Yet another chisel thread

[Gus900]

I splurged the cash on a set of Narex Richter chisels to replace the cheap set I bought when I started out. They are beautiful. Not cheap but good value and I expect them to last a lifetime.

 

[johnnyb]

I have very definite ideas on this, basically I like sheffield made Stanley's with the grey and yellow plastic handles. Footprints are good but rust badly. Plastic handles mean I can hit them with a hammer. Decent steel. Cheap so I'm not over precious.

 

[johnnyb]

Stanley Dynagrip Chisels Need Sharpening
Search on ebay for examples.

 

[AJBaker]

I have very definite ideas on this, basically I like sheffield made Stanley's with the grey and yellow plastic handles. Footprints are good but rust badly. Plastic handles mean I can hit them with a hammer. Decent steel. Cheap so I'm not over precious.

I like the idea of wooden handles, but I still find myself reaching for my old EA Berg chisels with the dark red plastic handles. They're just so light and handy, easy to sharpen, comfortable, and tough. Plus, they must have made millions of them, so they aren't too expensive on the second hand market (though a lot of them have been abused...)

 

[johnnyb]

They've got large ends for hitting(unlike blue chips which I tend to give glancing blow) the steel must have some chromium as they don't rust much, more just tarnish. The steel is much better than blue chips which are a bit variable. Small lands and delicately ground. Only buy those identical to the ebay ones as there sheffield made as its printed on. Best of all there usually cheap*(£10 or less for 3 or even 5)

 

[johnnyb]

I can't recommend any other stanley chisels as I've not tried them the new dynagrips especially look very clumsy and aren't made in Sheffield.
Footprints are very good the red handled bevel edgers are actually nice and thin, quite short which i like and the steel is super but being like 1095 they pit and rust terribly.
Without a doubt the best steel is japanese, those suckers take an amazing edge but I've always been to precious with them to use them properly. Which is a failing common to all chisels over £40 each! Those pmv11 veritas wouldn't work for me....

 

[johnnyb]

Those narex richters look nice but there over long for me. Also the wooden handles mean I cant t@#t them with the cold steel! There way to lovely to use.

 

[Gus900]

I use a trad wooden mallet on the Richters but am not afraid to give them a proper wallop when needed

 

[Eshmiel]

I have very definite ideas on this,........

Dangerous habit, that: definite ideas. Nearly as bad as harbouring certainties! One may end up fighting the world and everything in it, just to keep the inner dogmas content.

 

[Eshmiel]

Those narex richters look nice but there over long for me. Also the wooden handles mean I cant t@#t them with the cold steel! There way to lovely to use.

Why would you want to hit a woodworking chisel with a steel hammer? There are all sorts of mallets that are much more effective, you know. Its also easier to make yer own wooden mallet than to forge a steel one.

What if you want a knocker or a beetle to hit your huge gouge with when making a greenwood bowl!? Instead of a lump of branch you'll have to use an old kettlebell, which may just turn your big chisel handle into spelks. It'll hurt more when you drop it yer foot an' all.

Cuh!

 

[AJBaker]

Why would you want to hit a woodworking chisel with a steel hammer? There are all sorts of mallets that are much more effective, you know. Its also easier to make yer own wooden mallet than to forge a steel one.

What if you want a knocker or a beetle to hit your huge gouge with when making a greenwood bowl!? Instead of a lump of branch you'll have to use an old kettlebell, which may just turn your big chisel handle into spelks. It'll hurt more when you drop it yer foot an' all.

Cuh!

In Japanese woodworking, for example, it's the norm!
Even "English Woodworker" Richard Maguire likes using a metal lump hammer: https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/you-may-cringe/

 

[jb94]

In Japanese woodworking, for example, it's the norm!
Even "English Woodworker" Richard Maguire likes using a metal lump hammer: https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/you-may-cringe/

I guess if you like mushroomed chisel tops this one is for you

 

[jb94]

Spotted this nice set on fleabay for £100, £12.50 a chisel… worth a punt?
They would need cleaning up a bit and new handles putting on, to get these new would be nearly £500.

Seller says they’ve been in storage for 30 years so seems they’re before the time of the so called ‘cheese quality’ that gave sorby a bad rep on this forum some time ago?

I did look at the unhandled Ashley iles, just over £100 for set of 4: ¼, ½, ¾, 1 with 4-6 week production wait.

 

[jb94]

Why would you want to hit a woodworking chisel with a steel hammer? There are all sorts of mallets that are much more effective, you know. Its also easier to make yer own wooden mallet than to forge a steel one.

What if you want a knocker or a beetle to hit your huge gouge with when making a greenwood bowl!? Instead of a lump of branch you'll have to use an old kettlebell, which may just turn your big chisel handle into spelks. It'll hurt more when you drop it yer foot an' all.

Cuh!

Agree with this, a wooden mallet in the hand is much lighter, and makes a lot less noise than metal

 

[Eshmiel]

I guess if you like mushroomed chisel tops this one is for you

The EWW seems to be admitting that he grabbed that lump hammer for want of anything else. I have a friend like that - his mantra is that the best tool for any task is the nearest one. He has been caught hammering a chisel with the butt of his electric drill, despite the cost of batteries! It's not his chisel handle tops that get mushroomed.

The Japanese may use steel hammers but they are careful folk with respect for what they hit. We Sais are not really to be trusted with a lump hammer. Well, I'm not. I keep one for smashing them smart phones, should anyone be daft enough to bring one into the shed.

Anyroadup, despite having countless steel-headed hammers dangling from me pegboards, for purposes I've yet to discover (other than buying them in junk shops and tarting them up) I want several wooden mallets too, not least because I like making them. When I get better at carving, I may make one with a head shaped like Mrs Thatcher's, out of a piece of that ironwood that no one else wants because of all the knots. (I'll smooth off her spelks). Its that hair that'll be the difficult part to carve (and perhaps the haughty red-queen expression).

 

[johnnyb]

I'm not saying wood handles are a bad thing really. There just impractical compared with a plastic handle and a hammer. Mallets feel a bit fluffy. I've got a lignum bowling ball mallet for my carving chisels and that's a bit fluffy. But I prefer both the feel of hitting a chisel with a hammer and not taking another hitting stick anywhere. I also appreciate how robust plastic chisels are. Never loosening or splitting or falling off. I never let the sheer beauty of a box London pattern distract me from what these things are meant for.

 

[jb94]

I'm not saying wood handles are a bad thing really. There just impractical compared with a plastic handle and a hammer. Mallets feel a bit fluffy. I've got a lignum bowling ball mallet for my carving chisels and that's a bit fluffy. But I prefer both the feel of hitting a chisel with a hammer and not taking another hitting stick anywhere. I also appreciate how robust plastic chisels are. Never loosening or splitting or falling off. I never let the sheer beauty of a box London pattern distract me from what these things are meant for.

Agree with the message that tools are tools - but I have to say the London pattern (or whatever it is I’ve got with a rounded end) just feels so comfortable in the hand

 

[johnnyb]

And for a carefully molly coddled set of shop chisels I totally agree with your thoughts. But most every wooden chisel ive seen are split and damaged, even the brass ferrules split. I'm a huge fan of japanese nomi in general, just look like they mean business to me. I've got a lovely edwardian set of herring carvers with handles sized to each gouge. There unferrulled rounded hex shape and they are the best, having leverage to twist a gouge is a real benefit. I use them with a lignum beater fine.