My new babies

[Joey Arispe]

Hi Everyone. I just wanted to show off my first 2 high quality chisels.

Lie Nielsen 3/8" chisel

and

Koyamaichi 3/4" regular chisel from toolsfromjapan. I still need to buy a hoop setting tool and mushroom over the fibers.


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[Mike Holbrook]

Congrats Joey! I think it is a good idea to try out a chisel or two of types you are interested in before investing too deeply. There are lots of nice chisels in so many varieties it can boggle the mind sometimes.

Hope you enjoy them for years to come.

[Joey Arispe]

Thanks Mike! It is overwhelming how many options you have! Do you have a personal favorite chisel?

[Luke Dupont]

Why not just make your own hoop setting tool in a block of wood? Drill a hole big enough for the wooden handle and taper/(flare?) it out at the top.

Nice babies, though! I bought some rather inexpensive firmer-style oire nomi used just to give Japanese chisels a try. I like the small size for detail work and accurate chopping, and for transport; prefer my western chisels with their border-line bulky handles for paring, though I know there are much more suitable styles of Japanese chisel for paring.

[Mike Cherry]

Very nice! My first premium was a LN 1/2" followed by a LV 1/4". I eventually settled on LN but I could have gone either way. Congrats and may your babies soon have more siblings haha

[Mike Holbrook]

Joey, I took delivery on 12 & 18mm Usu-nomi recently and they are amazing, very fun to use. Actually my favorite is always the one I have in my hand.

[david charlesworth]

A suitable sized socket will do a good job for hoop setting.

David

[Charles Bjorgen]

In another forum David offered this same advice to me about using a socket and it worked perfectly.

[lowell holmes]

Hi Everyone. I just wanted to show off my first 2 high quality chisels.

Lie Nielsen 3/8" chisel

and

Koyamaichi 3/4" regular chisel from toolsfromjapan. I still need to buy a hoop setting tool and mushroom over the fibers.


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What is a hoop setting tool?

Why wouldn't a mallet be preferable?

[Luke Dupont]

What is a hoop setting tool?

Why wouldn't a mallet be preferable?

Usually it's a tapered hole to allow the wood part of the handle to protrude past the metal hoop as it's set on. You don't want the hoop flush; you want it a little lower so that it doesn't get mushroomed over the end with use which would prevent a tight fit.

[lowell holmes]

Since I don't normally use Japanese chisels, I never dealt with the issue. I don't normally strike a chisel other than mortise chisels. My Ray Iles and Lie Nielsens will take the beating.

I have chopped mortises with blue handle Marples, but they took it. :)

I only use mallets to strike a chisel, though some one was talking about hitting them with a carpenter's hammer.

[Luke Dupont]

Since I don't normally use Japanese chisels, I never dealt with the issue. I don't normally strike a chisel other than mortise chisels. My Ray Iles and Lie Nielsens will take the beating.

I have chopped mortises with blue handle Marples, but they took it. :)

I only use mallets to strike a chisel, though some one was talking about hitting them with a carpenter's hammer.

Right. For western chisels, a mallet is definitely the way to go. Japanese chisels are made to be used with specialized metal hammers, and have thinner handles, hence the hoop.

I'd say that metal rings/hoops are quite unnecessary on western chisels, but they make sense for Japanese chisels and how they're designed to be used.

[Mike Holbrook]

Lowell, I believe the "hoop setting tool" is a simple piece of metal that fits over the end of the chisel coming to rest on the metal hoop. Striking the hoop setting tool helps drive the ring down uniformly around the handle. At least I am assuming that the blue devise in this picture is one. It came with a chisel order I made and has come in handy. They may very well come in different shapes and materials, but maybe this picture will help:

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click to enlarge

[Joey Arispe]

Thanks for the time and money saving tip, David!!

Those are gorgeous chisels in your picture Mike! Stunners!

[Mike Holbrook]

Joey, have to love a little tool porn.

The chisel on the left is a Koyamaichi mortise chisel, center is a Ouchi bench/butt chisel, right is a Koyamaichi medium striking chisel. Despite the different size rings/handles the tool pictured set all three hoops.

[Marty Schlosser]

Mike,

When you were choosing between the LN & LV chisels, had the LV one PM-V11 metal? I've found their metal to be an excellent edge holder which sharpens quicker than most others.


Very nice! My first premium was a LN 1/2" followed by a LV 1/4". I eventually settled on LN but I could have gone either way. Congrats and may your babies soon have more siblings haha

[Joey Arispe]

Mike, That was some good tool porn. I need to get a high quality camera one of these days.

That's awesome! I can't wait to get more chisels.

[Patrick Chase]

A suitable sized socket will do a good job for hoop setting.

David

Ooh, I like that. I happened to have an appropriately sized bushing (McMaster-Carr catalog part) on hand the last time I did one, but if I hadn't I hopefully would have thought of that before going overboard.

Q: Do you relieve the top of the handle at all (remove the existing finish and maybe a couple mils of wood) to make a "seat" for the hoop, or just mash it on there? I've seen writeups suggesting both approaches.

[Patrick Chase]

Mike,

When you were choosing between the LN & LV chisels, had the LV one PM-V11 metal? I've found their metal to be an excellent edge holder which sharpens quicker than most others.

Derek made a point that I think bears reiterating in his comparison of chisel steels: Once you get up to the LV/LN quality level the ergonomics become more of a deciding factor than the steel. Put another way, for most uses both PM-V11 and LN's cryo-treated A2 will last long enough that the handling while actually using them is more practically noticeable any difference in frequency/degree of honing.

[lowell holmes]

Thanks for responding Mike. Since I don't use Japanese chisels, I had no idea. I have one, but I have a preference for Lie Nielsen chisels.
I like the way the Lie Nielsens feel when using them.

[Pat Barry]

Lowell, I believe the "hoop setting tool" is a simple piece of metal that fits over the end of the chisel coming to rest on the metal hoop. Striking the hoop setting tool helps drive the ring down uniformly around the handle. At least I am assuming that the blue devise in this picture is one. It came with a chisel order I made and has come in handy. They may very well come in different shapes and materials, but maybe this picture will help:

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click to enlarge
Late to the discussion I know but why isn't the hoop set from the factory? Does it need to be reset periodically by the user?

[Mike Holbrook]

Pat I am sure someone like Stanley or Brian with more knowledge than I have of Japanese tools can provide a better explanation, but...

I think there is a tradition among Japanese woodworkers of setting up their own tools. I bought a gennou not long ago and the seller encouraged me to make my own handle. Certainly there are Japanese tools made for the US market that are totally "finished" but these tools can also be very expensive. Do we want a master at forging laminated steel spending his time tapping hoops onto chisels or making more laminated steel? Do we want to pay the master's price for that time when we can do it ourselves?

I think we have to realize these are hand made tools. For me the attraction is the skilled artisan with specific rare skills at working steel, making a product that can not be found anywhere else. Chisels like the two Usu-nomi I just received are harder to dull and easier to sharpen than manufactured steels. For some the differences may not have enough additional benefit to lure them to the specialized products. Those who are lured to them may want a certain amount of ability to customize them.