I have a set of superb bevel edged Narex Richters, a set of 'semi bevel edged' Kirchen Two Cherries and a set of Dewalt Stubbed Chisels for DIY work. I'd also say Iles 100%.
Chisels, new or old
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A little giggle as a set of those marked Hirsch was one of my first sets. they're drop forged and get only the most minimal human touching after having the "semi-bevels" machine ground on them. they were also softer than their spec - something that was finally confirmed a couple of years ago. I thought they had come up with some odd smooth steel that just was "burr-ish" at 61 hardness, but they're several points below.
...another giggle with that - they had a mark in them confirming that they'd been hardness tested. We all make assumptions - that they tested 61. the mark just shows they were tested.
but they aren't bad - they were just hyped and distributed and marketed fast and hard here and were everywhere.
one of the reasons that I bumped up tool making after getting a bunch of static early on "you don't know if your tools are any good if you don't send them to get tested".....I sent a small marking knife blank made of throwaway slivers of O1 to a guy who later came back out of nowhere and posted "why is this knife so much better in every way than the two cherries chip carving knife?".
well, it's not that great... (o1 hardened about like Iles)...it's just good because I had intention when I made it and the two cherries tools are a bit soft and thus will not have the same edge strength or willingness to let go of a burr.
No clue what the richters are, but they appear to be drop forged chisels that are pushing the upper part of the heat treat range, and it's no surprise that people like them.
the only test I saw of them had them around 58/59, which seems to be a magic spot of sorts with modern non-boutique chisels. if the apex is polished over a little (loaded strop or whatever else), they work fine.
I wasn't badmouthing your two cherries chisels, but rather thinking in the back of my mind that Iles sure does get a lot of grief for making what's a really nice bench chisel. sometimes it's over the "ferrule that falls off and never should on a chisel" (that's a fine expectation if the handles aren't wood - we can all just glue them with a drop of CA) or "it looks like the bevels aren't perfectly even, like someone did them by hand" (yes, probably).
Iles does a nice job with O1, overshooting their spec a little if anything. I would never make a chisel for profit at the same price...and we're seeing retail. Who knows what they get...whatever it is, when it's lower than LN and LV, it's not enough.
Two cherries have pretty much fallen off the map here. You can still get them, but whoever was spending on advertising and promotion (articles, placement in reviews), I guess it stopped. Most of the marketing of basic $50 each substandard japanese chisels seems to have stopped, too.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Not too bothered about Narex. Best vintage Chisels
G S Haydon
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Modern Marples splitproof are overpriced and trading on what they used to be. I picked up an old one for £1.50 at a boot sale. Lovely slim lands and a plenty of life left in it.
If you have the money, AI are nicely made and far better than modern Stanley Sweethearts.
Narex Richter's are good value too but clinical in their feel. I found the 1/4" heavy and slippery for fine work. I think the 8116 Narex is a very decent mass made tool.
If you have the money, AI are nicely made and far better than modern Stanley Sweethearts.
Narex Richter's are good value too but clinical in their feel. I found the 1/4" heavy and slippery for fine work. I think the 8116 Narex is a very decent mass made tool.
Doug71
Established Member
Lol, I was just about to say for the price you can't beat these 
https://www.buyaparcel.com/irwin-ma...m373-wood-chisel-set-case-6-50mm-xms18s373s8/
https://www.buyaparcel.com/irwin-ma...m373-wood-chisel-set-case-6-50mm-xms18s373s8/
thetyreman
Established Member
I can't say I agree, I own both sets the 8116 and the richters and much prefer the later, not only the feel of them but also the thinner and finer edges, also after time the 8116 ferrules crack and break, and the handles are far too bulky, one of my 8116 chisel handles cracked and was a pain to repair, I ended up re-shaping it and it is much better now.
Ttrees
Iroko loco!
Similar to my Stanley'sLol, I was just about to say for the price you can't beat these
https://www.buyaparcel.com/irwin-ma...m373-wood-chisel-set-case-6-50mm-xms18s373s8/
I suggest if buying either, give them wide ones a twist before going out of the shop.
Incidentally is there an easy fix for this, it's a mild annoyance for me,
but for someone in a rush maybe a lot more.
I tried lightly piening the striking caps, with no luck.
At a glance, but perhaps not quite so?, seemingly these are a time tested design,
so I guess there must be a common fix for this, which doesn't involve swapping the handle, or getting the cap off somehow, and welding something onto the tang with wings to stop it twisting.
Some other things to look for is whether the cranked handles in this case
are in line with the chisel, and not twisted if you were to sight down it.
One last thing to check for is whether the handle is set in without rotation.
I have a little narrow one which doesn't line up where it's supposed to,
with such a small area, you often catch yourself out doing what the chisel says instead.
I had to check that mine are full tang, and they are indeed the same...
Well I need to have a closer look at them again, as i got the strong impression that the
tang was only an inch long, but perhaps I'm wrong about it.
If so, I can't see any other option than welding something with wings onto them, should one get looser/ decide the narrow one needs correction.
Hope that helps, incase funds don't allow semi or full on boutique tools yet.
Nothing really lacking in any of my chisels, I have a thin vintage one with fine lands,
but I can't say I prefer it to my stanley, I'd have no bother taking the grinder to make them work the same, bit of a lick on a lap, rinse repeat in about 5mins.
