Chisels

[Richard Gillespie]

Just got back from a two week vacation to Missouri. Stopped in many "antique" shops. Found prices from reasonable to out of sight. To the point, found very few chisels. The only two nice ones were socket chisels priced at $60 and $35 for 1-1/2" and 5/8" respectively. Way too high in my opinion.

Are good chisels becoming more scarce?

[Casey Gooding]

I haven't found many chisels at antique malls. Seems Flea markets are a better place to find them. Certainly something to hunt for.

[Richard Niemiec]

They are out there at the flea markets, but again, over priced; rustbuckets have asking prices of $15 each for under 1" sizes, those in better shape sometimes more. You got to be in the right place at the right time.

[Bill Houghton]

Around here, handle-less socket chisels go for 50 cents to a dollar at garage sales, even nice clean shiny ones.

Kind of odd, considering how late this area was settled, that you can find a decent number of handtools in some areas, including where we live (yay).

[George Sanders]

Socket chisels are very scarce around here, even at yard sales. It's funny, as everything else seems to be in abundance.

[John Neel]

I noticed the same thing at antique malls. Planes, drill bits, braces, and many other miscellaneous tools are there, but not many chisels.

[Trevor Walsh]

I've experienced a lot of luck at some really big flea markets, some bargain bins, from people who don't usually have tools usually have them real cheap, $.50-$1 or 2. These are almost always unhandled, which I prefer. I pass right over anything with a tang and pull all the sockets, quickly checking to make sure I don't get any Handyman crap in there.

Recently I picked up a 1" Wetherby BEC for $2, a Foulton 1/2" socket Firmer for $1 and a 1/2" P. (or B.) S. and W. Co. socket Firmer destined to become a dovetailing chisel. They were all in great shape.

I still see a lot of chisels at other vendors, but they want more, $4-8 depending on size. If I see something I need I get them here, or if I see something really good. I do know of one dealer with a booth at the local A-mall that has outrageously priced stuff, $10-$20 chisels, no handles etc. most are nice and rust free, unscrewed up but that;s just too much. And the guy is an a$$, he yelled at me (while sitting on his butt across the booth) for taking the blade out of a woodie spokeshave to see if it was alright. He said "Those shouldn't be taken apart, they are antiques." I asked him how he thinks you sharpen them and walked out.

I've got a bit of a tutorial on THIS (http://twdesignshop.blogspot.com/2010/08/getting-handle-on-it-socket-chisels.html) link for those of you looking to make handles for your new friends. I think this is a much better route, compared to the prices of new quality chisels like LN's. For the price of one of those nice chisels you can have a pile-full of handlemaking fun.

Thanks for sticking with the longish post.
Trevor Walsh

[Gary Hodgin]

Maybe old chisels aren't as numerous because so many have been used to open paint cans and such, whereas there's not many other things to do with brace and bits, and hand planes. I've seen some badly treated chisels.
Also, some antique dealers might be afraid some nut will come along and cut himself and sue the owner.