High Quality Chisels

Oldwood said:
I think you will find some of the very hard chisels are good for paring but not for mallet work. I have one set that is not so hard as to be brittle for mallet work & another set that is very hard & hold an edge well for paring. If I use the paring set for mallet work they chip on the edge.

I have never had a set of the Japanese folded steel chisels so they could be the exception to the rule.

If the price of the your first choice is just a LITTLE alarming the economy must be on the upswing over there  [eek]

Gerry

It is something I'm worried about but it does say on some of these hard chisels take abuse in hardwood even with knots.

Jmb
 
maybe you should get one of these sets in a systainer full of chisels etcdick tools

i have 3 sets of chisels.
1 bahco set for general carpentry
1 set of stubby paring chisels by crown for more accurate work
1 set from some cheapo store for whacking with a hammer

im thinking of getting a better set for whacking with a hammer. basically cutting stuff out of the way and a set to have in the van for lending to people on site
 
jmbfestool said:
Cus thats what I do?!?!? I like buying nice stuff lol

I have had my chisels for about 6 years now! Its just that I have been little bit unlucky and lost two recently.   Mainly because I dont care about them really I suppose.  The new ones ill look after a lot more and im going to give them a nice home!  My current ones just get dumped in my bag with all my tools with no protection.  Same thing happend with my old block plane I never cared about that one and it just got thrown about but My lie-nielsen I look after that always gets put back in its pouch and hung up in my tool bag to keep it safe.  If im not happy with a tool I just loose respect for it I suppose and so if it gets broken or lost I dont really care.

JMB

Fair enough... since it is your money, I vote for the H&S Ultimax Range  They look badass!

Ultimax-Chisels-Copy.jpg


Unfortunately, the Ultimax range looks really slick, but it doesn't look like they are in production at the moment.    
 
Harold and Saxon are probably taking custom orders. These guys are located in fairly remote part of NSW. Probably somewhere you'd visit for the day and pick your chisels up personally.

I've got Marples for rough and Iyoroi's for fine ... but some Harold Saxon chisels could be a nice addition to my tools too [smile]

Got to get round to introducing my chisels to some wood  [crying]

 
those h$s contactor chisels with the aluminium hadle look good for site work. but i do wonder what the balance is like with them
 
The balance of the Harold & Saxon chisels are fantastic.
The timber handled chisels are great for paring and other delicate hand work.

The aluminium contractor chisels are awesome, the extra weight is a positive and they are beautifully balanced.
And they are estwing friendly!

Justin
 
Just a note on the Harold and Saxon custom.. they can take a while to make and get shipped. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6months awhile.
 
ShawnRussell said:
Just a note on the Harold and Saxon custom.. they can take a while to make and get shipped. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6months awhile.

That's some wait...... Umm well I emailed them to see if they ship to the uk and at what price so wait and see.

Jmb
 
Vindingo said:
jmbfestool said:
Cus thats what I do?!?!? I like buying nice stuff lol

I have had my chisels for about 6 years now! Its just that I have been little bit unlucky and lost two recently.   Mainly because I dont care about them really I suppose.  The new ones ill look after a lot more and im going to give them a nice home!  My current ones just get dumped in my bag with all my tools with no protection.  Same thing happend with my old block plane I never cared about that one and it just got thrown about but My lie-nielsen I look after that always gets put back in its pouch and hung up in my tool bag to keep it safe.  If im not happy with a tool I just loose respect for it I suppose and so if it gets broken or lost I dont really care.

JMB

Fair enough... since it is your money, I vote for the H&S Ultimax Range  They look badass!

Ultimax-Chisels-Copy.jpg


Unfortunately, the Ultimax range looks really slick, but it doesn't look like they are in production at the moment.    

They do look nice and sexy did look at them just don't look hammer friendly.  Hence why I like the contractors version.

