Looking for high end chisel set...

[David Eisan]

Hello everyone,

People are asking me what I want for Christmas. They know I have most everything I could need/want. I am thinking I might ask Santa for a new set of chisels. I currently have the Lee Valley boxed set of chisels and I am reasonably happy with them. I did buy a single 1/4" wooden handled Marples that I ground to 3/16 and rounded for doing dovetails and it seems better than my Lee Valley set for staying sharp and not rolling an edge. While I did buy it at LV a couple of years ago, I just checked and they don't seem to carry them anymore.

What are people opinions on what to buy in a high end chisel set?

Thanks,

David.

Every neighbourhood has one, in mine, I'm him.

[Steve Beadle]

David, I've heard that the new Lie-Nielsen chisels are high end.
By the way, have you ever given thought to the notion that the 3/16" Marples chisel seems sharper simply because it takes less effort to take a shaving with it? Any chisel that is narrower would seem sharper, I would think, simply because it presents less area to the wood, and therefore takes less pressure. Just a thought . . . .:)

[Tom LaRussa]

What are people opinions on what to buy in a high end chisel set?

David,

You really should post this in the Neanderthal forum.

With that said, if you want "high end" chisels, think Japanese.

Check these beauties out: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=toolshop&Category_Code=TBJ

HTH,

Tom

ps When you get a look at the prices, :eek: keep in mind that you are the one who said he was looking for high end! :D

[Bob Smalser]

For real top of the line without marketing gimmicks, I'd look to compliment the bench chisels I already had rather than replace them, and in a chisel I'd stay clear of A2 steel, as it doesn't take quite as good an edge as carbon.

Look at these 20-degree bevel long parers from Sorby thru Highland or Lee Valley:

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/chisels/85s0301g1.jpg

And these Barr Quarton's forged the old fashioned way:

http://www.barrtools.com/assets/Tools/cabinetmakers.jpg

http://barrtools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BST&Category_Code=CMCS

[scott spencer]

Hi David - I know very, very little about good chisels, but did want to pass on second hand information from Hart Tool about MHG chisels. They ranked them comparable to Two Cherries chisels for 20-30% less. They're made in Germany.

http://www.mhg-tools.de/indexe.html
http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11710

[Mark Singer]

The Barr chisels that Bob mentioned are great, a friend of mine has them . The Ashley Iles (The Best Things) or Hirsch(Lee Valley) are both very good.

[Thomas Walker]

Fine Woodworking did a review on chisels a couple of years ago. They tested for hardness, and ability to hold an edge - which surprisingly they showed were not the same.

Anyway, high end japanese chisels did well, but were very expensive. They listed chisels from "Two Cherries" out of Germany as a high end chisel "best buy".

That's what I purchased and have been very happy with them. They come polished so they're beautiful to boot.

TL