workshop heaven Victorian chisels https://workshopheaven.com/workshop-heaven-victorian-cabinetmakers-chisels-beech/ but I’ve not heard much about them.

Ive got a few vintage sheffield chisels so was thinking of filing in the gaps with a few missing sizes out from the above, but since becoming a dad don’t really have the time to restore any more old chisels as I want my workshop time to be spent making something rather than cleaning rust.

Can anyone help me on this? I don’t fancy buying twice / dealing with poor quality tools. Thanks.

Ashley Iles has a good service that will probably allow you to ask for and get different handles for your chisels than the standard put on to their sets. They make various handles so you may find a model that suits you. Have a look in the catalogue:

http://www.ashleyiles.co.uk/catalogue/Catalogue.pdf

Handles - page 46
Bench chisel -, pages 24 & 25.

Their handles aren't glued on, I believe, so can be removed with the tap-tap-tap of a small hammer, leaving a bare tang on which you can mount your own handles (buy or make) if you don't like any of the Iles handles.

*********
The Workshop Heaven "Cabinet Makers" chisels are Narex blades with Workshop Heaven's own handle design (turned in Sheffield, it says). They have small lands so are likely good enough for awkward jobs like paring dovetail 'oles.

I find Narex standard steel chisels as good as the likes of the Marples blue handle steel and without issues in use All of the Narex chisels I've bought (around a dozen of various kinds) have come in a decent state, needing a fettle but not much. Sometimes a back has a very slight hollow (not an issue, that) and they generally need to be sharpened a bit as well as honed. They don't need any grinding to (re) form the bevel or anything so drastic.

The Workshop Heaven Victorian items are likely to be very well finished, if my various past-buys from them are to go by.

 

[Lons]

I have loads of chisels which are used for varios work but my favourite fine work bench chisels are a set of 5 Narex Richter like these. https://workshopheaven.com/narex-ri...9q29iczFdZSMcmRu6zPNdvu0wuTq-TAgaAvzbEALw_wcB

I'd say if you're happy with the ones you're using then look for the missing sizes on ebay etc and complete the set over time. Not having them immediately won't stop you making things and in any case it can be very quick to do a basic refurb unless you buy items used for chopping out bricks.

 

[jb94]

Thanks for the replies,
What I’ve got already from left to right

A large 1 ½ unbranded bevel edge chisel for cleaning big tenons, but it’s poor quality steel and doesn’t keep an edge well. Needs replacing with something better and handle is badly cracked.

A ¾ footprint firmer which keeps a really nice edge and good for chopping out large amounts of waste. A keeper.

⅞ and ⅝ (I know odd sizes) Sheffield made bevel edges which are decent.

And a set of beater Irwin chisels which were my first set years ago but don’t hold an edge and I use them now for chopping stud wall etc.

I’d like to buy Sheffield / UK made tools if I can to try and support business close to home. I know the WH tools use a narex blade but I like to think I’m supporting a local business if I bought from them what with the handles being UK made.

Any thoughts on Sorby or Henry Taylor? Those are some other Sheffield brands I came across that still trade today.

 

[jb94]

Ashley Iles has a good service that will probably allow you to ask for and get different handles for your chisels than the standard put on to their sets. They make various handles so you may find a model that suits you. Have a look in the catalogue:

http://www.ashleyiles.co.uk/catalogue/Catalogue.pdf

Handles - page 46
Bench chisel -, pages 24 & 25.

Their handles aren't glued on, I believe, so can be removed with the tap-tap-tap of a small hammer, leaving a bare tang on which you can mount your own handles (buy or make) if you don't like any of the Iles handles.

*********
The Workshop Heaven "Cabinet Makers" chisels are Narex blades with Workshop Heaven's own handle design (turned in Sheffield, it says). They have small lands so are likely good enough for awkward jobs like paring dovetail 'oles.

