Ok, a little context up front. I just recently retired. I set up my 3 car garage and a little hobby wood shop. I have the basics in a table saw, band saw, jointer, planer, drill press, and combo sander. I also have some quality hand tools i.e. RO Sander, Jigsaw, and loose tenon mortiser. I have been happy creating some basic projects such as workbenches and and a BBQ rolling table etc. All good!
So I was creating some mortises the other day for another larger project and realized my one cheesy big store chisel is garbage. I would like to get a decent set of chisels, hand planes, hand saws, spoke and card shavers to add to the shop.
I realize this is a huge rabbit hole and the research I have done so far has left me more confused than ever. For one, as with most tolls the price range is immense. I certainly don't want to go the cheap route and my age and skill level doesn't warrant the top of the line tools.
So here I am basically asking where do I start? Again, thinking in terms of mid level pricing.
Is there a good set of basic chisels that are popular with hobbyists?
Same with hand saws and hand planes. What would you guys suggest as a starting set for both?
Basically I am just trying to pick your brains and see if there are mid level sets of these tools that will get me started? Just trying to avoid the pitfalls and mistakes others have made going down this rabbit hole. Where would you begin if you were to do it all aver again?
I have seen many shops with dozens and dozens of chisels, saws, and hand planes and realize you are only limited by your budget and imagination and the collection will certainly grow with time. With that said, I am just looking for a decent starting point.
Looking forward to your insight,
Craig