Recomend me some chisels.

[Robert gree]

Im just getting into working with actuall "lumber" beyond dimensional and plywood/MDF sheet goods. And have been slowly collecting hand planes for years, I need a decent set of starter chisels. and a mortising chissel.

Budget sadly is about 100 bucks. If a fellow creeker has some forsale used thats fine to

[Jim Koepke]

Robert,

Welcome to the Creek and the Neander side of the plank.

What size mortising chisel do you need? The common wisdom on this is to mortise about 1/3 to 1/2 the wood's thickness. In other words, a 3/4 inch rail would have a 1/4 to 3/8 inch mortise and tenon.

Also, what kind of work will you be doing? Hand cutting and paring dovetails is one thing. Hand cutting stopped dados is something completely different.

Do you have sharpening equipment and the time to fix up used chisels, or do you want to start with better chisels? Do you have a bench grinder or other powered way to remove metal?

Do you have a lathe to make new handles if needed? That can definitely help in the acquisition of low cost used chisels.

Many often suggest a good idea to plan the project and buy the tools needed for the project. If you prefer to start with quality, it may be less immediate strain on the wallet to acquire one or two at a time as they are needed.

If you want to do a bunch of dovetail drawers for a cabinet, then I would suggest starting with a 1/4 inch and maybe a couple of skew chisels of about the same size. Dovetails can be cut without skew chisels, but they do make it a bit easier, especially if you want to make half blind dovetails.

If your first plan is to build a Roubo bench with a rising dovetail or intend to cut half laps in 2X4s, then you may want a larger chisel or two.

One last thought, it is easier to work a 1/2 inch area with a 1/4 inch chisel than the other way around.

jim

[David Gendron]

You can find realy good vintage chisels on the bay or tool dealers for not to expensive, a good mortising chisel would probably run in the 15 to 30 dollars. but for bench chisels, I'm sure you could find them for around $10 to $20 each depending on the condition. I realy like the Buck Brothers socket one. If you could put your hand on a older set of Marple Blue Chips, let say at least 15 years old, they are pretty decent chisls, at least mine are!

[Rob Young]

Im just getting into working with actuall "lumber" beyond dimensional and plywood/MDF sheet goods. And have been slowly collecting hand planes for years, I need a decent set of starter chisels. and a mortising chissel.

Budget sadly is about 100 bucks. If a fellow creeker has some forsale used thats fine to

I recently acquired the three piece mortise chisel set made by Narex. Sold several places, Google will find them. So far I'm quite happy with them except for the lacquer on the handles. That is easily fixed with some acetone.

You can also buy the Narex chisels individually. The 3 piece set is metric which may or may not cause difficulty. I also have a Record 044C with both the metric and imperial cutters so long term, shouldn't be an issue.

I have yet to bother with re-sharpening the chisels but so far all I've done is piddle around with them in some poplar and a little cherry. Nothing difficult. Word on the street is they do sharpen well and hold an edge. Mine are holding up OK except for one visible ding I accidentally caused in the 6mm chisel edge (oops). I've also just finished building a storage box since they do not come with one.

[David Gendron]

Just saw that on the bay item #200435401643 They look like the one I have starting price $10... You can't go wrong at that price!

[Robert gree]

i just got a set of irwin chisels for 60 it has 11 total. Got them from my Brother in law. ill turn some new handles for them.

Im doing through mortise joinery on my workbench, my mortises are .75"x3.5"

[Joe Mioux]

I have some Marples and some Pfeils.

There is a big difference between the two. Pfeils hold their edge better.

a 6 piece starter is around 150, I think, at Woodcraft.

[Jerome Hanby]

Narex bench chisels get good reviews and usually get the nod for best bang for the buck. I haven't touched them or seen any reviews yet, but that now have a set of Mortise chisels. From Highland, the bench's run about $60 and the mortise's about $40. Sounds like $100 to me:D.

[Richard Niemiec]

Set of five are within your budget, these got good reviews in the FWW article where Narex scored high, but somehow I think that LV would have consistent quality control.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30028&cat=1,41504,43500&ap=1

[Mark Stutz]

You don't really need a "set" of mortice chisels. Get a 1/4 and that will get you started on about anything you want to do by hand...doors, furniture, etc., then get other sizes if needed for a particular project.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Set of five are within your budget, these got good reviews in the FWW article where Narex scored high, but somehow I think that LV would have consistent quality control.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30028&cat=1,41504,43500&ap=1

I don't have a whole set of these chisels but I do have one (don't ask!). It is an ok chisel. It did require significant flattening. But it does hold an edge pretty well. What I don't like is the handle. It rolls on the bench.

[greg Forster]

Im doing through mortise joinery on my workbench, my mortises are .75"x3.5"[/QUOTE]


3/4" mortise is a drill and pare with chisel operation. I have 1/2" mort.chisels, maybe a 5/8", but 3/4" would be a huge chisel

[James Taglienti]

I have made some large pieces and never in my life cut a 3/4" mortise and tenon. The largest i've gone was 5/8" x 3" x 3" and that was on a 300lb farm table. and frankly i think those were oversized.

[Darnell Hagen]

If you have more time than money, auctions and pawnshops will have old, high quality chisels, but they will require some work to be serviceable.

My favourites are old Bergs, Jernbolagets, and Beavers. I've assembled a nearly complete set of Berg tangs for well under $10, from three different sources. Swans, Buck Bros., Champions, are all good, too.

