I need new skew bench chisels, please help me choose

[Dave Gaul]

I aquired a set of Garrett Wade skew bench chisels not so long ago. Really put them to use for the first time this passed weekend. I immediately found the value in their functionality, but the metal on these particular chisels was extremely soft... using them on hard maple litterally BENT the edge!!

I got them fairly cheap (slightly used), and now I think I know why!

So, I would like to replace them very soon... was thinking of one of these two...

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/26mm-1-Pair-of-Skew-Bevel-Edge-Chisel-by-Two-Cherries/productinfo/500-1925/

or

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=47806&cat=1,41504

Any suggestions? Others in this price range or lower to consider?

[del schisler]

I aquired a set of Garrett Wade skew chisels not so long ago. Really put them to use for the first time this passed weekend. I immediately found the value in their functionality, but the metal on these particular chisels was extremely soft... using them on hard maple litterally BENT the edge!!

I got them fairly cheap (slightly used), and now I think I know why!

So, I would like to replace them very soon... was thinking of one of these two...

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/26mm-1-Pair-of-Skew-Bevel-Edge-Chisel-by-Two-Cherries/productinfo/500-1925/

or

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=47806&cat=1,41504

Any suggestions? Others in this price range or lower to consider?

here are some good one's form Richard Raffan You will have to a search. Richard Sorby and Robert Sorby are 2 more. That are good . I have some from richard sorby and those hold the edge real good. May cost but can't beat the quality

[Jim Koepke]

I made my own from some old Witherby chisels.

jim

[Pat Zabrocki]

+1 - find some nice old flea market finds with good steel and make 'em the way you want 'em.
pat

[Ken Garlock]

Do take a look at Allan Lacer's website (http://www.alanlacer.com/). You can buy a Lacer skew for the same price as on other sites, but remember you are paying Allan directly, not a bunch of middlemen. Allan is an easy man with which to deal. I ordered a skew, a video, and a diamond sharpening stone. He dropped me an Email telling me that the stone wass late from the maker. He said he would ship the other items and not bill me until the sharpening stone shipped.

[Mike Henderson]

I've never found a place where I really needed a skew chisel (except dovetails). What uses do other people find for them?

Mike

[David Weaver]

I have the pair of veritas skews. I've had two-cherries chisels before.

The T-C chisels are harder than the veritas chisels. Maybe rob lee could confirm, but I would guess that the veritas chisels are probably high 50s hardness, or maybe I've just been rough with mine.

In general, I like the design of lighter chisels more and think the two cherries are a bit clunky if you're going to use them one-handed.

Either would be fine, but if I were going to do skews again, I'd just make my own out of 1/8th or 3/16th O-1 steel, or find decent old chisels for cheap and grind them (that's maybe more likely). I'm not exactly a tightwad on tools, so I could be subject to some criticism for saying this, but I wouldn't want to spend $80 on a pair of skews when even a heavy marking knife design could do the work.

You're probably not that far from tony seo's shop in nesquehoning, right? That being a relative term compared to how far away I am. I would imagine you could come up with a pair of 1/2 chisels you could easily grind into skews.

[David Weaver]

I've never found a place where I really needed a skew chisel (except dovetails). What uses do other people find for them?

Mike

That's all I'm aware of.

[David Weaver]

Do take a look at Allan Lacer's website (http://www.alanlacer.com/). You can buy a Lacer skew for the same price as on other sites, but remember you are paying Allan directly, not a bunch of middlemen. Allan is an easy man with which to deal. I ordered a skew, a video, and a diamond sharpening stone. He dropped me an Email telling me that the stone wass late from the maker. He said he would ship the other items and not bill me until the sharpening stone shipped.

Those are turning skews, aren't they?

[Bill Dieckman]

Another option is offered through Tools for Woodworking (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=IL-2.XX&Category_Code=&Search=skew) from Ashley Iles

[Dave Gaul]

You're probably not that far from tony seo's shop in nesquehoning, right? That being a relative term compared to how far away I am. I would imagine you could come up with a pair of 1/2 chisels you could easily grind into skews.


Had no idea who Tony was... found his site... very interesting! He is about 1.5 hours NNE of me... will have to keep his site & store in mind!

[David Weaver]

I haven't been there, but the in-laws are about an hour away. I've ordered from him on ebay when I've wanted something he has. He is the *only* person I've seen on ebay with a steady stream of reasonably priced carving tools that are in decent shape.

[Dave Gaul]

I've never found a place where I really needed a skew chisel (except dovetails). What uses do other people find for them?

