MHG Bench Chisels Question

[Ray Patten]

Hi all,
I am new to working with handtools and would like to know of anyone's experiences with the MHG Bench Chisels from Hartville Tool.
I tried the search function; however, I could not find anything.
Thanks for all the good information I did find while searching. Some times wandered far off the track from chisels! :D
Thanks for the help.

[Peter Tremblay]

Frankly I thought they were terrible.

I bought a pair, flattened them (took a bit of time since there were slightly rounded on the back) honed them razor sharp and used them for some dovetails in cherry. The edges folded over and crumbled very quick, in cherry no less. I also tried the mortise chisels and the problem was the same. I returned them to Hartville tools and they replaced them (after some confusion and frustration) and the second set (bench and mortise chisels) were better but still the edges folded over way too quick. I was told by someone at Hartville that the german company that makes these was horrified when they heard this complaint from some others and me because they were aiming to make a chisel as good as two cherries. That was not my experience. So eventually I gave them away to someone who does not do too much hand tool work but could use them and I bought Barr bench chisels and as we speak I am waiting for some Ray Iles mortise chisels to arrive in the mail.

Now in all fairness the problems with the steel might have been fixed. For the price it might be worth a try but I will never buy MHG chises again.

Peter

[David Weaver]

They advertise that they're hardened to 61. I just bought a set of the mortise chisels, but I haven't tried them in anything yet. I honed the 3/8th chisel, and I'll see how it works and how the edge holds up.

I assumed it was the same steel as the Hirsch chisels since the handles sort of look the same. Was that a bad assumption?

[David Weaver]

Back - just chopped a mortise with one. Horrific. I'll be sending them back, too.

I chopped about a 1.5 x 1 inch mortise in clear cherry - just one, and the end of the chisel looked like edge of a block of swiss cheese.

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't going to use them for a while, and then saw this.

[Peter Tremblay]

The manufacturer tries for the same quality as Hirsch and Two Cherries (which is set by German quality control laws) but unlike these two the MHG are made in another factory by a different company. So, the quality might be the same now, but my set of bench chisels were terrible. In all fairness the company, as I understood, was new to-the-scene at the time. I still have my mortise chisels and they work fine as long as I hone a very high angle at the tip or else they chip out badly. But from what I read it is a good idea to do this with all mortise chisels.

Peter

[David Weaver]

I'm assuming that you mean something greater than 35 degrees. That's where I put the secondary bevel, and and where they were when they chipped out.

I have one LN chisel and haven't had that problem.

Maybe I'm being too hard on them - it's a shame if I'm not, because they have a nice big bulky design - they're not dainty.

[Carl Crout]

I have had a set of the bevel edge for a year. I have used them quite a bit. For general work as well as chopping rounding mortises to square and paring. I haven't had any trouble with them.

I would buy them again.

[chip hamblin]

A few months ago, I bought a six piece set of their metric bench chisels during a sale. I was very pleased with both their look and feel in the hand. After flattening the backs and honing the chisels, a process that in my amateurish hands took about 2 hours, I tried some test cuts on cherry, white oak, and walnut. Being pleased with the results, I used them during my next several projects and continue to be very happy with their quality. They have retained their edges well, and when needed it has been easy to rehone. They represent a purchase with which I am very pleased.

[David Weaver]

I wonder if the issue is brittleness. I flattened and sharpened one of the mortise chisels to hair-splitting sharp within 10 minutes - they were very close to flat.

If I used the edge as a bench chisel or to pare, I'll bet it would be fine. It doesn't stand up to levering out waste, though, and I have just one LN mortise chisel to compare it to and was trying to avoid buying a bunch of LN mortise chisels because they cost a mint.

I did a side by side test last night though and cut a mortise with each, and the edge of the LN chisel was completely unharmed. There is definitely a huge difference in toughness with mine, but maybe I got a bad batch.

I assumed they were hirsch chisels, as I have a set of hirsch bench chisels and these look like the hirsch mortise chisels and have the same steel spec. That was a bad assumption, I guess.

If I can get my money back, I'll get two more LN chisels, but that in itself is also a bit of a disappointment becuase they're so small.

I have a couple of old very thick (almost like a mortise chisel) forged firmers that I'll tune up and try, but it would be nice to hear from Bob Smalser if the old chisels have issues like the MHGs - or if their toughness is closer to the LNs. Just how much levering can you get away with when the microbevel on the mortise chisel is about 35 degrees? Too much steeper, and it'll feel like beating into end grain with a blunt edge.

Not to bother you Bob, but do you have any input? You have more experience with a variety of mortise chisels than anyone else on here. What should we expect from our chisels?

[David Weaver]

And they said that they haven't had a problem with the chisels recently, so maybe I'm being unfair in my comparison. I'm still sending them back, but can give them (hartvilletool.com) a two-thumbs up recommendation for being very pleasant and timely in offering an exchange or return. They got back to me via email literally the instant business hours started this morning.

disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with hartville tool and do not know or am not related to anyone who does.

[Ray Patten]

Thanks for all the replies

[Jon Toebbe]

I'd definitely be interested in hearing from other folks who've tried these chisels. They seem like a bargain if it turns out they're up to snuff, and I really like the idea of getting true fractional inch sizes instead of metric near equivalents. Tool slaving is a good thing, and everything else in my shop is in English units already.

[Bruce Branson]

I have had mine for a few years and have not had any problem with the edges.I can use them on very hard woods with a heavy mallet and there is no damage to the edge.

[David Weaver]

I've decided to keep mine, after all of the hemming and hawing above. I put a substantial microbevel of 40 degrees on the mortise chisels and they hold up OK there - not so well at 35 degrees or close to the primary grind, which is probably about 30. At 40 degrees I still have to sharpen them after each mortise I chop in oak or whatever, but just a quick whizz on a 6000 stone or something for 15 or 20 strokes on the bevel - there isn't the chipout that there was at closer to the primary grind geometry.

BUT - I got them for about $20 per, and I guess at that price, the performance is still fine. You can't really expect $80 performance out of a $25 chisel, and I guess I'm coming at it from the wrong direction with expectations that are too high.

There is something a little different about these vs. hirsch steel, though. The steel in my hirsch bench chisels is the same hardness per the advertisements, but it's a lot tougher. The LN steel is a notch tougher than the hirsch level yet.

Judging by what you guys are saying, there must be a little bit of variability from the factory, but it sounds like it's better than when they were new. You can't really go wrong dealing with hartsville - they'll let you send them back within a year if you're unsatisfied with them, and their response is fantastic.

[Tom Sontag]

I got their bench chisels as a bonus when buying another item and my experience was similar; they do not hold a candle to my more expensive japanese bench chisels (not an entirely fair comparison), and don't see much more than glue removal now.

[Jim Voos]

I used the Mortise chisel that was received at a very good price, and it crumbled on me as well. I have had similar problems with some Japanese chisels because of their hardness. Sometimes, I find new chisels have a problem with their initial edges because the tips get too hot in initial prep. As you use them, I find that the steel is better a little farther back.