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joel Thompson
10-26-2009, 4:04 AM
hi guys,
i recently got a set of MHG but chisels from a company in the uk.
i needed a bog standard set of chisels that would work for general fine work on my musical instrument degree course.
the chisels arrived presented very nicely and first impresions were very good.
they got put a away until i had time to set them up and hone them.
when i got round to sorting them out the first thing to be changed was the handles.
they come from the factory over size and unfinished i presume so you can shape them to your own preferance which i did and throughly enjoyed doing it.
when i cam to hone the back i statred with smallest cisel.
all the chisels came looking nice with backs ground and and he primaray beval at 25%.
i started to hone the back on my norton 1000 grit water stone and imeadiatly noticed it was far from flat in fack there was a considerable back bow along the leangth.
i proceeded to try and hone this out on my 220 grit stone and after 2 hours was still knowwhere near the front edge.
so i moved on to the next chisel.guese what simalar problem this time there was a huge mis grind on the back and again it was not flat.
now i dont expect my chisels to be perfect from the factory and i expect to spend some time honing to get them in working order but this was silly.
anyway i managed to get this reasonably flat after abou 1 hour but i had to rock the over (as it rocked back on forth on a high spot) to get the tip honed.
i decided to go for the biggest chisel for the next one and as soon i stated honing i noticed something rather strange.
after only two strokes on the 1000 grit the very tip was honed perfectly but knowhere else.
great i thought this will make life easy for honing this one.
however i could understand why this was happaning.
i checked the back with starret square and there was a huge negative curve along the leangth of the chisel (something i could never hone out) i thought was strange and decided to leave the chisel and move on to the next in the set.
long story short(ish) the next two had the same problem.
i imeadiatly emailed the store i purchased them from and asked if this was a a fault or if they deliberatly honed the backs with a negative bow (I.E. the tip and the botton of the back contact the stone first) to facilitate honing.
they said they did not know but would contact the manufaturere.
the manufacterer i have to say were very good and awnsered back imeadiatly and said that no they should be perfectly flat and seemed pretty much mortified that this had happaned.
they said they would a new set to the seller and that they wanted my set back for quality control.
however another rpoblem i had with these chisels is that i just could not get them sharp however fine i polished the tip (and i like to think i am pretty good at honing blades and i can get my other chisels horrably sharp whith a system i have developed over the last 10 years of wood working).
i am wary as to weather i want another set of these chisels but at the same time feel i should give the benefit of the doubt.
i have also emailed the manufacturer direct with my problems and i am waiting to see if they offer a suitable outcome (so far i am out of pocket a set of chisels and shipping to and from the seller)
i am a university student and A, i really need a set of chisels i can use and B, i cant afford the added expence of returning chisels.

Advice please what should i do.
also has anyone else had problems like this with these chisels.
the reason i got them is becouse they had good reviews especialy from dieter shmit who,s reviews i really trust usualy.
http://www.fine-tools.com/stemmeisen.html
and even the review on this forum which is posative.

advice would great.
i am hoping the manufacturer will get a chance to see this (most will kepp up to date with the big forums) so it will be chance to get any problems you have had with these off your chest.

i am looking forward to feedback on this as i dont weather to say to the seller i just want my money back (as they have a replacment set now) or to give them another go.
i am tempted to just check out the new ones first but this has cost alot of vauable workshp time (i dont have my own shop at present so all honing and shaping has to be during my uni time) and i am tempetd to just cut my losses and get a set robert sorby,s which i know i like.

Thanks for reading let me know what you think,
Joel.

george wilson
10-26-2009, 9:06 AM
I wouldn't get the Sorbys. They are too soft. I am not familiar with the MHG chisels,but I'd get the money back. Some creekers can recommend a better butt chisel.

You need to use spell check as your post is somewhat hard to read.

Maurice Ungaro
10-26-2009, 10:44 AM
I have a set of MHG's, which I purchased from Hartville Tool. I got them on sale - like nearly 50% off, so if they are not perfect, I'm not out a great deal of money or time. Having said that, some folks here have had good luck, and some have had not so good luck with them. I get the feeling that quality control may be an issue with their production line. As for myself, I have not had a problem with mine, in fact, they came relatively sharp and flat out of the box.

Having been a student myself, I can appreciate your dilemma. If your retailer has the replacement set in stock, you may want to tell them that you'll try them, but if you decide to return them, that they pay the postage. If you want to try a different brand, I would suggest that you look at the Narex brand that both Highland Woodworking and Lee Valley carry. They received top score from FWW in a chisel review last year.

Good luck!

PS, the spell check is also going to help you in your academic endeavors.

jerry nazard
10-26-2009, 12:00 PM
Joel,

To remove a great deal of material quickly, I would start with 100 - 120 paper on a granite surface plate. I generally switch to stones after I have moved through 120 - 180 - 220 - 320 paper. I keep a shop vac hose w/brush attachment handy to keep the paper clean and clog-free. Good luck!

I also found your post difficult to read. Spell check is your friend!

-Jerry

george wilson
10-26-2009, 12:30 PM
Narex chisels are an excellent bargain.

