Marty Schlosser
Kingston, ON, Canada
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Mike, That was some good tool porn. I need to get a high quality camera one of these days.
That's awesome! I can't wait to get more chisels.
Ooh, I like that. I happened to have an appropriately sized bushing (McMaster-Carr catalog part) on hand the last time I did one, but if I hadn't I hopefully would have thought of that before going overboard.
Q: Do you relieve the top of the handle at all (remove the existing finish and maybe a couple mils of wood) to make a "seat" for the hoop, or just mash it on there? I've seen writeups suggesting both approaches.
Derek made a point that I think bears reiterating in his comparison of chisel steels: Once you get up to the LV/LN quality level the ergonomics become more of a deciding factor than the steel. Put another way, for most uses both PM-V11 and LN's cryo-treated A2 will last long enough that the handling while actually using them is more practically noticeable any difference in frequency/degree of honing.
Thanks for responding Mike. Since I don't use Japanese chisels, I had no idea. I have one, but I have a preference for Lie Nielsen chisels.
I like the way the Lie Nielsens feel when using them.
Pat I am sure someone like Stanley or Brian with more knowledge than I have of Japanese tools can provide a better explanation, but...
I think there is a tradition among Japanese woodworkers of setting up their own tools. I bought a gennou not long ago and the seller encouraged me to make my own handle. Certainly there are Japanese tools made for the US market that are totally "finished" but these tools can also be very expensive. Do we want a master at forging laminated steel spending his time tapping hoops onto chisels or making more laminated steel? Do we want to pay the master's price for that time when we can do it ourselves?
I think we have to realize these are hand made tools. For me the attraction is the skilled artisan with specific rare skills at working steel, making a product that can not be found anywhere else. Chisels like the two Usu-nomi I just received are harder to dull and easier to sharpen than manufactured steels. For some the differences may not have enough additional benefit to lure them to the specialized products. Those who are lured to them may want a certain amount of ability to customize them.
Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 06-07-2016 at 11:40 AM.