Alternatively one could grind their chisel the way Alan Peters used or tried out with the roundover top.
That's one thing which irks me is a non parallel in width chisel,
often apparent with differing length side/upper bevels, (above the lands)
Sorted that on a few of them, as I like my primary bevel flat across/same length.
A bench grinder is a seriously good tool to have around, but a sander would so if careful about sparks smoldering long after,
(no "hot work" past something o'clock rule with sanders for me)
Could do all that with a lap though, since you might want it for the last bit anyways,
although the hollowed pattern you would be intentionally making, for reference regarding keeping chisel parallel in thickness,
(using good lighting one can grind probably a sheet of paper of hollow at most)
and should you wish to not give the top of the chisel a rub afterwards....
It gives a rather pleasing look to them, not unlike some Japanese chisels,
nearly be a shame to remove the hand worked pattern.
Well I can speak for the narrower chisels, and the little stubby set of beaters.
By chance maybe a possibility, you would inspect them and sort some stuff out, they could make them more familiar tool to you, than something regarded as middle of the road stuff.
I've never felt my Stanley chisels lacking, wee niggles don't amount to much to me,
and I would buy a millon other tools before I'd even consider anything but cheapies with the features I want.
Fair play to those who keep makers going though, you can't begrudge the fair prices many charge, I am just too broke/cheap for what a chisel is to me.
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the great waldo
Established Member
I got a set of narex richter chisels and am very pleased with how they keep a good edge and handle as far as a european style chisel goes. My goto chisels are slim japanese carvers chisel that are great for fine paring work. I have a set of jap iyori chisels that I got from Tilgear (ebony) about 40 years ago and they have taken a real beating but work fine. Whatever happened to Tilgear ? It used to be a great shop to visit and I got my first Harkannson bandsaw blades there. I have to be careful, I think i'm starting to get sentimental about this!!
cheers.
Andrew
I paid £25 for a set of four Marples Splitproof in 1984, they’re fine chisels but the handles stink for years of this chemical smell.
I preferred the Stanley 5001 black handled polished myself, I don’t think they’re still made, or if they are they’re probably lesser quality.
I preferred the Stanley 5001 black handled polished myself, I don’t think they’re still made, or if they are they’re probably lesser quality.
Terrytpot
Established Member
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Just a detail but if you are doing a lot of repetitive light work such as chipping out dovetails, or carving, then the light weight of a finely made and wooden handled chisel makes the job much easier. Plastic too heavy.
Similarly the lighter a paring chisel the better it is.
But for heavy work you need heavy chisels and plastic is good. Or massive wood handles on OBM mortice chisels.
Ttree's heavy numbers with steel caps above, are probably intended for demolition contractors.
Similarly the lighter a paring chisel the better it is.
But for heavy work you need heavy chisels and plastic is good. Or massive wood handles on OBM mortice chisels.
Ttree's heavy numbers with steel caps above, are probably intended for demolition contractors.
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Hornbeam
Established Member
I have a couple of small Narex 8105 bevel edge chisels. The blades are quite nice but the handles felt awfull so I have turned a couple of new handles to suit and used the old handles for a couple of files, I think hand style/shape and material are really critical to how a chisel feels. Obviously steel grade/edge performance is important but provided it is reasonable it is only 30 seconds to resharpen
Hanzon
Member
I have a set of Narex chisels and would highly recommend them.
Sheptonphil
Scrumpy junkie
Any car boot sale, Marples blue or Marples yellow/red handled at £1 each. Good old fashioned steel. Spend your money on a decent oil stone. Plenty good enough for any home worker.
If you’re a serious woodworker and /or like ‘nice’ then spend the money on AI.
If you’re a serious woodworker and /or like ‘nice’ then spend the money on AI.
Homeless Squirrel
Established Member
Set came up on flea bay and sold for around £100!
Homeless Squirrel
Established Member
Have the old boxed set of marples made in Sheffield! added a few others to them one being a 2" which is made? but keeps edge ok also got a 16mm gouge
Have a few other old chisels like the red handled.Black stanley and Blue
Most of these chisels are OK because it's not as hard to make an OK chisel as boutique zealots would have you believe. But you might want a set like that to grind into profiles you'd not use on your better chisels (grinding the lands all the way down, grinding some askew, etc). They're usually done with a tubby grind (because it's easy to automate) and steel that tops out at "OK".
Having a set of mediocre chisels that you're not afraid to grind into a useful shape isn't a bad thing, though.
I've encountered true heat treat problems only in one set of chisels - a set of later marples tanged chisels - about 7 out of the 10 are almost completely unhardened.
https://www.tooltique.co.uk/shop/2-...½-bevel-edged-paring-chisels-boxwood-handles/
They match the top chisel here for style, handles, etc.
they're fine once they're rehardened.
G S Haydon
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Wow, personal preference aside I'm surprised they broke! Did you get a refund?
I'm fine with the Richter above 1/4" size but just don't like the 1/4".
I like the handles on the 8116 fine, it just comes down to preference. The lands on the 8116 are finer than a nice old Marples 1/4" I use. Fortunately for me it's not been an issue.
