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Thread: Bench chisels?

  1. #61
    Ken,

    One factor to consider with chisels is how they feel in your particular hands. This is something only you can assess, and only by handling them.
    I ordered a set of Veritas PM-V11 chisels and while they are technically superb without question, I just did not like how they felt in my hands. It's hard to put into words.
    So I sent them back and bought a set of Ashley Iles (MK II bench chisels and a few American Pattern butt chisels). They feel really comfortable in my hands, especially the shorter butt chisels. As others have said, AI are a good value for a high quality chisel.

    In summary I suggest if you cannot handle the chisels before buying them, go with a seller who will cheerfully accept a return and make sure they feel comfortable to you.

  2. #62
    Quote Originally Posted by JimA Thornton View Post
    I bought a 3/8" Narex Premium chisel from LV to add to my set of vintage Marples Bluechip chisels. The chisel seems nice with a thin side bevel, but as someone said, the handle is bulky and pretty ugly. I'm toying with the idea of taking the upper hoop off and reshaping the handle to a nice dome shape at the end.
    I'm going to answer my own post here. I finally got to use my 3/8" Narex Premium chisel today. I mentioned earlier about thinking about cutting the top hoop off. Well .......I discovered that when doing a paring operation that my little finger wraps around the upper hoop making the chisel quite comfortable. Plus even though the handle seems large, I found it felt good in my smaller hands. I'm also thinking that I was able to get it sharper than my vintage Blue Chips, but need to do a little more research. Oh yeah...........yes they're still really ugly! Maybe this is a case of "form follows function".

    Jim

  3. #63
    Quote Originally Posted by Jessica de Boer View Post
    If you want Western chisels for a good price and steel that's actually not all that bad for a Western chisels I would recommend these: https://www.fine-tools.com/mhg.html
    I always wanted a set of those, but I have a set of Two Cherries (Kirschen) so there really is no reason to get the MHG ones (but I still want them )

    I almost always work in inches, but I like having a set of metric chisels. It can be nice to have slightly undersized chisels to clean out mortices, rabbets, dados, etc, where the chisel sides don't catch on the wood.

    Back on topic, the Two Cherries are nice chisels. Some folks have issues with the polishing, but it has never bothered me; a little extra grinding on the bevel in the beginning righted everything up. The only thing is that they are A2 steel, and they require a slightly higher secondary bevel than people used to O1 or vintage steel (750 style steel) may be used to, like I was when I first got them. I tend to use them in harder woods or with a mallet, where edge retention is important. For softer woods or light paring in harder woods, I tend to favor my set of vintage 750 style chisels from various manufactures.

    If I was starting out and needed chisels, I would probably try the new Stanley Sweetheart 750 chisels. I like that size and style chisel, but wouldn't want it with A2 steel like the LN ones are. For an A2 chisel, I prefer a longer handle like the Two Cherries, but that is just me and my preferences.

    And if I am being honest with myself, I probably could have just kept using my original set of blue-handled made-in-Sheffield Marples chisels that I have had for 20 years. But once you get the chisel bug, it is hard to stop. I have to remind myself, I really don't need to buy a set of Ashley Iles, Sweetheart, Pfeil, and MHG chisels.

  4. #64
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    But once you get the chisel bug, it is hard to stop. I have to remind myself, I really don't need to buy a set of Ashley Iles, Sweetheart, Pfeil, and MHG chisels.
    You are right about it being hard to stop. There is very little need for another chisel in my shop. When a decent one shows up at an irresistible price, it gets a ride home with me. Just like a decent hand plane.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #65
    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Seemann View Post
    I always wanted a set of those, but I have a set of Two Cherries (Kirschen) so there really is no reason to get the MHG ones (but I still want them )

    I almost always work in inches, but I like having a set of metric chisels. It can be nice to have slightly undersized chisels to clean out mortices, rabbets, dados, etc, where the chisel sides don't catch on the wood.

    Back on topic, the Two Cherries are nice chisels. Some folks have issues with the polishing, but it has never bothered me; a little extra grinding on the bevel in the beginning righted everything up. The only thing is that they are A2 steel, and they require a slightly higher secondary bevel than people used to O1 or vintage steel (750 style steel) may be used to, like I was when I first got them. I tend to use them in harder woods or with a mallet, where edge retention is important. For softer woods or light paring in harder woods, I tend to favor my set of vintage 750 style chisels from various manufactures.

    If I was starting out and needed chisels, I would probably try the new Stanley Sweetheart 750 chisels. I like that size and style chisel, but wouldn't want it with A2 steel like the LN ones are. For an A2 chisel, I prefer a longer handle like the Two Cherries, but that is just me and my preferences.

    And if I am being honest with myself, I probably could have just kept using my original set of blue-handled made-in-Sheffield Marples chisels that I have had for 20 years. But once you get the chisel bug, it is hard to stop. I have to remind myself, I really don't need to buy a set of Ashley Iles, Sweetheart, Pfeil, and MHG chisels.
    Andrew,

    Yes you do .