Jmb
 
jmbfestool said:
Vindingo said:
jmbfestool said:
Cus thats what I do?!?!? I like buying nice stuff lol

I have had my chisels for about 6 years now! Its just that I have been little bit unlucky and lost two recently.   Mainly because I dont care about them really I suppose.  The new ones ill look after a lot more and im going to give them a nice home!  My current ones just get dumped in my bag with all my tools with no protection.  Same thing happend with my old block plane I never cared about that one and it just got thrown about but My lie-nielsen I look after that always gets put back in its pouch and hung up in my tool bag to keep it safe.  If im not happy with a tool I just loose respect for it I suppose and so if it gets broken or lost I dont really care.

JMB

Fair enough... since it is your money, I vote for the H&S Ultimax Range  They look badass!

Ultimax-Chisels-Copy.jpg


Unfortunately, the Ultimax range looks really slick, but it doesn't look like they are in production at the moment.    

They do look nice and sexy did look at them just don't look hammer friendly.  Hence why I like the contractors version.

Jmb

If you tend to use a framing hammer to drive chisels buy some bahco chisels, they're cheap and will take a beating.

If you're gonna buy highend chisels... use a mallet to drive them and learn how to properly sharpen them. I doubt you have the patience for really learn how to properly sharpen them.

If you dont have the intention to really get to know your chisels you shouldent spend more than 20€/piece....

the harold&saxon are about...what 150€/piece with the customs charges and shipping overseas?
 
Well Brett you are brave looking at some of those Japanese chisels for site work !  I cant really comment on most of those but i can share what i use.  For on site i have a selection of Marple's blue chip & Stanley's (i don't do heavy construction any more so these work fine for me).  I have a few sets in the workshop, where i spend 90% of my time.  Another set of Stanley's which to be fair only really gets used to clean up hardened glue n stuff, a set of Japanese chisels including a couple of expensive ones (to be honest i don't use them, not keen on them & a pig to sharpen), a set of 10 Two Cherries but different to the ones you showed the link for.  Mine have octagonal handles.  These are my most used chisels, good to sharpen & hold an edge for a long time.  My final set is Lie Nielson.  These have to be my favorite, really nice in the hand but i only use these for furniture & really fine stuff.

You seem to be doing a broad range of work so if i were you i would get a new set of Marple's for rougher work & a set of good chisels for finer things like your Gazebo & projects like that.  Perhaps a "Fogtainer just for your finer tools with a nice foam insert.  less likely to lose them that way ?

Happy shopping.
 
woodguy7 said:
Well Brett you are brave looking at some of those Japanese chisels for site work !  I cant really comment on most of those but i can share what i use.  For on site i have a selection of Marple's blue chip & Stanley's (i don't do heavy construction any more so these work fine for me).  I have a few sets in the workshop, where i spend 90% of my time.  Another set of Stanley's which to be fair only really gets used to clean up hardened glue n stuff, a set of Japanese chisels including a couple of expensive ones (to be honest i don't use them, not keen on them & a pig to sharpen), a set of 10 Two Cherries but different to the ones you showed the link for.  Mine have octagonal handles.  These are my most used chisels, good to sharpen & hold an edge for a long time.  My final set is Lie Nielson.  These have to be my favorite, really nice in the hand but i only use these for furniture & really fine stuff.

You seem to be doing a broad range of work so if i were you i would get a new set of Marple's for rougher work & a set of good chisels for finer things like your Gazebo & projects like that.  Perhaps a "Fogtainer just for your finer tools with a nice foam insert.  less likely to lose them that way ?

Happy shopping.

Cheers Alan!

I do a range of work and because I'm a one man band it varies day by day as I try and keep every one happy doing a day here and there. Doing an oak porch started it put got little to busy these new chisels will come in for this job. 

Soo.  You have alot of chisels for different types of jobs but I don't want to carry/have that many and so was looking for some let's say ultimate chisels which can do everything basically. Retain sharp edge for long time, can get a very sharp edge, can take beating into hard wood while still retaining sharp edge in wood like oak and knots. I found my maples worked brilliant with cedar but it's a very soft wood but when I use them for oak they loose their edge quickly.

Why are the japansese ones a pain to sharpen? I have a extra fine diamond stone DMT and course on the other side.  Would this not sharpen them well enough? Would I have to buy a japansese wet stone?

