Chisels - how low can you go?

[AndyT]

There has been some interest in cheap chisels lately, some of it inspired by Paul Sellers' rave reception of a set of four chisels from Aldi for £7.95. I expect these are unobtainable now so thought I'd have a look at an alternative.

I bought this - purely for research, and for your benefit - from Poundland:

If that's too cheap for anyone, I think it's the same as you can get from Toolstation at £2.41, though theirs is marked 13mm and comes with an empty space for you to put your own choice of sticker:

First, let's look at what you get, compared to other options.

From the top, these are:

- Footprint firmer chisel, early 70s
- Marples bevel edge, some time in the early C20th
- Stanley, late 70s
- This one.

You can see that you actually get quite a small bit of steel, with a skimpy handle, overall length only about 9".
From the side, it's as thick as the firmer chisel, clumsier than the Stanley bevel-edged, and definitely not the same sort of tool as the delicate Marples. That's no surprise - I would expect this to be a general purpose chisel.

The bevelling does little more than take the corners off, but is quite tidily done; those grinding marks are very shallow and not as bad as they look in the photo:

The back (or face if you insist) has been dinged by a sharp corner of something and has a lump on it:

but that is very easily removed.

As supplied, the non-bevel side is completely flat, as shown against this M&W engineer's square:

and the bevel is ground to 30°

The handle has flash from the moulding machine all round it

but that is easily removed with a knife or sandpaper.

So is it any use?

I sharpened it in my usual way and tried it out.

[This is not a thread about sharpening. Anyone reading this who does not know how to sharpen a chisel should seek professional help. If you think there could be more than one way that works, read on!]

Here's some evidence that it very easily came to a mirror finish, flat all the way across, in a very short time:

I tried paring some old, dry, hard English oak - it worked fine:

I fitted a little hinge in the same oak offcut - no problem.

For a test on some softwood, I carved a letter I on a scrap of redwood:

and I think I can say that any flaws are as much to do with my technique as they were with the tool.

So, in this brief, informal test, it did ok.
I didn't sharpen it after working on the oak, and it was still sharp enough to use.

I was pleased at how straight and flat it was.

The worst aspects were the small size and nasty handle - it was not nicely balanced and felt quite fiddly to hold in my moderately large hands.

I wouldn't make it my first choice, and I can't say how long the edge would last in serious use, but for anyone not wanting to spend more on a proper chisel, it could be used to get a job done. If I was doing a repair job on old painted woodwork where there could be hidden nails or screws, I would use it with no worries of spoiling an expensive tool.

This was bought in the quite large Poundland in Bristol and may not be available in all their shops. They only had this one size.

 

[Jacob]

Nice demo!
No surprise really. Chisels are amongst the simplest of tools and not much can go wrong, in spite of the baloney.
The only serious dud I ever had was simply so rusty that it had gone porous. Had to remove 1/2" or so to get back to good metal, then it was OK.

 

[JustBen]

Interesting.

I suppose it would be possible to remove the plastic handle and fit your own turned hardwood handles, providing the tang is suitable.

Also assuming that the steel holds an edge for a reasonable time.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

That there was only one size available suggests they were selling some bankrupt stock they'd picked up at auction, or some such. Still, even at £2.50 it's less than an Ebay special once the postage is taken into account.

Sounds as if it's a second-string chisel at best. Not the sort of tool you'd want for finer cabinet work. OK for opening paint tins and throwing at unwelcome workshop visitors, though.

 

[AndyT]

Just to clarify... £2.41 is the Toolstation price. The chisel under review cost £1.00.Toolbox is the Poundland own brand for tools and is mostly not worth buying.

 

[Jacob]

.... Not the sort of tool you'd want for finer cabinet work. ....

It'd be OK if that was all you had. What could you not do with it?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

.... Not the sort of tool you'd want for finer cabinet work. ....

It'd be OK if that was all you had. What could you not do with it?

Well, like I said, it would be OK for throwing at unwelcome workshop visitors.....

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Wow, there's a couple of hours of your life you won't get back. :roll:

Mike.

 

[Water-Mark]

As a novice it's good to see reviews like this, thanks for posting I'm sure more than me will find it useful.

 

[MIGNAL]

Hello,

Wow, there's a couple of hours of your life you won't get back. :roll:

Mike.

He's done a review of a cheap chisel that beginners might be interested in. He's taken the time and trouble.
And all you can suggest is that he's wasted his time.
Perhaps it's you who is the waste of time.

 

[rspsteve]

As a novice it's good to see reviews like this, thanks for posting I'm sure more than me will find it useful.

What he said .

 

[tobytools]

Good job Andy,
Just shows you don't need a LN

Bravo

TT

 

[Jacob]

I'll ask again - what is the problem with using cheap chisels like these? What can you not do?

