Identifying Stanley chisels

[Harold Burrell]

I just picked up a set of old stanley chisels from a CL ad. I kind of wanted to know what they are. They are socket chisels and the only markings I can find are on the sockets that say "Stanley" and underneath that "Made in USA".

Any website I can look to???

[Ryan Baker]

How long are they? Can you post a picture?

[Rodney Walker]

You can try Rose Antique Tools. They have a few old Stanley catalogs you can download. Pictures here are likely to get you an ID quickly. Besides, we like pictures.
Rodney

[Harold Burrell]

Here's some pics...

[Derek Cohen]

#720s?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rodney Walker]

Nice looking set of chisels. Those won't take much at all to clean up.
Rodney

[Harold Burrell]

#720s?

Regards from Perth

Derek

That's what I was thinking. But wouldn't they be marked "720" somewhere?

[Harold Burrell]

OK...I'm feeling a tad guilty...

I just did a search on ebay's completed listings for Stanley 720 sets and found a set that recently sold for $500!!!

If these are indeed 720's, I feel kind of bad.

I only paid $60.

And...he through in an old Disston saw to boot. :eek:

[Richard Shaefer]

OK...I'm feeling a tad guilty...

I just did a search on ebay's completed listings for Stanley 720 sets and found a set that recently sold for $500!!!

If these are indeed 720's, I feel kind of bad.

I only paid $60.

And...he through in an old Disston saw to boot. :eek:

those are stanley firmer chisels, possibly 720's, but since they aren't numbered, they may be stanley defiance chisels, which are otherwise identical to 720's (or 750's), but they came stamped with a "D" or the "Defiance" name over the Stanley logo. They were offered as down-market versions of the 7 series chisels, and they came with clear finish oak handles like that big 2" one on the end, not red stained oak handles. they are allegedly of a lesser metal than the 7 series chisels, but I doubt you'll notice the difference. They could also be genuine 720's with a weird production fault, which is cool too. Either way, you got a hell of a deal.

[Derek Cohen]

As I have come to understand, later versions of the #7XX chisels were marked with just "Stanley" and no longer sported the model number. My set of #750s are half-half. No difference in the steel that I can discern.

$60? You paid too much. Oh, a saw was thrown in. That's better. :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Obviously junk. You can send them to me to dispose of.

(Is that how the line goes here?)

Any more pictures of the box? Seems nice.

[Ryan Baker]

720s would have been my guess too. There was a thread here not too long ago about unmarked 720s. Apparently, the 720s came both ways (with and without the markings), but the ones without do not bring the kind of money that the marked ones do.

[Harold Burrell]

those are stanley firmer chisels, possibly 720's, but since they aren't numbered, they may be stanley defiance chisels, which are otherwise identical to 720's (or 750's), but they came stamped with a "D" or the "Defiance" name over the Stanley logo. They were offered as down-market versions of the 7 series chisels, and they came with clear finish oak handles like that big 2" one on the end, not red stained oak handles. they are allegedly of a lesser metal than the 7 series chisels, but I doubt you'll notice the difference. They could also be genuine 720's with a weird production fault, which is cool too. Either way, you got a hell of a deal.

I looked for a "D" but couldn't find one.

[Richard Shaefer]

then they are likely 720's. Stanley kinda sucked with production control back in the day, so it's completely possible.
In the end, it doesn't matter. People spend 5x as much as you did pulling together a set of stanley socket fimer chisels, and they rarely end up with a matched set. I know I'm insanely jealous.

[Jim Koepke]

OK...I'm feeling a tad guilty...

I just did a search on ebay's completed listings for Stanley 720 sets and found a set that recently sold for $500!!!

If these are indeed 720's, I feel kind of bad.

I only paid $60.

And...he through in an old Disston saw to boot. :eek:



What is that old saying? Oh yeah, YOU SUCK!!! :D

Great find, POS chisels at the borgs would likely run more than $7 each and they wouldn't throw in a saw.

Is the saw any good?

[Harold Burrell]

What is that old saying? Oh yeah, YOU SUCK!!! :D

Great find, POS chisels at the borgs would likely run more than $7 each and they wouldn't throw in a saw.

Is the saw any good?

I'm cleaning up the saw even as we speak. It seems to be a decent rip saw. Pretty sharp too. But then...what do I know??? It has, however, gotten me doing some reseach on handsaws...



Oh, and...thanks for the "you suck". :D

[Dan Putnam]

324229That, my friend, is a nice find!
Thanks all for your posts, I believe you have helped me identify one of my chisels as a #750. It's a tough call though, because I don't have much to go off of.
Mine is a splayed 1/2" socket chisel with a 3 1/2" blade and 2" socket.
Inscribed
"Stanley
Made in USA"

any thoughts?

[Jim Koepke]

any thoughts?

Howdy Dan and welcome to the Creek. Your profile does not reveal a location. You may live near another member who is willing to make a handle for your chisel, if you do not have a lathe.

Your chisel looks as if the "splayed" socket may be what happens to a lot of chisels when the handle is broken or goes missing. Some one starts hitting it with a hammer and it mushrooms. I tend to carefully grind the mushrooming off.

One of my Stanley chisels does have a splay at the top. It was made that way and is knurled. It is from a not very common 4xx series of chisels they produced between 1926 & 1935.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I would grind the splay off and order a handle from Lie Nielsen for a replacement handle.

Another option is to make a handle. You can shape a rectangular blank that you cut out of a piece oak and shape it with a spoke shave, rasp, and sandpaper.

[Stewie Simpson]

Stanley #720 Socket Chisel: Length when new; 13 - 15 inches, depending on width.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I hope that you like yours as much as I like mine. I asked a similar question here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?218464-What-are-these-chisels

They handle well, hold an edge, and I have a sentimental attachment to them (owned by my Grandfather).

[Mike Cherry]

I found a 3/4" 720 about a year ago for 5 bucks. It is my favorite chisel.