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chisel choice

larry merlau

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
ok: i am sure there are many brands, that one or another thinks are there favorite..but my question is, are the longer handles and longer blades(insert right name) better for hand work than the the bench chisels or i should say the job site chisels like a no. 60 stanley? because after having some difficulty with what i have to do some dove tails,, i might be looking for some different chisels.
so to you that are more up on this hand tool stuff than me what are your choices and reasons for it..? you can plug your brand, be it old or new.. may save me time typing another question..:D:thumb:
 
Tool pig reporting for duty, sir.

Lots of good chisels out there, and you can do fine dovetails with many of them. I used a set of ash handled Marples for 20+ years that I bought new for around $30 or 40. They work fine, but get dull easily.

The LN chisels are great, but may be a little small for your hands. Best to try one on before buying.

Pfeil Swiss made are mid priced and take a great edge. I saw a used set of about 6 of them for around $125 - this is a good deal.

If you have time, you can assemble a set of older fine chisels - that is an inexpensive way to go, but can take a long time, a really long time. Adam Cherubini has said he doesn't need bevel edged chisels for dovetails. Maybe he doesn't, but I do. On the less expensive chisel, there is often a wider land - the vertical part of the edge before the beveled side bevels away. This can get in the way of fine dovetails.

One of the things to consider is how much you're going to be smacking the chisels with a mallet. I like to have at it, and any of the three brands above stand up well - though like I said, the Marples go dull really quickly.
 
Add "Two Cherries" to Ken's list.

I use a set of Japanese chisels that I brought back from there about 1979 - before the Japanese tool craze happened here. They were still affordable - even cheap(!) - back then. :thumb::D
 
larry merlau said:
ok: i am sure there are many brands, that one or another thinks are there favorite..but my question is, are the longer handles and longer blades(insert right name) better for hand work than the the bench chisels or i should say the job site chisels like a no. 60 stanley? because after having some difficulty with what i have to do some dove tails,, i might be looking for some different chisels.
so to you that are more up on this hand tool stuff than me what are your choices and reasons for it..? you can plug your brand, be it old or new.. may save me time typing another question..:D:thumb:
Click to expand...

I have a fine set of Two Cherries that I spent a good amount of time flattening the backs and de-finishing the handles. They work very well, but I am going to get a set of Lie Nielsens so that everything matches up in imperial units (hand drill, planes and chisels). I will keep the metric, but I am tired of everything being just a little off when going from drill to chisel. Yeah, I have metric drill bits for the drill press, but not my auger drill!

I am also looking for paring chisels in O1 steel and imperial sizes (long thin blades). I am a little leery of Sorby and Henry Taylor due to some feedback on their steel, but that is the style I am looking for.

Good advice from Ken on trying out the chisels before buying. I have tried the Lie Nielsens they are just the right size for me.

You know, you can modify your chisels by grinding the edges so that you have a better edge clearance when dovetailing. I will try and find an article I have seen on it somewhere.
 
ken werner said:
IIRC, Derek Cohen wrote about doing that on his site:
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Soyouwanttomakeadovetailchisel.html

BTW, it's a great site.
Click to expand...

Bill Satko said:
I have a fine set of Two Cherries that I spent a good amount of time flattening the backs and de-finishing the handles. They work very well, but I am going to get a set of Lie Nielsens so that everything matches up in imperial units (hand drill, planes and chisels). I will keep the metric, but I am tired of everything being just a little off when going from drill to chisel. Yeah, I have metric drill bits for the drill press, but not my auger drill!

I am also looking for paring chisels in O1 steel and imperial sizes (long thin blades). I am a little leery of Sorby and Henry Taylor due to some feedback on their steel, but that is the style I am looking for.

Good advice from Ken on trying out the chisels before buying. I have tried the Lie Nielsens they are just the right size for me.

You know, you can modify your chisels by grinding the edges so that you have a better edge clearance when dovetailing. I will try and find an article I have seen on it somewhere.
Click to expand...

you guys are mean!!!!!!1 now i need to find some old chisels and have one of those spinny guys make me some purty handles..
ok here is my list from what i have read here so far,, i need a 1/8,1/4,3/8/1/2,3/4,1 to make a good set.. socket chisels correct me if i have missed something
 
Find the chisel(s), Larry, and I'll make you a handle.

But you will have to decide if you want pretty or if you want robust. Curly stuff or Osage orange, as an example.

Bet you could find a handle maker here for each chisel you find.
 
Larry,
you might want to ad a 5/16" size to your wish list. This was a common mortise size and is still pretty common. I wind up using mine quite a bit.
paulh
 
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