In my experience most new cheap tools are perfectly OK, just not as "nice". Planes tend to be the exception - some of them are unusable.
I have a strong feeling that many (most?) owners of sets of some well known expensive novelty brands, never use them at all. :lol:

 

[iNewbie]

I'll ask again - what is the problem with using cheap chisels like these? What can you not do?

In my experience most new cheap tools are perfectly OK, just not as "nice". Planes tend to be the exception - some of them are unusable.

I have a strong feeling that many (most?) owners of sets of some well known expensive novelty brands, never use them at all. :lol:

Not in your experience then, but you'll cause some controversy for the sake of it. Giggle. :roll:

 

[Graham Orm]

I bought exactly that chisel off the net for about £1.50 as a sacrificial chisel for work that might involve catching a nail or brick etc. The handle shattered the third time I used it!

 

[AndyT]

I bought exactly that chisel off the net for about £1.50 as a sacrificial chisel for work that might involve catching a nail or brick etc. The handle shattered the third time I used it!

I think that's an important difference between this one and the Aldi ones (and other, dearer chisels). I was just pushing by hand, with some very gentle tapping with a mallet for the hinge mortice so did not break the handle. The design of the handle is not good - the conical bolster is narrower than the end of the plastic and looks as if it would push up into the handle if hit too hard.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Wow, there's a couple of hours of your life you won't get back. :roll:

Mike.

He's done a review of a cheap chisel that beginners might be interested in. He's taken the time and trouble.
And all you can suggest is that he's wasted his time.
Perhaps it's you who is the waste of time.

Hello,

So where is it written that novice equates to garbage tools? I was a novice once and the only regret I ever had was wasting time with absolute, unadulterated, garbage like this. There are fine tools which will do fine work, whatever woodworking discipline you may be involved with, that do not cost premium prices. Shouldn't a bevel edge chisel actually have some bevels? What could this be used for? Most of the other tools in the photo below are very good tools and can be had for little money, second hand. Garbage is always garbage, no matter how you look at it.

Mike.

 

[AndyT]

Woodbrains,

The point of my post, which I tried to make clear, was to find out just what the differences are between a reasonably good chisel and the very cheapest.

Nowhere did I suggest that you should swap your other chisels for these.

Bevels on chisels are often irrelevant. They don't help with jobs such as the three shown here, which are some of the jobs it could be used for.

I expected to find garbage, but I didn't. I found a tool which was straight, flat and took a sharp edge.

It was let down by being a bit short and having an inferior handle. And as I said, the edge would probably not last as long as others.

 

[G S Haydon]

Andy, well done and thank you. I am hoping to trump you because these have wooden handles and Mr Sellers because mine are cheaper and delivered to my door. I have a set of these on the way http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wood-Chisel-S ... 2c74a7c36f . The handles look the sameish as Mrs Sellers but the blades look like yours.

With respect to Woodbrains comments I feel it essential to have some "beaters" in the kit box. These bevelled firmers or any bevelled firmer do a wonderful job of general purpose woodworking, chopping, paring, working with reclaimed wood, with the fine work reserved for some real bevelled edge paring chisels like the Ashley Iles MkII (just bought the 12mm from wsh and it is a delight and hoping I wont need many more). If the edge fails a little quicker so be it and if the edges have big lands treat them as they should be used, firmer chisels.

I think reviews like this are so useful. I had my fingers crossed about a faithfull #7 but is was sadly junk, that said the #4 was OK. For those strapped for cash it's great to see someone like you taking the time to demonstrate what can be done with very humble tools. I mill add my experience once mine arrive.

 

[woodbrains]

Woodbrains,

The point of my post, which I tried to make clear, was to find out just what the differences are between a reasonably good chisel and the very cheapest.

Hello,

Fair enough. But to what ends do you make the comparison? Not to make me, or you or anyone swap their tools for these. So who are they for. If none of us here would have them, should we recommend them to others; or by omission, allow novices to think they are worthwhile. There are reasons that we would not have them, aren't there? Shouldn't these be mentioned in a review? Jacob says that they might work if he had nothing else, but given the choice, would he have them? If all his tools were lost in a disaster, he would not choose them as replacements over some other brand or some second hand quality ones. Those blue handles Stanley's are old tools and can be had used for 50 pence, so the others are twice the price and inferior. Expensive, in fact, for what you are getting, if extreme budgets are necessary.

Bevels on bevel edge chisels are absolutely necessary, I'm afraid, but that Footprint firmer is a very good tool for situations where they are not needed.

Let us not mislead novice woodworkers, it is unfair, as many look here for the guidance that is sadly not available in training colleges and the like, anymore.

Incidentally, I have actually handled one of the chisels in question. I reviewed it straight into the bin, after it served as a wedge for holding the door open, until I eventually made a proper wooden wedge. it was no better than a metal stick in a lump of poor quality plastic. I could not think of a better use for it in my workshop.

Mike.