I find Narex standard steel chisels as good as the likes of the Marples blue handle steel and without issues in use All of the Narex chisels I've bought (around a dozen of various kinds) have come in a decent state, needing a fettle but not much. Sometimes a back has a very slight hollow (not an issue, that) and they generally need to be sharpened a bit as well as honed. They don't need any grinding to (re) form the bevel or anything so drastic.

The Workshop Heaven Victorian items are likely to be very well finished, if my various past-buys from them are to go by.

I think if I were to get the AI I’d probably just keep the stock handles on for convenience / time saving, so really it comes down to if the AI are worth the slightly less comfortable handles for the better steel compared to Sorby / workshop heaven blades.

I did see that WH offers a lifetime guarantee on all of its items so it does give me a bit more confidence with their set.

 

[Bingy man]

Another option could be to purchase vintage chisels and stick with the design you prefer. There are usually lots on eBay but obviously condition could an issue.

 

[pidgeonpost]

Chisels, as with some other tools, can have a very personal connection. I bought a selection of Ashley Iles bevel-edge chisels with bubinga handles some years ago when I wanted to improve on my motley collection. They're nice to use, but have spent most of their lives coated in camelia oil in a drawer while the others do the bulk of the work. To be honest I find the handles on the AI ones a bit on the big side, but my hands are quite small.

 

[Cabinetman]

I started out with black plastic handled Stanley which were perfectly good enough at College when I was 20. Then I acquired an assortment of Boxwood Marples which have lasted me for years and I thought they were as good as I could ever want.
Then I left them in the uk when I came over here and I needed some chisels so I bought a set of Ashley Isles, they take an edge even better than the Marples and I can thoroughly recommend them.
That catalogue highlighted earlier was an eye opener, what a range! And a Twybil - no I hadn’t come across one either

 

[Eshmiel]

I started out with black plastic handled Stanley which were perfectly good enough at College when I was 20. Then I acquired an assortment of Boxwood Marples which have lasted me for years and I thought they were as good as I could ever want.
Then I left them in the uk when I came over here and I needed some chisels so I bought a set of Ashley Isles, they take an edge even better than the Marples and I can thoroughly recommend them.
That catalogue highlighted earlier was an eye opener, what a range! And a Twybil - no I hadn’t come across one either

If I wuz starting again today at the cabinetmaking I'd buy Ashley Iles chisels in preference to any others. Old tool qualities reborn. I wasn't really aware of them for years, despite them being made in the UK. In former times they seemed to have a low profile in the tools market place.

There's a couple of short videos (about 5 minutes each) showing the Ashley Iles manufacturing process. (Their catalogue is also complete with text descriptions of it, plus a bit of history). These vids were apparently commissioned by a US tools seller who have Iles as one of their lines.





That twybil is an old fashioned mortise digger used by coppice workers when making the likes of gates and hurdles. I came across one about 25 years ago when taking various how-to courses offered by a coppicing association in the South Cumbria woods. One of the teachers there, Maurice Pyle, eventually suggested to Iles that they make a modern one, as only ancient versions seemed available; and were rare. You had to find a defunct-coppice worker shed and do archaeology on it.

They're not a sophisticated tool and would be a bit useless on dried timber but for the relatively crude work of making a greenwood gate from coppiced lengths, they're effective.

 

[AJBaker]

I'll recommend my local brand. Pfeil makes some fantastic bench chisels that are also quite reasonably priced. They have a flattened octagonal grip made of elm that's a bit unconventional, but very comfortable. The steel is as good as anything else you're likely to find on the market, they take a great edge.

They're called Pfeil "carpenter chisels" (not a great name, since they're more for fine woodworking than carpentry).

Not from Sheffield, but still a great small business making high quality tools at a reasonable price.

 

[Lons]

I'll recommend my local brand. Pfeil makes some fantastic bench chisels that are also quite reasonably priced. They have a flattened octagonal grip made of elm that's a bit unconventional, but very comfortable. The steel is as good as anything else you're likely to find on the market, they take a great edge.

