So, BE chisels...

[YoelD]

I assume kind of an annoying topic for a first post. My apologies

So, I'm looking for new chisels for cabinet and furniture. I use DTs and Mortices a great deal.
The reason I am looking for new sets is because I have had a very different career for a while and have given away most of my tools to my brother.
I've read around the forums and I'm pretty confused by what's on the market now. I would have liked to get Marples but they're not the same quality or manufacture as they once were.
Anyway...

The internet has made my head spin. So many brands and models, etc. Reviews, I'm not sure what to trust. Most vintage stuff that comes up on eBay is poor quality (chipped, pitted, etc), and where I can I'd like to keep costs lower.
I've been thinking of just ordering a set of Iles, but I do wonder if there are cheaper brands which can still get a similar edge and work as well at a cheaper start up cost?

 

[MikeG.]

Buy second hand stuff. You'll pay 10% of the price and get 10 times the quality. I really haven't got the first idea why anyone would buy new.

 

[YoelD]

Any places you'd recommend?

EBay seems to have a lot of poor quality stuff at the moment, and most of the vintage sites I go to don't have a great deal in the way of bevel edges.

 

[MikeG.]

Ebay is full of decent chisels. I've bought a complete set (separately) for my son in law over the last few weeks or so, and had no trouble at all getting some wonderful chisels. I got 1/4" and 1/2" for less than £3 each.

The other thing you might try is a post in the Wanted section of the forum (when you have completed a short qualifying period), because there are always people on here with surplus chisels.

 

[YoelD]

Thanks for the reply.

It's probably my search terms (I'm not the most techno person), and every result I am interested in comes up with chipped edges, or badly cared for steel.

 

[Trevanion]

Depends on what you want, If you want a hardworking yet very fine chisel I cannot recommend the old Stanley 5002s enough. Very fine lands, very good quality steel and a handle you can abuse with a hammer without fear of breaking it. New 5002s are rubbish though.

 

[thetyreman]

here's a really decent seller, good prices and very honest, I've bought a couple of tools from them before: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/36502rp/m.html?_trksid=p3692

 

[scooby]

I assume kind of an annoying topic for a first post. My apologies

So, I'm looking for new chisels for cabinet and furniture. I use DTs and Mortices a great deal.
The reason I am looking for new sets is because I have had a very different career for a while and have given away most of my tools to my brother.
I've read around the forums and I'm pretty confused by what's on the market now. I would have liked to get Marples but they're not the same quality or manufacture as they once were.
Anyway...

The internet has made my head spin. So many brands and models, etc. Reviews, I'm not sure what to trust. Most vintage stuff that comes up on eBay is poor quality (chipped, pitted, etc), and where I can I'd like to keep costs lower.
I've been thinking of just ordering a set of Iles, but I do wonder if there are cheaper brands which can still get a similar edge and work as well at a cheaper start up cost?

As mentioned, ebay can be a source of good tools. Having said, I've got a few Ashley Iles chisels and they really are nice. Two cherries/ Kirschen are also well worth considering, I'm not well up on todays prices but I bought some about 13 years ago and they are still in great nick and they've seen a hard life.

On the other end of spectrum, the Lidl ones for £8 are ok. The only bad thing is the handles are massive compared to Ashley Iles.

 

[YoelD]

Depends on what you want, If you want a hardworking yet very fine chisel I cannot recommend the old Stanley 5002s enough. Very fine lands, very good quality steel and a handle you can abuse with a hammer without fear of breaking it. New 5002s are rubbish though.

Those are the old blue handled types?

I've never used Stanley before but heard good things about the 750s. How would you say these compare?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The other bad thing is they appear to get them about once every second year.

 

[YoelD]

I assume kind of an annoying topic for a first post. My apologies

So, I'm looking for new chisels for cabinet and furniture. I use DTs and Mortices a great deal.
The reason I am looking for new sets is because I have had a very different career for a while and have given away most of my tools to my brother.
I've read around the forums and I'm pretty confused by what's on the market now. I would have liked to get Marples but they're not the same quality or manufacture as they once were.
Anyway...

