Reply To: Expensive Chisels
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Clifford,
Love Larry’s suggestion about reposition adhesive!
It all comes down to what we want – we justify what matters to us. Just like it always saves money to move HQ closer to the CEO’s home.
That said, here are a few opinions (or maybe more)…
One advantage to cheaper chisels is That one can afford more sizes and types (butt, paring, mortice).
Socket chisels, by design, should better resist damage from the mallet. That’s probably why we don’t see rings on their handles. There isn’t a tang acting like a wedge with each mallet blow, meanwhile the socket compresses the wood fibers together each time the mallet forces them further in. Re-handling is also quicker.
If you want a set of socket chisels, you might check out the current run (Sheffield made) Stanley 750s. I’ve seen them on eBay with 8 chisels and a leather roll for well under $200. Not Narex cheap, but certainly cheaper than L-N, AI, RS, HIRSCH OR 2 Cherries. And the 4 chisel sets were at similar discounts – cheap enough to experiment and see if you like sockets.
I have a Hirsch gouge and it was sharp out of the package. Of course, it’s polished all over. That’s my expensive chisel and the limit of my experience in that realm. Beyond that, I have Narex, Aldi, an old plastic handled Swede, some TruTest (an older hardware store brand), one (Sheffield) Stanley 750, and some various older American socket chisels.
Ed’s comments resonate re. the issue of matching size to type of work. I’ve never handled any of the Brits, but their sizes appear to fit between socketed and Aldi chisel handles – maybe they cover all applications?
I’ve purchased my Narex on eBay from Taylor Toolworks. They are true imperial sizes and price out at $50 for 4 with shipping. Note, my Narex set doesn’t have quite as fancy a handles as some of their other lines.
My Narex fill in my eigths sizes between my Aldi. I switch back and forth between the brands without pause – and notice no differences apart from visual. BTW my Aldi chisels haven’t broken yet – which I attribute to the fact that I paid the princely price of $18 for same. 😉
The Narex came sharp right from the box. After some testing, I did hone them just-in-case so the edges would last a full cycle. But they and the Hirsch are the sharpest chisels I’ve used from new.
Flat backs is an interesting topic. I was always taught that the leading edge and two outer edges should be on a plane. The rest can have a slight hollow. I haven’t yet purchased a chisel that was otherwise, although I know they exist.
I can’t tell, most of the time, if people expect a uniform plane across back. I’ve never used such a beast but doubt that it matters. The difference between the edge and the hollow is so very small, and wood is such a highly variable material in comparison, that I can’t see the benefit of a uniformly flat back.
Re sharpening or holding an edge, I don’t think it matters too much. Ron Hock offers blades from traditional O1 steel and also one of the more modern and durable formulas. According to him, the O1 can be brought to a sharper edge while the other holds its edge longer. Even Ron doesn’t quantify these differences. I don’t buy into the concept that one can have sharper and longer lasting in the same chisel. Different steels and different heat-treat/tempering schedule will lead to sharper or more durable. But I don’t think that these trade-offs are clear enough to inform a decision regarding which chisel to purchase. So I just don’t worry about this debate and I’ve been quite happy with all my chisels.
If you’ve found any of this of value, great.
Rick G