Mike

I was using them to mortise in knife hinges for a door on a small night stand for my daughter. My mortise chisel was way to large to fit in the frame, and I just couldn't get a comfortable shot with a standard bench chisel... the skew chisels made it very nice to get a good angle on the cut.

They have also come in handy in other tight spots for clean-up type work...

[James Owen]

Take a look at the Lie-Nielsen skews. Like the L-N bench chisels, they are made with very thin side edges, which allows you to get into very tight places without damaging the adjacent wood.

[David Weaver]

I was using them to mortise in knife hinges for a door on a small night stand for my daughter. My mortise chisel was way to large to fit in the frame, and I just couldn't get a comfortable shot with a standard bench chisel... the skew chisels made it very nice to get a good angle on the cut.

They have also come in handy in other tight spots for clean-up type work...

Perfect invitation to get some thin O1 stock, make whatever you want as small as you want or shaped however you want - with a hacksaw and file, and then heat treat it with a mapp torch and some cooking oil.

[Mike Henderson]

I was using them to mortise in knife hinges for a door on a small night stand for my daughter. My mortise chisel was way to large to fit in the frame, and I just couldn't get a comfortable shot with a standard bench chisel... the skew chisels made it very nice to get a good angle on the cut.

They have also come in handy in other tight spots for clean-up type work...
I've put in a fair number of knife hinges with standard bench chisels and never had much difficulty. The mortise is not very deep because the hinge is only maybe 1/8" thick. It's usually end grain but a sharp regular chisel seems to work fine for me.

Certainly if a skew works better for you, that's what you should use.

My experience with skews is that they get so little use that you can make them from inexpensive chisels - just grind them to whatever skew angle you want. I've used the Irwin blue handle for 1/4" skews for dovetails.

Mike

[Dave Gaul]

I've put in a fair number of knife hinges with standard bench chisels and never had much difficulty. The mortise is not very deep because the hinge is only maybe 1/8" thick. It's usually end grain but a sharp regular chisel seems to work fine for me.

Certainly if a skew works better for you, that's what you should use.

My experience with skews is that they get so little use that you can make them from inexpensive chisels - just grind them to whatever skew angle you want. I've used the Irwin blue handle for 1/4" skews for dovetails.

Mike

Mike, my issue was clearance. I only have a full length 1/4" mortise chisel. It is too large to fit inside the frame that I was installing the hinges on. I should have made the mortise before gluing up the frame.

I am quite new to hand tool use. My best bench chisels as of now are the blue marples from a borg. I have an older set of buck bro or stanleys from the borg, I may grind them skew and see how that works.

I also like David's idea of making my own.. sounds fun!!!

[John A. Callaway]

I have the Lee Valley set you linked too... I like them ALOT. They feel really good in the hand, and you can just tell they are made well. Money well spent.

I would never attempt to take a mallet to them though. They are hand pressure only, and that is okay.

however... I have started buying Two Cherries bench chisels a few at a time...to replace my cheap Irwin set. I am quite fond of them... but like most chisels... the edge or sides of the chisels is too tall for some work done at angles...like dovetailing...but all in all... I really like the way these fit and feel in the hand. you can instantly become aware these are good tools. If you need a skew chisel that can take a light tap from a mallet... the two cherries brand gets my vote. I amy even order a set of these for myself. I hadn't noticed they were making these...

[James Taglienti]

I made a pair from some old socket chisels... I picked my shortest ones, since I figured I wouldn't use them much- and I was right. I havent used them once. But my wife likes them and she will use them even where I'd use a normal one. She likes the angle, It's easier to get a slicing action, and the wide cutting edge on a relatively narrow piece of steel is easy to get a good grip on.

in dovetails, I just use a chip carving knife I picked up somewhere.

But they are real easy to make- I think I spent about 45 minutes on the pair and just ground them silly with a cup of water nearby to quench in.

[David Gendron]

I use to have a set, but replaced them with a fish tail chisel, I found the fish tail more usefull!

[george wilson]

Skews are good for wooden plane making. At work I got a pair of Crown skew chisels,and they seemed o.k.,though somehow Crown tools always look cheap to me.

[David Weaver]

Skews are good for wooden plane making. At work I got a pair of Crown skew chisels,and they seemed o.k.,though somehow Crown tools always look cheap to me.

You and me, too. They do something to finish the metal so that it looks polished without actually being smooth.

[Doug Shepard]

I've had a set of these other LV skews for a long time and have been happy with them though I've mananed to chip the edge on one pretty badly and need to spend some time resharpening before I can use that one again.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=30025&cat=1,41504,41539&ap=1

I've also got a narrower pair of LN skews and like those even more.