How do you guys get Aldi chisels to hold up?

[Pat Barry]

Next time, just rest your chin on the end of the chisel, and use that to "pare" the tenon with.....that is how I do mine.

But keep your tongue in your mouth just in case you slip and bite it off. LOL

[Larry Frank]

I cannot tell simply from a fracture surface what the microstructure is and I have spent a considerable amount of time looking at fracture surfaces and microstructure.

It is so difficult and almost impossible to perform the proper heat treating without knowing the chemistry. If one wants to play with the steel and see what they get, that is great. Just use a bit of caution as improper heat treat can make steel very brittle.

[John C Cox]

Does Paul get paid a royalty when he recommends Aldi chisels?

"Paul is paid a small royalty on products that he has presented or written."

I found this on his disclaimers here: https://paulsellers.com/paul-sellers-disclaimer/

[Mike Brady]

Does Paul get paid a royalty when he recommends Aldi chisels?

"Paul is paid a small royalty on products that he has presented or written."

I found this on his disclaimers here: https://paulsellers.com/paul-sellers-disclaimer/

I did not read the disclaimer to mean that Paul Sellers is compensated for his various mentions of Aldi chisels. He probably should be, but I doubt that he has a formal relationship with them. That said, I think he has done a disservice to almost every premium tool maker out there by oversimplifying the differences between hundred-year-old carpenter tools and today's better hand tools. I believe he does that to attract new students to his instructional products.

[John C Cox]

See - that's the thing for me too.... I would have no issues recommending them as a good set to get somebody going with... But after trying out both old good tools and new good tools - I also can't agree that these Aldi chisels are the equal of either modern first quality chisels or the best of the past...

[Frederick Skelly]

"We do $300 paint jobs and $3000 paint jobs. Don't pay for one and expect the other."
- sign in a local autobody shop.

The Aldi's are worth at least the $8 I paid for the set of four. I like them for what I use them for - paring. Just because they've been "hyped by Paul" doesn't mean they're the "bees knees" or that they are in a league with old <insert favorite old chisel maker here> or today's premium tools. Most people here know better. But it's still fun to discuss them and see what kind of work folks get out of them. I also like the Aldi's because they constantly remind me that woodworking doesn't have to be expensive - look at what Steve Newman (and others) do with his Aldi's and weekly garage sale finds.

Aside: I doubt that Sellers got a royalty from Aldi to hype a set of $8 chisels that they sell for 2 weeks each year. Doesn't seem like there's much of a business case there.

Fred

[Mike Baker 2]

The Aldi chisels work well for me. They do everything I need them to.
Having said that, I'm a newby still. Over time, and as I grow as a hand tool woodworker, I might begin to see they lack in some way. But until that happens, I can't justify spending $15, $30, or even more per chisel to upgrade. I have 4 vintage chisels for finer work, and if I find I need an upgrade, I'll do it then.
Until then, I'd rather take the Aldi chisels and use them to get some woodworking done, and learn. There's plenty of time.

[John C Cox]

"We do $300 paint jobs and $3000 paint jobs. Don't pay for one and expect the other."
- sign in a local autobody shop.

The Aldi's are worth at least the $8 I paid for the set of four. I like them for what I use them for - paring. Just because they've been "hyped by Paul" doesn't mean they're the "bees knees" or that they are in a league with old <insert favorite old chisel maker here> or today's premium tools. Most people here know better. But it's still fun to discuss them and see what kind of work folks get out of them. I also like the Aldi's because they constantly remind me that woodworking doesn't have to be expensive - look at what Steve Newman (and others) do with his Aldi's and weekly garage sale finds.

Aside: I doubt that Sellers got a royalty from Aldi to hype a set of $8 chisels that they sell for 2 weeks each year. Doesn't seem like there's much of a business case there.

Fred

The thing is - the note in his "Disclaimers" couches the possibility that he does or did.... And that would explain to me why he so strongly recommend Aldi chisels as superior to everything else on the market when they aren't...

Sure - I will totally accept that they are better than everything in their price range.. Better than anything I could find new retail up to maybe 3x the price.... And I will certainly accept that they will do a lot of good work - and they are fantastic student/class bench chisels because students abuse, damage, and lose them frequently.... That is completely fair and accurate...

But they aren't better than current Stanley Bailey or Marples blue handle - which can be had for around 5x the price..... And they aren't better than Ashley Iles or Two Cherries at 10x the price...

The thing that disappoints me is that I did waste a lot of time on them because Paul recommended them so strongly... My thinking is that if Paul tested them and actually found them equal to new Ashley Iles/Two Cherries or old cast Ward/Marples - then obviously the steel must be pretty decent. If I don't see the same - what am I doing wrong?

Then I find that he is likely receiving compensation of some kind and it becomes clear... I am not doing anything wrong - the results of my own testing was accurate... You don't get a $3,000 paint job for $300...

Thanks

[Pete Taran]

John,

I agree with you 100%. I started following Sellers on his blog when I saw him so highly touted here on SMC. In my estimation, while he does know what he is doing and can offer some good advice for the noob woodworker, there is definitely a financial interest with which you have to view his opinions through. I hate that kind of approach for just the reason you point out. Is he recommending it because it's good, or because he is making a buck on it? Seems like in this case it's the latter. Self interest typically always rules the day, sadly.

[steven c newman]

Even when selling saws...

[Rick Potter]

This is my first foray into the neander world, and it looks just like the power tool world when we discuss Sawstop, Festool, or Craftsman. With two bad rotator cuffs, I rarely use chisels, but this thread leaves me with one burning question I must ask.

When paring, and using your chin to push the chisel, which chin should I use?


PS: Also seems appropriate: As fellow creeker Sam Layton taught me, "It's not the arrow, it's the Indian".

[Mike Baker 2]

The one with the bone in it; the other three are too soft.

[Jim Koepke]

When paring, and using your chin to push the chisel, which chin should I use?

If you ask me, none of them. Why risk an embarrassing mishap? "Paring" to me isn't trying to remove big fat shaving. That is a job for chopping. When doing dovetail work there are usually two or more chisels of the same size on the bench. One for chopping and another for paring. If there are more, they are likely skew chisels.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Didn't need to "chop" these

IMG_4376 (640x480).jpgIMG_4374 (640x480).jpg
YMMV.....trimmed some end grain....

There are some out there, that use their shoulder to push with.....mine are too sore...

[Pete Taran]

With trepidation and genuine collegiality I must point out when you work with pine and spruce, you could pare or chop with a dulled butterknife. Try it with hard maple and see how that works out.