Freud Chisels

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Recently found a vintage (40+ years?) 10 piece set of Freud chisels. 2" to 1/4". It even has a 3/16". I'm thinking they be worth keeping, since I did buy them. I'm wondering about the quality. Good? Marginal? Junk? Should not have bought it even if the box was good?

TIA. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Mike Henderson]

I had a set of Freud chisels and found them to be good. Not as good as LN or Blue Spruce but good. I used them for many years and eventually sold them because I had too many chisels by that time. I think I got about $100 for them on eBay (but I don't really remember).

Mike

[Bruce Haugen]

I had a set of Freuds that I got in about 1985 or so. They were pretty good, but not as good as the Hirsch firmer set I got to whack on and definitely not as good as the Bergs I eventually scraped together. They held an edge pretty well, but better at 30 degrees than 25. As utility chisels, they would work just fine. I sold mine on eBay, too, but only got about $50 for them.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

I have a set of Freud chisels. I doubt they are 40 years old though so my chisels may be completely different from yours. Most hold an edge pretty well. But they took a fair amount of flattening and setup. I would rate mine as just ok. Can't wait to see what LV will come out with :).
Salem

[Jim Koepke]

and eventually sold them because I had too many chisels

I hope my wife doesn't see this…

I have no knowledge of Freud chisels.

A set like this can let you see what sizes you use the most if you want to buy a premium set one at a time.

It also gives you a set of chisels to use at times when you may not want to risk a premium chisel.

I have a set of mixed brands for my long chisels. My preferred set is all Buck Brothers and Witherby. I hope to eventually have a full set of both. The Bucks seem better suited for pairing and the Witherbys have a bit more firmness in the bevel edged chisels.

My set of short chisels is mostly Witherby, but has a Stanley 440 and a few brands.

Then there are the square sided chisels. This is truly and eclectic gathering that spans from 1/8" to 1-1/2" with likely only 2 or 3 from the same maker.

I have a bunch of junkers, some of which are actually very good chisels, just duplicates of my favored chisels. These are used on glue and… Sacrilege! Blasphemy! I have one that gets used when I want to cut things like rope and light weight electric cords. It is also used for sharpening carpenter's pencils. It is a decent but not great chisel that just happens to be about the fourth or fifth of the same size.

Even with all of these chisels, I still feel there are a couple of holes in my set of chisels. Nothing that stops me from doing anything, but I guess I just like chisels a lot, and will always want another.

Even my beater chisels are not used to open paint cans, pulling staples or other tasks that may be dangerous or knowingly damage the steel.

In the future my plans are to turn some into skew or fishtail chisels. Also some may have the sides ground to make special dovetail chisels.

jtk

[David Turner]

I have a set of Freud chisels that were purchased in the early to mid 1980's. They are marked Freud Cr-Va and the set ranges from 1/4" to 1 1/2" (10 Chisels) and came in a hinged wooden box. I believe I paid $85.00 for the set. They have Octagon boxwood handles (English style) that has a ring just below a rounded top. My experience has been very good with these chisels as I used them from the early 1980's until just recently when I purchased a set of LN's. They seem to hold an edge and are easy to sharpen. I do remeber a lot of work to get the backs flat. They are still in use for general chisel work on daily basis. I use the LN's for mostly dovetails.

David Turner
Plymouth, MI.

[Dhananjay Nayakankuppam]

A set of Freud chisels, you say.... have you asked them to lie down on the couch?
Sorry, couldn't resist...
DJ

[Jerome Hanby]

Shame on you for making me do this.... If you strike one of these poorly will that result in a Freudian slip?


A set of Freud chisels, you say.... have you asked them to lie down on the couch?
Sorry, couldn't resist...
DJ

[Jim Neeley]

That's not just a Freudian slip.. it's a whole Freudian ensamble!!