Aldis chisels

[Bruce Haugen]

I have to wonder how many sets of premium chisels could have been purchased with the aggregate time in dollar value expended on talking about cheap chisels.

Good question. This topic has been hashed out before, it will happen again, and it gets everyone exactly nowhere. However, it does seem to stir the juices and people seem to derive a lot of pleasure from it.

[Simon MacGowen]

However, it does seem to stir the juices and people seem to derive a lot of pleasure from it.

That is part of the fun of visiting or taking part in a forum/forum discussion. Technical aspects are relatively dry and static, but not people's opinions.

Simon

[Jim Koepke]

I have to wonder how many sets of premium chisels could have been purchased with the aggregate time in dollar value expended on talking about cheap chisels.

Not as many as the time one would spend to fettle a set of cheap chisels into the look and feel of a set of premium chisels could buy.

Currently a Woodriver set of 6 chisels is $59.99. Not really my style, but likely to be a bit better finished. They are listed in inch sizes which is fine with me.

jtk

[phil harold]

As always great info Jim!

It has been my honor to receive a set of the famous (infamous?) Aldi chisels from another member

Not much of my time was spent on flattening the backs more than getting rid of the deepest scratches. My tendency is to work on that over time. A few hours was spent on getting them into shape. A bit more time was used because the two largest chisels tended to roll or chip after the first few times sharpening. The edges seemed to settle down after repeated sharpening.

This was after the third sharpening. After a few more trips to the stones it settled down and started cutting the same piece without the drama.

They take a decent edge. Shaving arm hair or wood they can hold their own:

This is pine. The end grain has been pared smooth.

So it really gets down to what a person wants in their shop. For inexpensive useable chisels in only a few sizes, the Aldi chisels can be a good deal. If you like something that feels like it belongs in your hand and can sneak into those tight corners, you will likely have to spend a lot more.

The Aldi chisels do seem to have a supply limitation and may be unavailable during the year. So if you want them, get them when you can.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks for the kind words Phil and the experience.

jtk

[steven c newman]

In use, against Ash...
other end.jpg
YMMV, as usual..

[Jim Koepke]

My current project is making a pair of large saw horses. My plan is to use only one Aldi 24mm chisel and one of my paring chisels to compare. The 'other' chisel is a 1-1/2" Union Hardware chisel.

A little side note here. The Union chisels that have come my way have all been good quality tools. They used to be fairly inexpensive compared to other brands of chisels. The word must have gotten out on these as they now sell for a higher price than they did a few years back.

Both chisels have a 25º flat bevel without a secondary bevel.

For cutting the lap face on the legs all the knife cuts were vee notched to help guide the sawing.

First the Aldi:

24mm Vee Notch.jpg

Then the Union:

1-1:2%22 Union Vee Notch.jpg

Both were able to do the work. What was most noticeable was the Aldi was a touch more difficult to push through the cut. It was after some use that it became clear that this was due to the Union chisel having been more polished on the back and the edges were smooth from use. The Aldi chisels are rough on the backs and sides. The edge where the back and side lands meet is sharp yet rough from the grinding. This could be addressed over time. After a bit of working with this the Aldi was taken to my Powered Sharpening System and a bit of back flattening was pursued. It can still use more. It seems they may have used a 60 grit abrasive in the factory to flatten the back. It still has some deep scratches, just not as many as it had before.

Shoulder Trimming

The Aldi:

Aldi Shoulder Trimming.jpg

Then the Union:

Union Shoulder Trimming.jpg

Both did a good job shoulder trimming. The Aldi chisel tended to dig into the cheek, likely due to it being a bit sharper at the edges. The control was a bit better with the Union chisel. This was likely not only because of the smoother sides from wear but the handle is a bit longer giving an advantage through added leverage.

The Handles:

Handles.jpg

The feel of a handle is important to me. My Union chisel has a handle made of ash. It has a smooth surface due to use over the years.

Cheek Trimming

Once again in alphabetical order:

Aldi Cheek Trimming.jpg

And the Union:

Union Cheek Trimming.jpg

This is where my preference is a wide chisel. The image of the Aldi chisel trimming a cheek shows some of the shavings adhering to the surface. This is common when trimming across the grain with a chisel narrower than the surface being pared.

Both chisels held up reasonably during the making of eight cheeks and shoulders.

The Aldi chisel could use more grinding on the sides and back to make it smoother in use. The shoulders had a bit of metal flashing that was a bit rough to the touch when it was being sharpened on stones.

jtk

[Tony Zaffuto]

Same as I found Jim.