Otherwise, older Marples Blue Chips are good for the money. They are the Ford Taurus of the chisel world, but they'll hold an edge and are fairly comfortable. I can't vouch for Irwins, though, I've never used them.

If you have an old Lee Valley catalog, find the item numbers from the chisels you want and give them a call. They may still have one or two in stock. I completed my set of Blue Chips well after they were discontinued.


http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s168/DarnellHagen/P1500713.jpg

[Larry Marshall]

Otherwise, older Marples Blue Chips are good for the money. They are the Ford Taurus of the chisel world, but they'll hold an edge and are fairly comfortable. I can't vouch for Irwins, though, I've never used them.

There's a big difference between them. I've had/used a small set of Maples for a long time (mine don't look as pristine as yours). Last year I decided to fill out the set and bought some of the Irwins. They're simply horrible and useful only for stirring paint.

Cheers --- Larry

[Darnell Hagen]

(mine don't look as pristine as yours)


They've been stashed away for a decade while I use up my employers. ;)

[Bob Easton]

Another vote for the Narex chisels.

I have been using the basic set of 4 bench chisels for a couple of years. They hold up well and hold an edge well. Yes, there are probably others (far more expensive) whose benefits I don't appreciate, but these were priced within my budget and I'm quite pleased with them.

[Joe Mioux]

you guys really like Marples? just askin'

[Adam Johan Bergren]

I have this set:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=49989&cat=1,41504,43500&ap=1

and they are a great starter set. $80 for a full set, and they seem to hold an edge fairly well. Certainly there are better chisels, but these are a great value. They even won the "best value" award in a recent fine woodworking review.

[David Gendron]

Joe, I like mine, but like I said, they are the pre-Irwin ones and they have been great. I also have a set of LN,since every body is in love with LN tools and thinking they would be better than my blue chips, but other than being pretyer...

[Jon Toebbe]

They're simply horrible and useful only for stirring paint.
Really? That's disappointing -- Blue Chips have been the standard recommendation for "decent, inexpensive starter chisels." :( It's a shame that Irwin is trashing that (modest) good name. Well, there's always someone around who can make a product a little bit worse for a little bit less... :rolleyes:

I got started with a set of Marples, and recently upgraded to the Ashley Iles MkII. What a nice set of chisels! Not jaw-droppingly expensive, excellent edge retention, nice and slender side-bevels, quick and easy setup. The Narex didn't feel too comfortable in my hands, but picking up an AI feels like slipping on a custom fitted glove -- just right! :D

[Jonathan McCullough]

This is a good thread. My experience has been with some -- gasp -- old plastic-handled Stanleys I bought fifteen years ago for an apartment project. They're not bad paring chisels, as far as I can tell, but I'll be getting new ones soon for one reason and one reason only: The handles are round! Every time I sneeze one of those chisels is rolling off the bench and on to the cement garage floor. Just like buttered bread, they always fall sharpened-side down, and usually on a corner so that corner chips right out. What a headache. So I think next time it will be chisels with perhaps oval, lay-flat handles like those English pigsticker mortise chisels, or octagonal handles like the classic London-type paring chisels.

[Graham Hughes (CA)]

I have a set of Narexes and liked them enough to buy another set for my Dad. They do roll around a bit, but they're excellent steel. No experience with the mortisers.

[Neil Brooks]

Just got my Narex set, a couple of weeks ago.

So far ... so good. Seemed like a pretty fair price, too!

[Callan Campbell]

I take it not too many people like the "post" Marples/Record chisels put out by Irwin? When did Irwin take over the operations?. I bought my set in the early/ mid 90s

[Randal Stevenson]

I take it not too many people like the "post" Marples/Record chisels put out by Irwin? When did Irwin take over the operations?. I bought my set in the early/ mid 90s

I THINK it was around 5-7 years ago (post 2000). They first changed the handle to say Irwin, instead of Marple, then started having the blades made over in China.

Around the time they did, I noticed Sears selling blue Footprint chisels that were made in Sheffield. (wonder how they compare to the Marples)

[David Gendron]

Robert, have a look in the Classified, there is a set of AI MkII for sale, a set of 5 chisels!
Might be a good buy, I don't know!

[James Scheffler]

I THINK it was around 5-7 years ago (post 2000). They first changed the handle to say Irwin, instead of Marple, then started having the blades made over in China.

Around the time they did, I noticed Sears selling blue Footprint chisels that were made in Sheffield. (wonder how they compare to the Marples)

I have a set of the Irwin chisels that I bought probably 3 - 4 years ago. They say made in Sheffield, so I guess I got them in the nick of time. :) The steel seems ok, but I don't have any really good chisels to compare to. They get dull a little quicker than I wish they would.

Jim

[brian c miller]

+1 for the narex chisels.

They aren't ready to go out of the box but after a little work they sure are nice.

I am thinking about going back for the mortise chisel from highland.

[Larry Marshall]

you guys really like Marples? just askin'

I like MY Marples chisels, but they were bought more than a decade ago. The new ones, with the yellow Irwin label on them look similar but in operation they are not.

Cheers --- Larry

[Matt Schuman]

I THINK it was around 5-7 years ago (post 2000). They first changed the handle to say Irwin, instead of Marple, then started having the blades made over in China.

Around the time they did, I noticed Sears selling blue Footprint chisels that were made in Sheffield. (wonder how they compare to the Marples)


I've got a set of the Sears blue Footprint chisels. 11 chisels for something like $45 on sale a couple years ago. Made in Sheffield, and they seem to be decent. I don't have anything nicer to compare, but they sharpen up well and hold an edge OK