Cliff Rohrabacher
10-26-2009, 12:56 PM
If you get your $$ back purchase one or two of the Lie Nelson Cryo treated A-2 chisels
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=521

I got a couple last year and I can't say enough nice things about them. I plan to get more.

Jerome Hanby
10-26-2009, 1:02 PM
I don't have any input on the chisels, but do have a question. If I get a set of these chisels and reshape the handles, haven't I passed the point where I can return them?

george wilson
10-26-2009, 2:10 PM
Yes,you can't expect them to take back altered tools!!!!! Get the NAREX. They have ugly handles,I think,but they are decent chisels at more than their low price. Narex also makes some super expensive machinist's tools. I have a $2500.00 Narek boring bar kit,and it is very nice indeed.

Change the handles on the Narex after you see if you like them. Then again,you may LIKE the handles. Several European makers use a similar handle.

Graham Hughes (CA)
10-26-2009, 4:52 PM
Narexes are superb for the price and very good judged in isolation. They have good steel (a bit much Cr-Mn for my taste but they take a good edge), are ground well, and at least both sets I've bought came with flat backs (one for me, one for Dad). I actually like the handles, but if you want to replace them then no biggie.

george wilson
10-26-2009, 5:50 PM
How did the Cr-Mn taste? Did it need salt?:)

Maurice Ungaro
10-26-2009, 6:17 PM
How did the Cr-Mn taste? Did it need salt?:)

It's better with hot sauce! :D

joel Thompson
10-27-2009, 1:55 AM
Guys i am very very badly dyslexic so please exuse my spelling.
i have a syndrome called cross lateral word blindness which means i can actulay not read black on white which means i pretty much have to guesse what i am writing.
Joel.

joel Thompson
10-27-2009, 2:30 AM
As for the return if you read the post i was going to keep them and cope with problems but just sent a query to the seller as to weather they were supposed to be like this.
they asked to send them back for quality control pourposes.
(we are talking a 0.5mm curve along the back of the chisel here).

i must say there is not one constructive post about the chisels themselves here (except maurice) except for ones about my spelling which pretty much not the issue.
i am not writing an essay so i dont feel the need to use my huge amount study aids (dragon speaks etc) that i have to use when writing for uni.
I know i miss words sometimes but even when i read something back i miss it becouse A, i know what i have written and B, its very hard for me see.

i also live in the uk and these chisels cost me nearly $120 for a 5 peice i expect more for that price.

i do use scary sharp for extream problem tools but i use 3m industrial lapping film which takes off meatl very fast on a peice of float glass.
i have sold guitar some of the best known british recording artists(edited for privacy porposes) so i have rather a lot of experience with tools here and i was expecting some proffesional constructive comments (about the chisels not my spelling) i must say i am disapointed and it only takes one person to point i can't spell thanks (i dident come here for a critique on my writing skills).

thanks for advice on the narex i will look at that but it may be too cost prohibative once i add on shipping to the uk and import duty.

i have a ordered a set of blue spruce dovetails with two small luthier chisels and two paring chisels for fine work the MHG chisels were supposed to be general work where i needed to get closer to the work peice.

by the way i can not find a spell check when i do this post (also i am british and we spell certain words differently here I.E the we use the queens english).
you have to realise i can not see what i am posting very well (even with my coloured overlays) so i am allmost writing blind without writing a draft in word with the help of dragon speaks and copy and pasting.

when it comes to my academic study's my study aids and 25% time increase on deadlines means i usualy get very high marks.

by the way i am 32years old (i get the impreasion a few of think i may be 12 becouse my spelling is bad)
my dyslexia (and dyspraxia) means that i am much more practacly minded hence doing a practicle bachalors of science instread of an english degree.
i am very highly edjucated (top english private boarding school) and have an I.Q. of 140 (the top 5% in the country) but my brain works in such a way i can not traslate my thoughts on to paper very well (not that i should have to explain my disability's here) and my sequential memory is very badly effected.

Thanks to all the people that gave constructive criticism on the chisels however.
Joel.

Caspar Hauser
10-27-2009, 4:07 AM
Joel, everyone has tried to be helpful.

Where do you live? It may be relevant.

As to the Queens English/American English, you will find Canadian English, Australian English, Southern African English and English as a second and third language here, it's not an issue, though it can be inadverently amusing. Personally I'm on a mission to return the letter U to its rightful place, damn that Noah Webster :-)

CH

george wilson
10-27-2009, 9:51 AM
I don't know what you mean that no one but Maurice was helpful. I,and some others,recommended Narex as a low cost alternative. Wasn't that helpful? Maybe I shouldn't waste my time making recommendations then.

Jerome Hanby
10-27-2009, 11:23 AM
I run Firefox, it spell checks for me, only gripe I have is that it doesn't identify the single lowercase 'i' as being misspelled.

Brian Kent
10-27-2009, 11:41 AM
Hey Joel,

Sorry we got on you about spelling. It's a non-issue.

Your reported experience about MHG chisels is appreciated. I have not tried them but have wondered how they are.

I have the Two Cherries chisels which are made on your side of the pond - may be less import tax issues. The highly polished chisels also have a slightly convex back from the over-polishing process but once flattened are great at edge holding. Others have recommended the Hirsch from the same factory and assembly line, or the non-polished line of Two Cherries without the rounding problem.

Brian