Pigsticker chisels

[Clint Barden]

What is a fair price to pay for a user grade pigsticker mortise chisel?

[David Weaver]

It depends on the maker and condition.

Anywhere from $10-$60, and maybe some rare ones are worth more than that.

What size? 1/4 or 5/16th are common and useful.

If it's just a good hardly used (or at least not spent) chisel that's got 5+ inches of chisel below the bolster, and it's common, etc, probably $30 - $40 is like fair retail price.

Bottom feeders who don't really need one and strike only when things aren't that cheap wouldn't pay that, and some of the retailers looking for suckers would ask multiples of that and call every chisel they see "rare!!!"

[Matt Evans]

. . .Bottom feeders who don't really need one and strike only when things aren't that cheap wouldn't pay that. . .


I likely wouldn't pay that, but I wouldn't consider myself a Bottom Feeder, just broke.

Anyhow, I was going to say around $30-40 is a fair price for a decent user, more for large and very small ones. (You just try to find a 1/8 or 1/16 mortise chisel that someone hasn't bent into a corkscrew. . .)

[David Weaver]

Even if you weren't, there's nothing wrong with being a bottom feeder.

At least not that I'm aware of.

I guess I'ves seen bottom feeder used two ways. One is a leech, or someone who is trying to soak off of or rip off other people.

The other is someone who is just frugal. I've always thought the use in woodworking circles meant the frugal type.

When it comes to saws, I'm a bottom feeder.

[Ken Shepard]

At WIA last week, I bought a 1/4" pigsticker from Patrick Leach. As he puts it, length matters. He had a box full of various pigstickers priced from $20 (4" or so) to $25 for ones with 6" of usable length. Some of the larger, longer ones may have been priced higher. I was very pleased with the $25 Hogarth chisel I bought.

[Clint Barden]

Thanks for the input. The ones I saw were appx $34 for both 1/4" and 5/16". I think they had a 3/8" for closer to $40. I don't remember the make on them, but it was readable. Probably over 4" of steel left on each. I might drop by tomorrow and see if they are still available.

If I were to pick two, should I get the 1/4" and 5/16", or the 1/4" and the 3/8"?

[David Weaver]

up to you on the sizes. If you finish your lumber at 3/4, 3/8" is a bit thick, but you might find cause to use it sometimes.

1/4th vs. 5/16th is a matter of preference unless there is a lot of times you're barely using over 1/2" stock.

You probably could just save your money and buy the 5/16th chisel, see how you like it and if you want one longer (leverage is nice, 5 inches is better than for, 6 is better than five).

There will be more available elsewhere.

Of course, if you have the money and you want to buy them all and sell what you don't want later or don't sell at all, I sure am not in a position to criticize that.

[Pinwu Xu]

Thanks for the input. The ones I saw were appx $34 for both 1/4" and 5/16". I think they had a 3/8" for closer to $40. I don't remember the make on them, but it was readable. Probably over 4" of steel left on each. I might drop by tomorrow and see if they are still available.

If I were to pick two, should I get the 1/4" and 5/16", or the 1/4" and the 3/8"?

I'd suggest the 1/4" and 5/16".
It seems that you want it to be a-third of the material that you are working
on.

HTH.

Pinwu

[george wilson]

I have an 18th.C. James Cam in fine shape. It is 3/16" if I recall correctly. It's not shiny,but the blade is pretty long,and I doubt it's been used much.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Ken,
I was going to suggest the Leichmeister, but you beat me to him. Patrick generally has any kind of tool anyone would lust over. He also has far more in his inventory that the number listed on his first Monday of each month list.

To the OP, shoot him (Patrick Leach) off an email, telling him what you want.

T.Z.

[Robert Culver]

How does a guy get ahold of patrick leach?Is he a member here?

[martin wilt]

Patrick Leach is, among other things, the author of Patrick's Blood & Gore (http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html). Send him an email to subscribe to the monthly tool list.

[Deane Allinson]

There is a nice 1/2" Butcher chisel up on a popular auction site now. Laminated steel. Looks to be in good shape, (No handle). I have a set form 1/8"-5/8" I mostly mortise larger stuff, you can take out a lot of material in a short time.
Deane

[Derek Cohen]

As Ken noted, length counts with price. Around the 7 1/2" range expect to pay more than for something that is 3" in the blade. The handle also makes a difference - a complete chisel with a long blade will seek top dollar (the $60 - more? - end of the spectrum that David mentioned). I kept an eye out for long blades which came minus handles. I paid around $20 each. Then added my own handles (not hard - there is an article on my website).

Sizes? aim for 1/4" if just getting one. It will get the most use anyway. I think that a 1/2" is going to get very little use unless you build very large tables with large legs. I find more use for 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4". Even the 3/8" is used rarely.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[James Carmichael]

I've bought a couple from the auction site that cannot be named and budget myself to $25 apiece, including shipping. In the high end of that range, I got a nice, massive 1/2", at the low a 5/32" that needs a new handle. Both Ward, and both from the U.K., which is where I find the best deals are.

I just wish sellers could learn how to measure. I've been looking for a 3/16" and bought two listed as such: one the aforementioned Ward that is 5/32", and a no-name American style that turned out to be a 1/8".

[Derek Cohen]

....I just wish sellers could learn how to measure. I've been looking for a 3/16" and bought two listed as such: one the aforementioned Ward that is 5/32", and a no-name American style that turned out to be a 1/8".

It depends on how knowledgeable the sellers are and which side of the blade the measurements are made. The sides/shoulders of the blades taper and one side is going to be wider that the other.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[george wilson]

I just wish sellers of letter and number stamp sets had enough sense to NOT photograph the HAMMERED end of their stamps!!!!