Opinions on the LV carving tool special?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Lee Valley has a "special buy" on a set of seven carving tools right now:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,130,43332,43334&p=72275

Anyone have any opinions on it? I wouldn't expect miracles for the price, but LV can often surprise me at what they can get at a given price point. The tang/ferrule setup on those reminds me of Narex, which makes me think good things for the money, but no info, as is often the case for some of their out-side produced products, of who the manufacturer.

I've been picking up a few carving-type tools (mostly incannel gouges, right now, as I find those quite useful, but also traditional carving tools) as I stumble across a decent vintage tool, or find a need for one. I'd like to experiment with carving, even if I never progress past simple embellishment. I'm leaning more towards the sort of carving that would be involved in furniture making rather than the purely artistic side. I feel like a cheap set like this might be a decent starting point, at least to get my feet wet enough to find out if it's the sort of thing I'd want to pursue more of, and to get me a few things to experiment with so that I have an actual idea of what I really need or want.

Just curious if anyone has any input on these, perhaps someone has seen them at an LV retail location?

[Jim Koepke]

If most of these sizes weren't already included in my set, it would be considered for purchase.

If only SWMBO could be convinced this set is needed, it would be on order.

jtk

[Daniel Rode]

I was intrigued when I saw the deal but the more I looked the more I decided I didn't need them. What I could use is a couple sizes of incannel gouges for cleaning up concave curves.

[glenn bradley]

What I could use is a couple sizes of incannel gouges for cleaning up concave curves.

Ditto but, at a better price than I am finding ;-)

[James White]

I told my wife I was thinking about getting these. But I said I believe they are probably from china. She then said. I wouldn't mind you spending $150 if you think you will need them. So the question is. Is there a decent set for $150 or less? How about $190 or less? I just found $40 laying around.

James

[Jonas Baker]

I took a look at the detailed pic, and they look like they would need some serious work to be of any use, as the bevels look to be wayyyy to steep, and they are milled out of steel that looks too thick as well. If you wanted to do some serious work on a belt grinder then they may turn out alright, but they would take work to get running, and time is money so....

http://www.leevalley.com/US/shopping/AddViews.aspx?p=72301

[David Weaver]

It's awfully difficult to buy carving tools guessing that you might use the ones you get in a set. Years ago, woodcraft had a set of brown handled pfiel made gouges that just said "swiss made" on the handles, and the set of 8 of them went on sale for $99. I bought the set. I haven't used them in at least 5 years, but I don't carve much other than some bits and pieces on tools.

I still have that woodcraft set and only hold on to it because sometime I might need it. Incannel and outcannel gouges of various curvatures have been more useful to me, though.

I don't know who makes those carving tools, but china or not, if they have them at LV, they probably have tested them in use a little bit to confirm they are in the ballpark of the specs they say they have.

[george wilson]

That's less than $8.50 per piece. If you got old ones,I doubt you could get them anywhere near that cheap. Then,you'd probably be doing some serious re grinding/de rusting,etc. anyway. And,I am confident that where ever they are made,LV has them made to a decent standard. The fact is,you can get good things made in China if you pay a decent price. They look a lot better than those cheap Chinese sets I have seen for less than half that price,and that is for 12 tools,too. The usual Chinese made sets don't even have usable handles on them. Well,you can use them if you don't care how your tools look!!!

I could wish they looked a bit more traditional,but it looks like the days of seeing a proper bolster are long gone,Pfiels included.

[James White]

That's less than $8.50 per piece. If you got old ones,I doubt you could get them anywhere near that cheap. Then,you'd probably be doing some serious re grinding/de rusting,etc. anyway. And,I am confident that where ever they are made,LV has them made to a decent standard. The fact is,you can get good things made in China if you pay a decent price. They look a lot better than those cheap Chinese sets I have seen for less than half that price,and that is for 12 tools,too. The usual Chinese made sets don't even have usable handles on them. Well,you can use them if you don't care how your tools look!!!

I could wish they looked a bit more traditional,but it looks like the days of seeing a proper bolster are long gone,Pfiels included.

Hi George,

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I think I will give them a try. I would only lose the shipping cost if I do not like them. I spoke to Lee Valley and these are a special buy and are made in China. But they indeed have done some testing on them.

[george wilson]

Did LV tell you what kind of tool steel they are made of?

[lowell holmes]

The steel is (Rc57-62).

I bought the cranked paring chisels and like them. I sanded the handles and put a coat of Johnson's Wax on them. Just one coat, didn't want to make them slick. They feel good.

[george wilson]

Hardness means VERY little. Lower carbon content steel can get fully hardened,but do not have the wear resistance of higher carbon steel,or more advanced steels that have other alloys to help wear resistance. Sears chisels used to be made in Holland from .50% carbon steel. They should have been ashamed of themselves marketing such junk. Especially the dutch for agreeing to do the work. Driven by money,of course. They had poor wear resistance,which showed up in a wear resistance study done in Fine Woodworking years ago. .50% carbon is getting near the lowest carbon content that will get pretty hard. .40% carbon steels,like 4140,will not get much above the high 30's or low 40's in hardness. but,it is a tough steel,suited to making car axles.lathe spindles,and the like.

We need to know the carbon content,not the hardness.

[lowell holmes]

The Rc57-62 was all they said in the brochure. I should have snapped to the fact that was hardness. I know a bit about boiler plate, pipe, forgings, and vessel walls, but tool steel designations are out of my knowledge base. :)

I've never welded nor worked steel, just made shop drawings for fabrication.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I was intrigued when I saw the deal but the more I looked the more I decided I didn't need them. What I could use is a couple sizes of incannel gouges for cleaning up concave curves.


Incannel gouges are one of those things I've found great deals on on eBay if you shop from British sellers; even with shipping, you can get great deals on old Marples, particularly if you buy a few at a time.

[Mike Henderson]

If you don't have any carving tools, you can't beat the price. And with LV to stand behind them, you aren't taking a big risk.

But if you have a set of carving tools already, these would probably not be a good buy.

Mike

[Kees Heiden]

Sears chisels used to be made in Holland from .50% carbon steel. They should have been ashamed of themselves marketing such junk. Especially the dutch for agreeing to do the work.


Sorry.

Nooitgedagt didn't survive though, despite these tactics.

[David Weaver]

China has a whole set of high carbon tool steels. They've got a different naming convention, but they are probably decent. Anything that I've gotten from china that has a spec of hardness has seemed very similar to any other modern tool that I've gotten. you wouldn't mistake most of the steels for a dry and keen vintage steel, but they are perfectly fine. Woodcraft had a set of chisels they've discontinued now, they had bubinga handles and the steel was similar to and at least as good as narex chisels.

[george wilson]

As said,with LV standing behind their offerings,you are safe.

The only machine that International Harvester won't stand behind is their manure spreader!!:)

[Brian Ashton]

I took a look at the detailed pic, and they look like they would need some serious work to be of any use, as the bevels look to be wayyyy to steep, and they are milled out of steel that looks too thick as well. If you wanted to do some serious work on a belt grinder then they may turn out alright, but they would take work to get running, and time is money so....

http://www.leevalley.com/US/shopping/AddViews.aspx?p=72301


Alls I can say is YIKES!. That's some brutish looking carving chisels.