    Less the MHG chisels I have sets of all those and others and each chisel has something they do better than the others. Such as the Sweethearts have Hornbeam handles and can be struct with a metal hammer, the Pfeil are metric and the 8mm is a lifesaver, the AI along with Sorby and Boxwood handled Marples are great for pairing and the list goes on with every chisel I have on the racks. I have way too many tools but never too many chisels.

    Just last night I was finishing up some M/T's on a desk build and I had almost a dozen chisels on the bench each was there to do a specific job.

    ken

  6. #66
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    I follow what Derek says on chisels. He has walls full of them. If you want edge retention than Japanese or PMV11. If the feel is the driver than something else. Derek has many chisels because he only gets one chop between sharpening. One hit grab another chisel. Half day on dovetails the other half sharpening chisels. Just having fun at Derek’s expense. Sharpening is only a little part of it how the tool feels in your hands is more important to me.
    Jim

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Pallas View Post
    I follow what Derek says on chisels. He has walls full of them. If you want edge retention than Japanese or PMV11. If the feel is the driver than something else. Derek has many chisels because he only gets one chop between sharpening. One hit grab another chisel. Half day on dovetails the other half sharpening chisels. Just having fun at Derek’s expense. Sharpening is only a little part of it how the tool feels in your hands is more important to me.
    Jim
    Jim, I do not have walls of chisels ... just one wall ... 237 chisels. That's not much .. OK that's just the bench chisels ... then there are the paring chisels ... the firmer chisels ... the gouges ... both the in-and out channel ...

    And I do not sharpen after one chop. I do a whole dovetail socket.

    So there!

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #68
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    Lots of good stuff in this thread. I think it is important to compare what you will be doing with what the person giving you advice is doing. I don’t work exotics, if I did I might care more about the edge retention issue. Since I work domestic stuff, O1 works fine for me. The fact that I can sharpen it with a couple of oilstones, instead of a bunch of grinders, diamonds, ceramic stones, and stuff that would cost more than my whole shop is a plus for me.

    Ken Hatch’s setup, with the portable workbench he throws in his RV or whatever, is not that different from my basement shop. The AI are similar to the old chisels he apparently orders by the container load from England, and sharpen well with an India stone and an Arkansas.

    Quote Originally Posted by James Pallas View Post
    I follow what Derek says on chisels. He has walls full of them. If you want edge retention than Japanese or PMV11. If the feel is the driver than something else. Derek has many chisels because he only gets one chop between sharpening. One hit grab another chisel. Half day on dovetails the other half sharpening chisels. Just having fun at Derek’s expense. Sharpening is only a little part of it how the tool feels in your hands is more important to me.
    Jim

  9. #69
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    Trimming 1/2" long tenons, requires a 1/2" wide, chin-powered trimmer..
    tenon trimmer.JPG
    Tenons were a tad too fat, to fit into the grooves
    2 frames.JPG
    Making a set of 6 webframes...

  10. #70
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    Pfeil are metric and the 8mm is a lifesaver
    8mm is almost indistinguishable from a 5/16". 5/16" chisels are not common, but there are a few out there.

    What many do not know is the fractional inch sizes of 5/128, 5/64, 5/32, 5/16, 5/8 and 5/4 (1-1/4") are all close matches for 1mm, 2mm, 4mm, 8mm, 16mm and 32mm.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  11. #71
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    On a value basis, the Narex are very good....I also agree to mix up your brands of chisels.It does not have to be a perfect, matched set....Generally, buying used vintage chisels as they become available, I think, yields good results...
    Jerry

  12. #72
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    8mm is almost indistinguishable from a 5/16". 5/16" chisels are not common, but there are a few out there.

    What many do not know is the fractional inch sizes of 5/128, 5/64, 5/32, 5/16, 5/8 and 5/4 (1-1/4") are all close matches for 1mm, 2mm, 4mm, 8mm, 16mm and 32mm.

    jtk
    Jim,

    Which is the reason the 8mm is needed. Ain't many 5/16 bench chisels out there but my most used mortise chisel is a 5/16" pigsticker.

    Thanks for the reminder about the other 5's.

    ken

  13. #73
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    Thanks for the reminder about the other 5's.
    You are welcome.

    It is just one of the ways of seeing how we are already metric.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Wilkins View Post
    Really? Or did you forget to put on the sarcasm font? I don’t remember one but I would be surprised if it doesn’t come up. I was probably thinking of it because I saw a history video on YouTube recently on why America hasn’t. Really interesting. I can link it if I can and there is any interest.
    Huh, I always thought we haven't switched so we could show solidarity to our good friends on Liberia and Myanmar.

  15. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Ranck View Post
    Huh, I always thought we haven't switched so we could show solidarity to our good friends on Liberia and Myanmar.
    It’s actually a complex and fascinating (at least to a history nerd) story. Here’s the video:
    https://youtu.be/yseldOMcT4Q

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