They're called Pfeil "carpenter chisels" (not a great name, since they're more for fine woodworking than carpentry).

Not from Sheffield, but still a great small business making high quality tools at a reasonable price.

My outright favourite for carving I have a number of their carving chisels.

 

[AJBaker]

My outright favourite for carving I have a number of their carving chisels.

Their factory is a 10 minute drive from my mum's, I've bought the odd tool straight from them. It's a nice small family run business.

I agree about their carving tools, they're great (though I don't know how to use them well enough). I once got lucky and came across a set of six Pfeil carving tools second hand for les than 20£!

 

[Lons]

JB94
I see you're in Rotherham. How desperate are you as if you can wait until November you should go to the Harrogate woodworking show where the choice is huge and you can handle them before buying. Apart from the new offerings (Ashley Isles usually have their own stand but I dont remember seeing then last year), there are several s/h dealers and literally hundreds of quality vintage to choose from, already restored ready to go.

 

[Lons]

Their factory is a 10 minute drive from my mum's, I've bought the odd tool straight from them. It's a nice small family run business.

I agree about their carving tools, they're great (though I don't know how to use them well enough). I once got lucky and came across a set of six Pfeil carving tools second hand for les than 20£!

That wasn't a purchase, you stole them.
Apart from full size I have a set of 12 of their palm chisels which are a joy to use.

 

[mark w]

I have a set of the Lie Nielsen chisels, a set of Sorby chisels and a couple of Ashley Isles chisels, all very good, for price to quality ratio I'd go for the Sorby chisels, I had very good service from Sorby a couple of years ago, all of the top hoops came off my chisel handles after about eight years of use. I contacted Sorby for some replacement hoops expecting to pay for them, they said send them back to them which I did, when they returned them to me to my astonishment they had replaced the handles and free of charge.

 

[CaptainBudget]

If you're happy with what you have and just want to fill in the gaps then I'd have a look through the Vintage Chisels on here:

https://www.tooltique.co.uk/

These are all vintage chisels that have had the restoration work done for you (though you will pay a bit more than Ebay, etc.). The restoration/refurbishment is extremely high quality and better than anything I could do; I've had a number of tools from them and they've worked better out the box than any brand new tool I was prevously able to afford...

You can also email them and say "I'm after this type/size of chisel with this kind of handle" and they'll email you when they're about to upload something that matches that description onto their website. Really lovely people.

 

[AJBaker]

That wasn't a purchase, you stole them.
Apart from full size I have a set of 12 of their palm chisels which are a joy to use.

True . Plus, they were basically new, still with the factory edge and stored in the original styrofoam box.

 

[jb94]

If you're happy with what you have and just want to fill in the gaps then I'd have a look through the Vintage Chisels on here:

https://www.tooltique.co.uk/

These are all vintage chisels that have had the restoration work done for you (though you will pay a bit more than Ebay, etc.). The restoration/refurbishment is extremely high quality and better than anything I could do; I've had a number of tools from them and they've worked better out the box than any brand new tool I was prevously able to afford...

You can also email them and say "I'm after this type/size of chisel with this kind of handle" and they'll email you when they're about to upload something that matches that description onto their website. Really lovely people.

Thanks that’s a really good tip off. They have a wide range of firmer chisels but very few bevel edges. I might pick up a couple for heavier duty clearing of waste when using a mallet cheers.
I’m planning for more precision cuts and I find the heavier firmers a bit difficult to hold perpendicular when cleaning up joints

 

[jb94]

JB94
I see you're in Rotherham. How desperate are you as if you can wait until November you should go to the Harrogate woodworking show where the choice is huge and you can handle them before buying. Apart from the new offerings (Ashley Isles usually have their own stand but I dont remember seeing then last year), there are several s/h dealers and literally hundreds of quality vintage to choose from, already restored ready to go.

Thanks, I did go to the Harrogate show last year but I was after other things so didn’t really look much into chisels there.