Low priced chisels that I won't end up replacing? Possible?

[zodiac]

Hi,

during my current project I needed a chisel, I dug out the rubbish ones I bought very cheaply years ago and decided to buy a set worth using as these are junk!

As always, funds for new toys are tight. I've seen some lower priced sets but although they all say super hard heat treated blah blah there's no way of telling if they are just newer junk than what I've already got.

Can anyone recommend anything ? I suppose a set of five or six different sizes, I'm not a cabinet maker just an enthusiastic newbie, making toys etc for my kids.

Cheers

 

[Jacob]

Chisels are amongst the simplest of tools and there is little that can go wrong even with the very cheapest. Just buy them and stop worrying!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Even the very best won't cost you more than £5 - £8 at a market or car boot - just keep your eyes open and buy one at a time. I've picked up beautiful old chisels for £2. It's an advantage when using them not to have sets - you get used to which type and size is which handle.

 

[zodiac]

I did think of getting a set of marples and be done with it, but 60 quid is not happening. I saw some on eBay which are from a manufacturer in Sheffield (gold something or other?) but does that count anymore these days? I don't want cr*p that needs resharpening every five minutes and assumed that better ones would hold an edge longer and be a pleasure to use not a chore. That's kind of where I'm coming from.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The £60 set from Marples probably will need sharpening every five minutes - older stuff is usually better.

 

[clivethecarpenter]

These one's look good for not a lot of money

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Nar ... tural.html

Or these one's if you fancy a bit more of a spend up

http://peterseftontoolshop.com/epages/e ... ILCHIBEVS6

 

[Jacob]

The £60 set from Marples probably will need sharpening every five minutes - older stuff is usually better.

Can't agree. Marples will be good, just not as nice looking as an old one. Good steel really isn't rocket science and I've never encountered a modern chisel with a steel problem.
I got a cheap Axminster set some years ago £15 ish can't remember.* The steel is fine. The bevels are a bit crude. The worst detail is the metal end cap - it's too hard to hit with a mallet (it'll dent the mallet) but too soft to hit with a hammer (it'll dent the end cap). In spite of this they have lasted well and will probably see me out.
If you want them to stand up to hard work don't get ones with wooden handes or with metal end caps. Beech mallet and plastic handle is ideal for durability.

PS It was these They've gone up a bit. Incidentally the faces were perfectly ground (slight concavity) which made getting them ready to use (first sharpening) the work of seconds.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The last set of Marples I had, I returned because they were so soft. I actually picked one up in the shop and bent it. The guy behind the counter just smiled and said "they shouldn't do that, should they?" and gave me the credit for them.

 

[Jacob]

The last set of Marples I had, I returned because they were so soft. I actually picked one up in the shop and bent it. ......

I guess that'd be small one 1/8" ish. Smaller they are the more carefully you should handle them! As a rule they are very tough.

 

[dj.]

I have 2 sets of Marples, an old set that was my dads with wooden handles & a set of the yellow handled split proof, I find both sets excellent with all the chisels in both sets capable of taking & holding a very sharp edge.



Regards.


dj.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My bendy one was 1/4" iirc the handles were maroon. I've got old wooden handled ones, and red and yellow splitproof (40yrs or so old) that are fine.

 

[fluffflinger]

Black handles Stanley 5001's, car boot or ebay. They are good steel and they will hold an edge really well.

Word to the wise don't buy a set off ebay as you'll unnecessarily pay a kings ransom, buy them one or two at a time they often sell for very little . For even less money buy the blue handled version a set of 5 can be had for the mid £20's or less if you buy them individually.

I collect 5001's, some I've re-handled, some I've re-ground for different purposes and they are as good as I'll ever need.

 

[keithkarl2007]

The Narex chisels mentioned above are a great chisel. They can be bought individually or as a set. I bought mine individually and will add to them when funds allow.

 

[bugbear]

Hi,

during my current project I needed a chisel, I dug out the rubbish ones I bought very cheaply years ago and decided to buy a set worth using as these are junk!

Junk chisels are very important - you need to use something when you daren't use your good chisels!

I bought a large (and cheap) old screwdriver years ago, which is useless for driving screws, but is excellent as a mini pry bar, drift and paint can opener.

Bugear

 

[Jacob]

Forgot to ask - what was wrong with the "junk" chisels?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A few years ago, I bought a set for £3, my mate said "jeez, what are you buying that junk for". They've rescued me numerous times over the years. Or I suppose I should say - they've rescued my good chisels.
I once laminated a mallet head out of plywood offcuts - it got used for all sorts of horrible jobs and kept my two good ones in good nick.

 

[Dangermouse]

Cheap and good = old , vintage and car boot or ebay

 

[morfa]

I have a couple of faithful chisels and a couple of ones from ebay. The Faithful ones are quite good (to my untrained eye), cheap and do the job. The ones from ebay are a bit of a mixed bag. One has a very wonky blade and the other has a dodgy handle.

If you go on ebay and type on 'faithful chisel' (yes, only one 'l') you'll see a good mix for about £5. My local independant DIY shop has them in stock as well. You may find your local place has them as well.

I reckon you might buy nicer ones as time goes on (lets be honest, who doesn't like to buy a nice new shiney tool from time to time) but they'll do fine for now, I'm quite sure.

 

[zodiac]

Jacob, they are just the lowest quality made to the lowest budget.

Morfa, I like buying shiny new tools but once for each from now on if possible rather than buying the absolute cheapest time and time again. For a change

 

[graduate_owner]

I'm not sure I agree with Jacob regarding his comment about little can go wrong with the very cheapest. Yes chisels are pretty basic, but they are of little use if they don't cut. I think cheap chisels are likely to be Far East imports, often using poor quality steel which won't keep a good edge. I'm no expert, but I have seen some real rubbish belonging to a friend. The steel was cr*p, and so were the wooden handles. He was no great woodworker either, but his attitude when he bought them was "these will be good enough for what I want", but they weren't.
Dull edge = hit harder with mallet = split handles and bent tangs, then keep them for opening paint tins (which is all they were really fit for when new)
Mine are a set of Footprint firmer chisels with squarish black and yellow painted handles. (Christmas present about 30 yrs ago, not my choice), an inherited set of Tyzack bevel edge, and some oddments of blue plastic handled Stanley chisels (blue chip?). I've often looked at new sets of well-known makes when on half price offer, but I don't really need any more so I've resisted the temptation.

Does anybody else have Footprint chisels like mine? I was wondering how they compare.

Regarding Marples, I have a set of 8 Marples turning chisels which I've had for about 20 years. Someone took one look at them and said "not HSS, won't keep an edge. Don't bother, get yourself some decent tools". So, do you keen turners still use non-HSS tools? Should I start saving up for HSS, cryogenic, depleted Uranium tipped etc, or are my Marples still fit for purpose?

K