Anyone know what these are? (chisels)

[Carl Beckett]

Picked these up on CL. I will use them as I hadnt tried Japanese chisels before and wanted to give them a try.

There are some differences to my regular set, but fun to try something different.

214787214788

[Ted Martens]

I have what I am certain is the exact same set - right down to the plastic edge guards and the "JAPAN" stamping.
I'm pretty sure I purchased them from The Japan Woodworker around '81 or '82. They're decent chisels and will hold a good edge.
A few of them had to be sharpened a few times to get past some (perceived?) brittleness at the cutting edges, though.
I don't use them a lot anymore, as I've gravitated back to mostly western-style tools again, but that's not the fault of the tools - old habits die hard, ya know.
Best of luck with them -
Ted

[Andrew W. Thomas]

Carl-
Looks like a great set of chisels. My wife bought me a set of 6 Japanese chisels for Christmas last year and I love them. I cannot speak to their comparison with a good set of western chisels but the link below seems to have a lot of info:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?40607-Japanese-vs-Western-Chisels

[Harlan Barnhart]

I don't know anything about them but I imagine they are quite nice. There is no doubt furniture in museums made with lesser tools. We are pretty spoiled with the array of quality available today.

[David Weaver]

Carl-
Looks like a great set of chisels. My wife bought me a set of 6 Japanese chisels for Christmas last year and I love them. I cannot speak to their comparison with a good set of western chisels but the link below seems to have a lot of info:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?40607-Japanese-vs-Western-Chisels

Caveat the price point comments in that thread based on exchange rates accounting for an approximate 50% cost increase in prices since then. If you look at the cost of anything japanese out there now and figure with currency where it was, the price would be 2/3rds of it counting all other factors the same if the exchange rate hadn't gone through the floor.

Unfortunately.

Can't read japanese so can't help with what those chisels are, but a photo of the lamination line on the bevel on a wide one would tell us a lot.

If they are good chisels, they'll be easy to prep and they'll sharpen easily and hold an edge well. If they do those three things, then it doesn't matter too much who the maker is unless you decide later to sell them.

[Carl Beckett]

Well I just sharpened them up and have been using them. Will try to get a shot of the lamination line if possible.

So far they cut just fine. We will see how they hold an edge.

(for reference, I paid $30 or $35 for this set, so figured I couldnt go too wrong and indeed they have been useful already) Also bought an offset set, but not sure how much I will use those.

Thanks for the links/comments!

[Jim Matthews]

I don't know anything about them but I imagine they are quite nice. There is no doubt furniture in museums made with lesser tools. We are pretty spoiled with the array of quality available today.

That is one of the most sharp observations I have yet read, here at the 'Creek.

Well said, sir.
Jim
Westport, MA

[David Weaver]

Well I just sharpened them up and have been using them. Will try to get a shot of the lamination line if possible.

So far they cut just fine. We will see how they hold an edge.

(for reference, I paid $30 or $35 for this set, so figured I couldnt go too wrong and indeed they have been useful already) Also bought an offset set, but not sure how much I will use those.

Thanks for the links/comments!

No matter what, you definitely get suckage points for finding them for that.

You'll definitely get that (30-35) out of them in use many times over, even if they turn out to be mid grade or reform grade (the reviews of the grizzly chisels, which are reform grade chisels, are an inidication of even the most pedestrian stuff being pretty good - especially if you compare it to what we're offered over here, save the few narex type chisels that have become available).

[John Lanciani]

There is no doubt furniture in museums made with lesser tools.

These same tools of yore were no doubt kept sharp and ready by unpaid apprentices as well. Lets not forget that, by and large, we are hobbiests here. We're not guild members struggling to earn our keep. There is nothing wrong with having nice tools if it is within one's means to do so.