L-N Chisels available

[Alan Turner]

Well, after much waiting, here is the link to the second mortgage chisel set. I am assuming all will be opting for the Rosewood handles. No affiliation, bla, bla, bla.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/chisel.html

Now, where is that lottery ticket?
Alan

[Sean Evoy]

Alan,
I plunked down my credit card too, but went for the hornbeam. I did a quick search of the different message boards to see if there was any appreciable benefit to one type of handle over another, and the only clear opinion that was ever expressed was "turn your own handles". What made you decide to go for the Rosewood?

[Alan Turner]

Sean,
My posting was tongue in cheek. I did not go for them, but was spoofing at the price. $50@ seems a lot for chisels, although it is not a lot more than 2 cherries, etc. I am an old tool freak, and have a set of original 750's, which I am sure are not as good in terms of the steel.
My newest chisels are from about 1980, a set of butts by Bahco. Nice chisels, by the way.
Alan

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'm not sure I can justify $50 per chisel even if they "throw in" the leather tool roll. Someone years ago told me "Don't be the first to buy , or the last to try." I would want to see just how superior they are in edge holding ability, flatness of back, and all the other parameters before plunking down that kind of coin. As for handles, the hornbeam would be my choice strictly from a durability standpoint. My only rosewood handled chisels are of the paring variety and will never be driven with a mallet.

Alan- do you know if this is the regular price or the special pre-production one?

[Alan Turner]

Dave,
I have no clue. I just got a mass email, and decided to share the contents, with my sort of smart remarks.
Alan

[Tom Scott]

I got this e-mail also. Regarding price, I seem to remember from earlier posts on their web site that this was an introductory price and that they would most likely be higher when they're a regular item. Or, maybe they will end up the same price, but you don't get the tool roll.

[Sean Evoy]

Dave,
As I pick my shattered credibilty off the floor :-), my understanding was that the tool roll is the limited time offer; the price will remain the same. Certainly, being an early adopter was a leap of faith on my part, made slightly less risky by the fact that L-N is a reputable tool dealer with a good return policy, chisels are (theoretically) not that hard to make, and given the long lead time on production I am hoping that they have worked out any kinks. We shall see.

[Sean Evoy]

Alan,
I'm sure that the steel in the old Stanleys is as good for the task as the A2 stuff, maybe better. There is no body of evidence to suggest that A2 is good in this application.

I haven't your patience to acquire a good set of Stanleys, even assuming I could find them. And I agree that $50 a chisel is expensive (made worse by the exchange rate). It is, however, a lot cheaper than the spiffy, German sports-car my mid-life crisis is crying out for. At least, that's how I'm spinning this to my wife!

[Michael Perata]

the spiffy, German sports-car my mid-life crisis is crying out for.

Alan

Go for it. I picked up my Porsche Cayenne two weekends ago, and at 57 I can't believe I waited as long as I did for that car. WOW! ;)

[Gene Collison]

Well, after much waiting, here is the link to the second mortgage chisel set. I am assuming all will be opting for the Rosewood handles. No affiliation, bla, bla, bla.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/chisel.html

Now, where is that lottery ticket?
Alan

Alan,

As you already know, it's not the arrow that's so good, it's the indian.

Gene

[Chris Padilla]

Alan

Go for it. I picked up my Porsche Cayenne two weekends ago, and at 57 I can't believe I waited as long as I did for that car. WOW! ;)

57??? He must be joking, folks...he looks 47 with an impressive head of snow-white hair. I had to keep my hat on around him! :)

Michael, you should have gotten the 450-hp turbo!! :D

:D :D

[Steven Wilson]

Tempting aren't they. I plunked down a bit more for a few Tasai chisels so I'm tempted to let the LN's pass me by; But, $250 for a set of decent chisels isn't too bad....Ah, descisions, decsisions.

[Donnie Raines]

Chris Schwarz at Popular Woodworking had a few of them for over a year now. I had a chance to use them and boy they are very nice. I am thinking real hard...

...yo may want to e-mail Chris and get his take. I know they held a crisp edge for a long time....


DonnieR

[Kieran Kammerer]

One of the other many advantages of living in Maine is that I am only about a thirty minute drive to the LN Workshop. I have recently had a little more free time and have been getting back to woodworking. This is also due to the fact that I now have a shop again.

I am planning an early morning drive over to LN tomorrow to pick up a block plane and will see if the chisels are available to try out. The current showroom is quite a site to behold with every plane and tool available to try out.

Several weeks ago I brought a curly maple board over to try out some of the planes. By the end of the morning, I think the people working in the assembly area thought I would be making my whole kitchen table right there in the show room.

If anyone is making a trip to Maine, make sure you put LN on your must visit list. You have to pay our Maine sales tax, however, you get a 10% off the purchase price of the tool.

Kieran

PS: My only affiliation to LN is that I love the quality, look, feel and performance of their tools.

[Tom Scott]

Thanks Kieran for rubbing our face in it like that :( .
4 years ago I had to make about 5 business trips up to the Camden area, and even brought my wife on one so that we could spend some extra time seeing the sites. As I later found out, I probably drove within 10 miles of L-N and didn't know it. 4 years later and I'm still kicking myself over that one!
So, thanks for reminiding me.

Tom

[Kieran Kammerer]

Thanks Kieran for rubbing our face in it like that :( .
4 years ago I had to make about 5 business trips up to the Camden area, and even brought my wife on one so that we could spend some extra time seeing the sites. As I later found out, I probably drove within 10 miles of L-N and didn't know it. 4 years later and I'm still kicking myself over that one!
So, thanks for reminiding me.

Tom


Tom,

Its still early enough to plan a summer trip to Maine. The coast and mountains are beautiful and you can escape the summer heat of Texas.

Kieran

[Tom Scott]

As much as we would love to, I don't think a big summer trip is in the cards this year. But, we have often said how much we would like to return to the area. We visited there in January, but kept hearing about how crowded it got with tour busses and such during the summer.

[James Carmichael]

Sean,
My posting was tongue in cheek. I did not go for them, but was spoofing at the price. $50@ seems a lot for chisels, although it is not a lot more than 2 cherries, etc. I am an old tool freak, and have a set of original 750's, which I am sure are not as good in terms of the steel.
My newest chisels are from about 1980, a set of butts by Bahco. Nice chisels, by the way.
Alan

While I don't pretend to have anywhere near the knowledge of any of you guys, based on experience thus far with my TC mortising chisel, L-N is going have to walk on water to justify a price tag that is 2x that of a similar TC set.

Brand loyalty can be an expensive thing!

[Kieran Kammerer]

Unfortunately, the chisels were not available to try and give a report on.

The visit was still productive. Spent some time talking with Ted who runs the showroom. He is always a great source of information. He is an accomplished woodworker himself and I was able to see pictures of some beautiful pieces he has made. I was also able to pick up the low angle block plane with the adjustable mouth. Have already put it to use and am quite pleased with its perfomance.

I guess I will just have to plan another trip to the showroom soon and see if the chisels are ready to try (not that I have the funds to purchase them).

Kieran