The Aldi chisels sold here in the US still have the wood handles.
The Aldi chisels sold here in the US still have the wood handles.
Been using mine on that Project I am working on now...using Ash. Only "trouble" so far....when one rolled off the bench and hit the floor.....
IMG_5817 (640x480).jpg
Took a whopping three minutes, WHEW, to strop the damage away, and back to work...
Was unaware the Auburn Tool Co. planes could be bought at Harbor Freight Bit of a shame that I do NOT own any planes from Harbor Freight....am I missing out?
Last edited by steven c newman; 09-17-2018 at 6:59 PM.
I can't imagine these Aldi chisels being worse because of a plastic handle. Its probably an improvement for the basic work these are useful for.
IF the main gripe about the latest chisels is those cheap plastic handles....you can always replace them with the wood ones you prefer.
If you don't like the steel, you can always go to Minnesota and dig up some iron ore to make your own...
Over on Sellers' site/blog..I left the same question about handle replacement.....since these are just tang chisels...At least those handles aren't Blue & Gray ( Kobalt) or Blue & Yellow plastic handles...look more like the ones Stanley used...
At their price point, I doubt if QC is very robust! I believe Narex advertises their chiseld at HRc 58, which, in the greater scheme of Rockwell hardness, not much different than 57. Some premium makers don't even state Rockwell hardness levels.
For the price, if you get one really good one out of the four, then they're worth it (and three scrapers!). I'm lucky enough to have a very large number of chisels to choose from, and there are many (vintage and modern) I like. But there are also many (vintage and modern) that I hate. Chisels are very subjective to how they feel in your hand, and the ones that feel just right, are the ones I grab first.
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
The LV chisels are made in Japan, but I prefer wooden handles, and so passed a good deal when a fellow woodworker was selling his lightly used set at half price. The set left his hands in no time, but I am sure he would have sold his set at a higher price if the handles were all wood.
Simon
Last edited by Simon MacGowen; 09-18-2018 at 6:59 PM.
That is certainly true. How good an edge holds now matters not so much to me as the handle fit, the balance, and aesthetics. I can sharpen edges quickly free hand faster than Sellers' diamond stone method, and so all steels work for me, from O1 to PMV11 to Japanese chisel steel.
I have never used any Aldi chisels, but in my hands, I doubt they would make much difference in my chisel work -- paring or chopping.
Simon
My Aldi chisels were much better after I pulled the handles off and baked them for an hour at 475. It seemed to stabilize the edges. Before that - they would roll and roll and roll....
That said - the best use I have come up for them so far is to grind the edges at 90 degrees and use them as a flat nose/scraper chisel. It’s a super handy tool and not quite so sensitive to their less than perfect heat treatment of the steel.....
What a bloody waste....right now I am USING my Aldi's chisels in the current build blog....on Ash...the only time so far an edge has "rolled" was went one of the chisels was knocked off the bench....chisels seem to have a way of landing bevel first. 5 minutes to fix, back to work. These are the same chisels I pare a tenon with...by resting me beard cover chin on the end of the handle, sighting down the blade, and push with the chin...
I guess some need to learn more about HOW these chisels SHOULD used? Others decry these chisels..without ever having touched the items...Afraid someone else might see them actually holding them?
Well, they ARE cheap enough..if you wish to waste them, it be your $7...not mine.
One of the misunderstandings people have about QC is that every finished piece is inspected and put through every test.
Quality Control departments use statistical sampling. It is easy for a few not up to standards items to slip through.
In some situations it is that the standards are merely guidelines and a lot of sub standard items go to market. After all, it is a set of four chisels for less than $2 each. Try shipping a pack of chisels across the globe for less than that.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)