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View Full Version : Mortise chisel help?



Will Brauneis
05-20-2009, 4:46 PM
I was looking for reasonable priced good quality mortise chisels and came across these ones from Traditional Woodworker http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com...ath/39_172_645 (http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/default.php/cPath/39_172_645)

They look to be very substantial chisels but I cant find any reviews on their performance. Does anyone have any info or experience with these chisels and their quality?

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/progress.gif

Sean Hughto
05-20-2009, 4:50 PM
I personally like this style much better:
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=MS-MORT.XX&Category_Code=TBMC

If you are interested in the oval bolstered style, but find the price prohibitive, vintage versions in user shape are routinely available on e-bay for much less.

Tri Hoang
05-20-2009, 5:10 PM
Ray Illes are pricy pigstickers but you don't need a whole set. A 1/4" or 5/16" would be a good starter. One needs to hold these to appreciate the balance, fit, and weight.

Will Brauneis
05-20-2009, 5:18 PM
Thanks for the suggestions but I'm working on a limited budget so i cant spend 140$ on 2 chisels, i would love to buy a high end chisel but cant justify it at this point. Ive kept my eye on EBay but nothing has really come up in the past few weeks. I have a few projects on hold and i just need a few good affordable mortise chisels to use.

Don C Peterson
05-20-2009, 5:46 PM
I can't say one way or the other on the Traditional Woodworker chisels, but I'm a big fan of the Ray Iles pigstickers. I don't have an unlimited budget either, so I bought the one I needed at the time and about 6 months later bought another one for a different project. As much as I like them, I have no plans to buy any more any time soon. It's just not necessary to have a whole suite of mortise chisels in my experience...

Barry Vabeach
05-20-2009, 6:14 PM
Will, sorry to join in to repeat Don, Tri, and Sean, but I suggest that you buy a Ray Iles from Joel. I bought a 1/4 years ago and it has served every need I had. Unless you are working a lot of material larger than 5/4, the 1/4 chisel will do a great job so you won't need to buy 2. Having two chisels that don't do as well as the RI is false economy. Few tools live up to their hype, the RI does. BTW, check with Joel to see if you can return it if you don't love it - it is a different style than the traditional mortise chisel and you may not like the feel of the handle, other than that, I would be suprised if you weren't thrilled with it.

Gary Herrmann
05-20-2009, 6:59 PM
You might also consider vintage chisels - if you're willing to spend a little time tuning them up. I've got a couple Union chisels and like them a lot. These look to be in decent shape and have been rehandled. They're on the bay: 320372462643

I'd bid myself, but I don't need any of those sizes.

Joel Moskowitz
05-20-2009, 7:15 PM
....check with Joel to see if you can return it if you don't love it - it is a different style than the traditional mortise chisel and you may not like the feel of the handle, other than that, I would be suprised if you weren't thrilled with it.

Standard policy on everything we sell mortise chisels included is that if you don't like it for any reason we will take it back and pay return shipping (US only).

James Carmichael
05-20-2009, 7:33 PM
I'll second the 1/4 or 5/16" recommendation, as well as the pigsticker style.

The ones on Traditional Woodworker look Continental. I've tried the style (Two Cherries), and it's a fine chisel, but I don't like the handles. I much prefer the English styles (pigsticker or sash).

If a single Ray Illes chisel is still too pricey and shopping for vintage bargains too time-consuming (as I find it these days), I'd take a look at the Hirsch mortise chisels from Lee Valley.

Cliff Rohrabacher
05-20-2009, 7:35 PM
Thanks for the suggestions but I'm working on a limited budget so i cant spend 140$ on 2 chisels,

Then spend $60.00 on the one you need now.

As some one stated you won't likely need more than one or two - ever - unless you get into odd stuff.

Barry Vabeach
05-20-2009, 9:45 PM
Will, I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but if Joel is offering to buy it back and pay the return shipping, you will probably be out less than $10 if you don't like it. OTOH, it has a D2 blade, which you won't find in an antique mortise chisel and it is ready to go. As to sizes, remember that the 1/3 is a rule of thumb, and you can stretch it some without much problem - so a 1/4 inch is the best for 3/4 stock, and IMHO should be fine for 4/4 and 5/4. 5/16 is probably too wide for 3/4 stock, so I would start and stop with the 1/4, unless you expect to do a lot of very thick stuff. Full disclosure, in a post some time ago I suggested that I was using the RI to chop some mortises and took a break and when I came back, the chisel had chopped several holes on its own - that was an exaggeration - at most it started chopping a hole or two but hadn't finished any while I was gone. Barry

Will Brauneis
05-21-2009, 2:16 AM
Ok ok you guys have convinced me, it must be a really good chisel if has all of your votes. Ill just get the 1/4" to start with (once they are in stock again) and mayby the 3/8 or 1/2 for table legs in a few months.

Thanks for all your input :)