Aldi Chisels
Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration / Aldi Chisels
Tagged: chisels, sharpening
- This topic has 31 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 10 months ago by wvalentin.
-
AuthorPosts
-
3 July 2015 at 8:49 pm #128208
I have been subscribed to the Aldi and Lidl newsletters for months, no chisels showing up (I’m in Belgium). I finally gave up and bought 3 Ashley Iles. Do you guess what comes next? 😉 week or two later this pops up in the newsletter:
These are not the same chisels we’re looking for, but I thought it was worth a try. 3 chisels (12, 18 and 25mm) and three files 5round, flat and half round) for 30 euro. I am afraid I cannot comment on the quality because I am a total beginner and I haven’t tried them either. Apart from the dreadful handle, which can be changed I suppose, they look pretty nice, if chunky. Here one compared to other chisels:
Top to bottom, Stanley (from 2008), Aldi, Ashley Iles
Left to right: Ashley Iles, Stanley, Aldi, Ashley Iles, Ashley Iles, Aldi, AldiDunno if these pop up elsewhere.
I am dieing to get my hands on the Aldi Chisels but have not seen them in my area (Upstate South Carolina U.S.A) I too purchased the Harbor Freight (Soooo Cheap!) Well, they are terrible but so inexpensive that I used them to practice Paul’s sharpening method. It took me a long time to flatten the backs to a point where I could start on the bevel. But after stropping them they are razor sharp and can do just about anything I want them to. Hey I needed the practice and they filled the bill. Still want the Aldi’s though.
When they were first made available (actually, the day before), I went to my Aldi in Boca Raton. They had 2 sets left (never got any more in stock according to the manager — they didn’t expect the demand). I bought both sets.
Honed up the blades. Only the (almost) 1″ needed much work on the back, but all the bevels went very quickly from 1000 grit to 8000 grit then the stropping. I now had very sharp and good chisels.
I then spent about an hour and a half on each handle. They are very comfortable and really work well. I don’t know if they’ll be as good as my Lie-Nielsen chisels, but time will tell.
So far I only had to re-strop.
Thank you Mr. Sellers.
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.7 May 2016 at 2:22 am #137059I contacted Aldis about chisels this year and they said they would have them in June in the US. I know there where some in hear that did not get a set. I thought I would let you all know.
7 May 2016 at 2:25 pm #137061Last year they had sets of clamps the same time as the chisel. They were on the small side, but for only around $5 for a set of six (two of which are so tiny they are unusable for most things) they were a steal. I have used mine heavily and they are holding up well.
7 May 2016 at 2:28 pm #137062I’ll have to look for them when I go to purchase more chisels. Thanks for the info.
7 May 2016 at 7:09 pm #137063The set of four Aldi’s I picked up months back here in Philadelphia have held up well. I’m going to add a small holder on my bench for them for everyday use, and keep the Narex set in a roll for finer work.
I do admit that I have a cheap set of four Harbor Freight chisels at hand to use as “bangers”. As much as it’s difficult to get a really good edge on them, they were very adequate for my first Paul Sellers walking cane handle in american red oak.11 May 2016 at 10:49 pm #137165I bought a set last year and finally was able to get back in the shop a couple weeks ago and started to flatten the backs etc. Hope to finish up this weekend, and if they work as good as I think they will I will buy a few more sets for the Grandkids and my Son. I did finish and used the 1″ last year and I was impressed.
Steve
26 May 2016 at 3:54 pm #137453I’ve been waiting ages here in good old Blighty for them to re-appear. I even emailed Aldi but they couldn’t tell me when they were getting them in again. Annoyingly I also missed the Lidl chisels back in November, which I believe are exactly the same. Again I emailed them but they couldn’t tell me when they are due in next either. Just have to keep checking their websites every week I guess.
Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to make do with my vintage Marples chisels…said with tongue held firmly in cheek.
- This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Paul Dallender.
Workzone chisels are on sale again in North America (at least in the Detroit area). I bought a set last summer and they have worked out very well. The ones that I looked at this morning, while looking similar, are nowhere near as well made–coarse grinding, very thick sides and handles made of the sort of nondescript wood that I see on most cheap Chinese tools–the sort of thing I expect to see at Harbor Freight. Still, even for beater/loaner chisels, $6.95 isn’t too bad.
1 June 2016 at 10:45 pm #137552I’m in South Carolina and I just bought 3 sets of the Aldi Chisels.
I was in the store on Sunday and asked if they were available and was told they would put out today.
If you want some you may want to hurry.
TonyC
2 June 2016 at 8:32 am #137561Aldi opened up a new store in San Diego County near me. I went over and got a set of chisels. At checkout the clerk said, “when they are gone that’s it. We will not keep them stocked”. The other item I picked up was Aldi’s 25 foot auto lock steel tape measure. VERY NICE for $3.35. It’s nicer than Stanley’s FatMax for $17.00+. The clerk said that once those are sold that’s it also. They are only available in newly opened stores…I will go get a couple more since there is a wood working school at the local community college and they should go fast. I can’t believe these prices!
2 June 2016 at 11:56 am #137565Aldi has a US website that will list upcoming sales and promotions. They list the date the promotion week starts. So, you don’t have to wait; be the first at the door when they open that morning. They priced chisels at $6.99US, and same price for the file set with handles (3 large and 3 smaller).
And CLAMPS! Can’t have enough clamps, especially with these, because they are even cheapen but the construction shows it. Until I make my Paul Sellers cam clamps, these will do the job until they inevitably break.
Have to say, the quality of the fresh food looked good, but I’m not yet up to food prices so can’t say what’s a bargain and what’s not. Here’s the US site:
https://www.aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/our-weekly-ads/2 June 2016 at 12:35 pm #137566I got the clamps last year and have used them quite a bit. They aren’t the best, but they work pretty well and have held up for me. Be aware that two of them are TINY, so unless you are into instrument building or some other small-scale work you are probably only getting two usable clamps.
Jeff, my wife is the queen of bargain shoppers and she shops at Aldis a lot. The produce and vegetables are always fresh, but the selection is erratic. I get the impression that they only stock something if it is in season (somewhere) and they can get a deal on it.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.