Reply To: Lie-Nielsen Bevel Edge Chisels
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Having the complete set of LN mortice chisels, bevel edged ones, and their fishtails; and used them for a number of years: it is perhaps not totally inappropriate for me to vent an opinion – the more so as I also have experience from the chisels from R. Sorby, H. Taylor, Narex, Veritas, and some other best forgotten brands.
Though I use the mortice chisels whenever possible, it is mainly because the sides are square to the back, which makes the use of a mortice guide very beneficial; the bevel edged ones are subjected to many more hammer blows – mainly in quite dense woods – which probably seated the handles in their sockets. As LN do not offer traditional paring chisels, I think it is welcome that the short handles can be replaced with longer ones, which improve my work.
I value that these chisels come at their pre-specified dimensions. The backs are flat, obfuscating the need for fettling, and their widths within very narrow tolerances. When combined with “Tite-Mark’s” mortice gauge wheels, all mortices start at a width congruent with that of the chisel – a happy state that I usually ruin. My tools from other manufacturers, also premium ones, have significantly wider tolerances.
A2 steel is probably more brittle than O1, which maybe explain why LN recommends adding a 5 degree additional secondary bevel for better edge retention, and perhaps also to reduce the need for sharpening, though edge retention is in comparison very good. Yet, even someone as mediocre as I find sharpening the LN blades and chisels more challenging than for their 01 counterparts. Thankfully I’ve been presented with a leather wheel, which prolongs the time between visits to the sharpening stones.
One aspect – which perhaps does not aid in mortising – of LN chisels is that the bevels extend all the way to the backs, which might be of relevance when clearing out non-square corners.