Instead of the two Cherries I was thinking of getting the Robert sorby set.  If I was going to get the two cherries it would be the octagnonal ones which I have been looking at.  My mate wants to buy them but I showed him the Robert sorby ones with octangle shape and now he can't make up his mind heehee.

The lie-Nielsen are sold on Axminster £500 and they get good reviews but like you said they seem more for furniture work.  Good idea really I have been looking at chisels with wooden box cus them leather rolls are crap I have a few spare systainers or instead I could use my protool ones.

Well.... It seems I need two sorts of chisels really the. Site and fine work.  Dam it! I'll become lazy I know it I'll just use one set for everything cus I couldn't be bothered to sharpen the other set lol.

Jmb
 
i have a set of MHG Chisles that is in your first link, i think i have 6 i dont use them onsite tho i have some marples splitproof for genral work.

from memory i have  6mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 26mm in a nice wooden box i only use them in the workshop so dont get used as often as id like but they stay sharp for ages and are sharper than the marples, altho they do take longer to sharpen.

i use a veritas mk2 jig and DMT duo sharp to sharpen my chisels and the japaneese chisles dont look like they would fit in my honing jig so i kinda avoided them
 
speed said:
i have a set of MHG Chisles that is in your first link, i think i have 6 i dont use them onsite tho i have some marples splitproof for genral work.

from memory i have  6mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 26mm in a nice wooden box i only use them in the workshop so dont get used as often as id like but they stay sharp for ages and are sharper than the marples, altho they do take longer to sharpen.

i use a veritas mk2 jig and DMT duo sharp to sharpen my chisels and the japaneese chisles dont look like they would fit in my honing jig so i kinda avoided them

I have the verita mk2 jig!  nice jig innit.  Why won't the japansese ones fit? 

Jmb
 
ShawnRussell said:
Just a note on the Harold and Saxon custom.. they can take a while to make and get shipped. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6months awhile.

Perhaps Joraft will chime in, his order took something like 3-4 times longer than that however he was absolutely thrilled with the quality of the chisels once he received them.  As I recall there were extenuating circumstances for the delay -- I believe H&S was in the process of moving his shop at the time.
 
jmbfestool said:
speed said:
i have a set of MHG Chisles that is in your first link, i think i have 6 i dont use them onsite tho i have some marples splitproof for genral work.

from memory i have  6mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 26mm in a nice wooden box i only use them in the workshop so dont get used as often as id like but they stay sharp for ages and are sharper than the marples, altho they do take longer to sharpen.

i use a veritas mk2 jig and DMT duo sharp to sharpen my chisels and the japaneese chisles dont look like they would fit in my honing jig so i kinda avoided them

I have the verita mk2 jig!  nice jig innit.   Why won't the japansese ones fit?  

Jmb

the blade look alot smaller than std chisels, to use the jig you need the width of the jig clamping bit + the distance overhang for the desired angle. i have never seen a japanese chisel in life, only on pics but it looks short
 
ShawnRussell said:
Just a note on the Harold and Saxon custom.. they can take a while to make and get shipped. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6months awhile.

RonWen said:
Perhaps Joraft will chime in, his order took something like 3-4 times longer than that however he was absolutely thrilled with the quality of the chisels once he received them.  As I recall there were extenuating circumstances for the delay -- I believe H&S was in the process of moving his shop at the time.

My first order took 15 months to arrive, the second came a little quicker. I don't know what the reason was since Trent's shop move came later. I got the impression he was just disorganized.

He does make excellent chisels though. Here's a shot of one of my Titan/Inspired Firmer/Mortise Chisels. Blade is Cryo Treated M2 HSS, ferule machined from solid brass bar, handle is Australian Jarrah:

joraft-albums-my-photos-picture2446-h-s1.jpg
 
Very nice looking chisel!  15months man that's a long wait though!  I would have to buy some normal chisels while I wait lol

Umm I think I might give them a miss if it was 1month 2month wait... I would buy them

Jmb
 
Back
Top