The internet has made my head spin. So many brands and models, etc. Reviews, I'm not sure what to trust. Most vintage stuff that comes up on eBay is poor quality (chipped, pitted, etc), and where I can I'd like to keep costs lower.
I've been thinking of just ordering a set of Iles, but I do wonder if there are cheaper brands which can still get a similar edge and work as well at a cheaper start up cost?

As mentioned, ebay can be a source of good tools. Having said, I've got a few Ashley Iles chisels and they really are nice. Two cherries/ Kirschen are also well worth considering, I'm not well up on todays prices but I bought some about 13 years ago and they are still in great nick and they've seen a hard life.

On the other end of spectrum, the Lidl ones for £8 are ok. The only bad thing is the handles are massive compared to Ashley Iles.

I keep hearing about Aldi/Lidl chisels (my dad keeps recommending I read the blogs and watch the videos by Paul Sellers, who recommends them), but from what I've heard they also have a quality issue from year to year (i.e. the last batches don't have the quality of steel as the earlier ones). Would be grateful if someone could help with my confusion there.

I've also been told that the German Kirschen chisels are pretty thick firmers with a bevel and make DT cutting difficult. Again, I'd value any advice from those who have used them.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you like old Marples there are hundreds on evilbay. They might need need a clean up and grinding, but if you're doing anything half way to serious you'll have the knowledge and a grinder (or some other way of grinding them). Sorbys, Wards, many old good makes go for very little - my most expensive Ward sash mortice chisels were £4 each.

 

[Mr_Pea]

Pretty much anything with a wooden handle, brass ferrule and made in sheffield.

Plenty of bargains to be had, couldn't resist this one earlier today

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Sorb ... 2749.l2648

Might need a new handle though

 

[Trevanion]

I've never used Stanley before but heard good things about the 750s. How would you say these compare?

I've heard that the new 750s haven't got particularly good steel but are a pretty good form and shape. Old ones tend to go for silly money. Don't get me started on how much the Everlast series chisels go for.

I think the old 5002s came at a time when Stanley were still making wooden handled chisels and were changing over to plastics, so the early ones had great steel in a really durable plastic handle unlike pretty much every plastic handled chisel. Same goes for Marples, you get an early plastic handled Marples chisel you have some incredible steel there that's pretty much the same as the wooden handled ones they were also making.

 

[ndbrown]

I pretty much agree with everything that has been written so far. I picked up my chisels originally from e-bay but in fact mostly car boot sales and cleaned them up and turned and fitted new handles. Problem was I could not stop collecting them, the photo below became two sides of the cabinet plus overspill.

Eventually I realised I had become a collector with far too many and sold them all in sets and instead purchased a set of new Veritas PMV11 chisels when they were merely expensive and not as they are now extortionate. What have I learned. The best chisels I have found by a wide margin for quality of steel is undoubtedly the early Ward & Payne ones. I still have some, amazing edge retention and as good as the and maybe better than the Veritas PMV11 for small fraction of the price. Behind that I would say Marples by virtue of how common they are (Marples are in the photo I uploaded) , but to be honest there were only a few bad chisels I came across and almost all the English makers in Sheffield are excellent. I don't like sharpening so the Veritas are great as are the Ward and Payne but if I was to start out again old Ward & Payne and Marples would be my choice (old being the hand forged flat neck style rather than the round forged type). Its amazing how few sizes you need to make furniture!
Hope this helps
Nigel

 

[YoelD]

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone, appreciate it. I think I shall have to spend more time on eBay

 

[MikeG.]

......... Its amazing how few sizes you need to make furniture!........

Not just sizes, but styles too. One set of bevel edged chisels from a 1/4" to an inch covers 99% of what any home woodworker will ever want to do. Add in a 1-1/2" if you do some framing, and an 1/8" if you are into model making. That's it. Four chisels for most people is more than enough.

 

[YoelD]

As luck would have it, I had a look on eBay this morning and found a set of W&Ps for auction. The handles are battered and split, but I don't mind making some new handles.

What should I look out for when buying old steel (other than obvious blueing, etc)?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't forget if you re handle there's no law saying you must copy the originals.

A Greaves gouge, my favourite Stanley and a Ward Aristocrat ............. all for the princely sum or £6.

 

[YoelD]

Very nice! I really like the Stanley handle, that's my preferred shape for chisel handles. Nice finish too!