Good Chisels

[JohnsonMBrandon]

Who makes good wood chisels? I have a few old chisels but they just aren't up to par. Any suggestions?

 

[Phillip]

for the money, marples (irwin now) make good chisels. also the pfeil bench chisels (woodcraft) are very good but the handles promote rolling off the bench for the small sizes. i prefer japanese chisels but they are not inexpensive at all, its hard to describe the benefits without having one in your hand. traditionalwoodworker.com sells henry taylor socket chisels, classic design, very nice. lie-nielsen sells socket chisels also, i've used them a bit, like all their tools they are small wonders. probably the best western chisels i've used were a friend's barr chisels, hand forged, socket style with long or short blades. www.barrtools.com is the address. if you're interested in japanese chisels i can make more specific recommendations.

phillip

 

[fsdogwood]

I don't have them, but heard good words about the Hirsch (Hirch) chisels
available at Lee Valley (from the same factory as the Two Cherry)

Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

I have seen the irwin chisels on sale quite a bit. Those bar chisels are nice, but they would cost more than half of the power tools in my shop. Maybe one day I will be able to get a set of them, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. They do look like some fine tools though.

 

[Phillip]

my marples have seen plywood, fibreglass, nails, steel hammers, opening paint cans, all in the same day (my time as a boat carpenter) as well as dovetails, mortises and fine paring. they seem to be a standard in small woodshops. really really hard to beat for the money.

 

[Big Mike]

No expert on chisels but I have enjoyed my Marples as well. I find that they hold a very fine sharp edge and are comfortable for my hand. I highly recommend them in conjunction with a Lee Valley sharpening guide and some ceramic water stones....sharp as I can stand.

 

[Jonz]

I don't have them, but heard good words about the Hirsch (Hirch) chisels
available at Lee Valley (from the same factory as the Two Cherry)

Correct me if I am wrong.

I have the Hirsch set from LV.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=46403&cat=1,41504

I've heard the same thing about the factory from folks that should definitely know what they are talking about.

I've been happy with mine. Overall when I was looking they seemed to be the best bang for the buck. I have a Irwin/Marples set as well that I use for rougher work.

 

[Phillip]

brandon, if you haven't made up your mind yet, take a look at www.craftsmanstudio.com. go to hand tools, chisels, buck brothers bench chisels. its a set of good wood handled traditional chisels with leather washers. nine chisels for less than 80 bucks.

phillip

 

[Monty]

Those look really nice. Do the leather washers really make a difference?

I've got a set of the Marples, but have been looking to add a more "traditional" set... maybe this is what I'm after?

 

[Phillip]

the washers prevent severe mushrooming of the handle. older socket chisels seem to always have them, also they feel good when pushing the chisel (at least compared to my japanese chisels...).

 

[dave_the_woodworker]

I've got a half dozen or sets of chisels and recently got a set from Lie Nielson. One of the things I look for is an accurately flattened back so that the amount of work to polish the backsides is minimal. This really is only required one time but can take a lot of work if they are not very flat - which is generally what I have found. Some chisels require 'major surgery' on a belt sander or very rough stone to get them flattened before you can start polishing. The Lie Nielsons are about the best I've seen so far. They're certainly not cheap - $250 for a set of five - but they hold an edge very well and are well balanced. They also have fairly sharp beveled edges that is important for dovetailing where you need to get into the tight corners of the pins and tails. This is my favorite set so far.

 

[DaveO]

Welcome Dave, great name:lol: Already giving great information, I look forward to your input around here. Dave