As a sidenote, when buying vintage chisels, don't make a rookie mistake that I made maybe two decades ago. That is when a chisel looks too good to be true, make sure you examine closely. I bought a socket chisel marked (IIRC) Dunlap. It was a dead ringer for a Witherby and had a price of maybe five bucks or so. I hurried and grabbed it, but when I got home and started cleaning it up, I discovered it was plated. In other words, junk for flattening.

[Steve Clardy]

Jim. The union and the aldi was a pretty wide difference in chisels. Different widths, different lengths, different weights.
Do you really feel that was a fair comparison?

[Jim Koepke]

Jim. The union and the aldi was a pretty wide difference in chisels. Different widths, different lengths, different weights.
Do you really feel that was a fair comparison?

Mostly my comparison was how they cut and observations from using an Aldi chisel on a project.

The Union chisel being longer was brought up as an explanation for the leverage or control advantage.

For some the difference in how a handle feels in their hands can be important. That is one of the reasons for my preferring socket chisels. It is also my main reason for buying a lathe. Besides, it used to be chisels without handles didn't demand as high a price as ones with decent handles.

The difference in feel or friction was theorized as the Aldi not having had as much surface prep as the Union chisel.

My intent was to show the differences one would likely encounter with a new Aldi chisel compared to a well prepared and cared for vintage chisel. My conclusion was the chisels did about equal work and both held up well for the task at hand. The Aldi chisel could have been compared to another 1" chisel, but none of my other paring chisels are ground to 25º. My 1" Buck Brothers chisel is ground to ~15º with even lower lands than the Union chisel used. It cuts a little finer shavings than my Union chisel due to the low angle bevel.

Any of the minor performance issues mentioned may not bother some folks. If it did, the Aldi chisels would benefit from a tune up to smooth the backs and sides. Maybe a little work to bring the down side bevels and bring them into balance.

The steel in the Aldi chisels, a chrome vanadium alloy, may not be A1 or PM-v11, but it seems to be as usable as any of my O1 chisels.

Heck, if these were on a shelf at less than $10 for a set when my first chisels were purchase these would have likely been my first chisel purchase. The Sandvik chisels cost me that much each back in my early days of butchering wood.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

My current project continues using the 24mm Aldi chisel. to address Steve's comment about using different size chisels two other 1" chisels have been put on the job. Though they do not match the weight or length. That could be difficult under most circumstances.

Here are the three side by side:

One Inch Chisels.jpg

At the top is a Karpenter (most of the name is worn down) from Winsted Tool Co. (also the maker of Witherby) which is from my eclectic gathering of short chisels or butt chisels. It has a 25º bevel. It is a good chisel and the handle feels good in my hand. The ring at the bottom can be pushed with the heel of my hand. It can also fit between my pinky and ring fingers comfortably when tapping with a mallet. It is a bit short for paring and can actually be uncomfortable when the work gives way and you bump your knuckles.

In the middle is a Buck Brothers. It is one of my favorite paring chisels. It demonstrates that the angle of the bevel makes a difference when paring. With a 15º bevel it may need attention to the edge more often than a higher bevel.

Third of course is the Aldi chisel with a 25º bevel that is holding up well. The Aldi is also doing well at what a chisel does.

Though all three are showing some edge deterioration.

Before this project is finished my other miscellaneous 1" chisels can be put to the test.

Pretty much the real difference is in the care and degree of the finishing the chisels received at manufacturing or since by various owners.

For those who may be curious, here is the first bandsaw horse finished:

Bandsaw Horse.jpg

It was used when beveling the top for the second horse. The bolts thread into inserts so the horses can be disassembled to take up less space when not being used. Also the second one is being made a little wider so they will stack more compactly.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

"It was used when beveling the top for the second horse. The bolts thread into inserts so the horses can be disassembled to take up less space when not being used. Also the second one is being made a little wider so they will stack more compactly."

^^^^Good ideas Jim. Thanks for sharing.

P.S. My Aldis work fine for paring too - certainly worth the $6 I spent for them. And because they are so cheap, I have no qualms about regrinding from 20* to see how they will work at your suggested 15*.

Have a good day!
Fred

[Jim Koepke]

Have a good day!
Fred

Thanks Fred.

One more thing to be determined is if they will have a cross brace on the legs at each end. It would make it a bit more stable. It is stable now, but no telling what wear and tear might do to them. That is for a separate post on making these horses.

jtk

[steven c newman]

After all that work on the project I just completed....only one of my 8 Aldi's chisels needs a sharpening.....it had rolled off the bench, and hit the floor...the rest merely need a quick strop, and back into the til...

[Frederick Skelly]

There is something fun about getting good work out of inexpensive tools (without having to bust your hump fettling them first).