Need some chisels, looking for recommendations

[Wuffles]

I see there are chisel connoisseurs in this forum, apologies, I'm not one.

Just looking to step up from the rusty Silverline pieces of plasticine that CALL themselves chisels. The ones I keep in a drawer somewhere in the workshop. Would like something a little more "sharpenable" and solid. Oh, and less likely to give me a blister on my hand when used for over 5 minutes smacking bits off some roof joists that were a little proud.

Any set recommendations that don't break the bank and will be suitable for a wood butcherer like myself?

Keep meaning to go to a car boot and pick something up, but with my luck, they'd catch fire the first time I hit them.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Thought of putting a "wanted" ad. in?

 

[Wuffles]

Apart from that I feel like people would judge me and not want to hand over their beloved hand tools, that's a fine idea.

I shouldn't have led with the connoisseur thing right?

 

[MIGNAL]

Perfect candidate for a Lidl/aldi set. At a supermarket near you, when they have them in.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

There are loads of people here who have perfectly good second sets...and third, fourth, fifth, sixth....
It doesn't cost anything to ask, and many people are happy to pass something on at a fair price.
I've just seen Mignal's post - the Aldi ones are reckoned to be quite useable - a set of four, £8. I've actually got a set, but they're in storage and I haven't used them yet, so I can't say.

 

[cusimar9]

I've got a set of Narex cabinetmaker chisels which were £66 and very nice.

Narex also do a bevel edged set for £45 which I'll bet are also very good quality.

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Narex_chisels.html

If you're not after a whole set but just a single 'workhorse' chisel you can bash about, I'd highly recommend an Arno chisel

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/ARNO_Chisels.html

For less than £20 you'll have a chisel for life, never mind bullet proof they're sledge hammer proof!

 

[Jacob]

I see there are chisel connoisseurs in this forum, apologies, I'm not one.

Just looking to step up from the rusty Silverline pieces of plasticine that CALL themselves chisels. The ones I keep in a drawer somewhere in the workshop. Would like something a little more "sharpenable" and solid. Oh, and less likely to give me a blister on my hand when used for over 5 minutes smacking bits off some roof joists that were a little proud.

Any set recommendations that don't break the bank and will be suitable for a wood butcherer like myself?

Keep meaning to go to a car boot and pick something up, but with my luck, they'd catch fire the first time I hit them.

You can't blame the chisels if they are rusty!
There's not much in it with chisels; primitive devices - the expensive ones look nicer, that's about it.
I'd stick with your Silverline - keep them dry, sharpen them, wait for the calluses to form on the blisters. Buy some wood instead.

 

[JimB]

Perfect candidate for a Lidl/aldi set. At a supermarket near you, when they have them in.

+1 for Aldi. Cheap and take an edge and keep it.

 

[Wuffles]

I will keep my eyes peeled for the Aldi/Lidl ones as that seems to be the consensus. I like the idea of a chisel for life too though, so may investigate that wildcard.

I think the Silverline ones are primarily a bit rusty because people see the name and leave them out (I'm lucky enough to share some of my tools with people who work at my place) but the handles are quite abrasive, that's not a lie.

The shiny bit is the tip where they (I say they, I use 2 of them probably, a big one and small one) are constantly being sharpened, but they seem to dull very quickly, perhaps I'm expecting too much.

I'm using a waterstone nowadays, I go through fads, but without a decent honing guide (or glasses) I struggle to get it bang on.

 

[J_SAMa]

I'm using a waterstone nowadays, I go through fads, but without a decent honing guide (or glasses) I struggle to get it bang on.

You don't come around much do you?
————————————————————————————————————————————
I wouldn't dismiss vintage chisels, like the Marples Blue Chip or Stanley 5001 & 5002. I have all of them but like the Marples the best. It's the old Marples produced through the second half of last century I'm talking about not the new Irwin stuff. Keep an eye out for them on eBay or your local flea market. In fact if you did a search for "Marples Chisel" on eBay now you will find a few. They bear the unmistakable blue handles. Faithfull makes an okay modern copy and you can find them on amazon.

And if you find your chisels to dull quickly, sharpen them at a higher angle will help. Depending on what wood you're working with, you may have to touch up your chisels more often then you think. For example when chopping dovetails in spruce/pine I strop my chisels after every joint. That's only 10 to 20 minutes of use between "sharpening".

 

[bugbear]

I use 2 of them probably, a big one and small one, are constantly being sharpened, but they seem to dull very quickly, perhaps I'm expecting too much.

There's a reasonably complex interaction between sharpening angle (at the edge, the rest doesn't matter), the hardness and abrasion resistance of the steel, and ease of sharpening.

Hardness improves the edge you can get, but brings brittleness. Some steels can be made harder than others for the same brittleness, but tend to cost more; some steel have abrasion resistance, but are (of course...) more effort to sharpen.

It's all a compromise.

Getting chisels that will, to some extent, cut wood is easy. Getting better chisels probably depends as much on your exact definition of better as anything else.

Personally, I find shows (or friends) where you can try out a range to be the best way to explore.

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

Waterstones not very practical on a building site - they are for sharpening enthusiasts indoors. You need the trad double sided oil stone.

 

[Wuffles]

Waterstones not very practical on a building site - they are for sharpening enthusiasts indoors. You need the trad double sided oil stone.

Yes, sorry, the waterstone is in the workshop - the building site is my house. I got it after watching a Ray Mears video on knife sharpening. Works a charm, but it's only up to 1000grit. Which is pretty scary, if I had the time and patience to go to 6000 grit I think I'd split some atoms, accidentally.

I'm a marketeers dream! You should see how much JML nonsense my Wife has put a veto on in the past.

 

[AndyT]

I agree with J_SAMa's suggestion of Marples blue chip or equivalent Stanley. Older Marples with the two tone yellow flattish plastic handle are good tough chisels too. Not much risk to buy on eBay or a boot fair.

 

[carlb40]

Im currently using the narex cabinet makers chisels and mortice chisels on site and for the money they are great.
Take and hold a good edge, sharpen/ hone easily. Well worth the money.

 

[carlb40]

Waterstones not very practical on a building site - they are for sharpening enthusiasts indoors. You need the trad double sided oil stone.

Ive used waterstones on site, no real difference whether used at home, on site or out in the middle of no where. They still sharpen chisels/ blades no matter what location they are used :roll:

 

[iNewbie]

Waterstones not very practical on a building site - they are for sharpening enthusiasts indoors. You need the trad double sided oil stone.

A Japanese chisel sharpening Ninja just committed suicide reading that:

 

[carlb40]

Waterstones not very practical on a building site - they are for sharpening enthusiasts indoors. You need the trad double sided oil stone.

A Japanese chisel sharpening Ninja just committed suicide reading that:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Fromey]

I take it you want some hard working, knock about chisels. Otherwise, I have a set of Narex 8105 for sale ( http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Nar ... tml#SID=18 )

Are these "knock about" enough for you?

 

[J_SAMa]

Waterstones not very practical on a building site - they are for sharpening enthusiasts indoors. You need the trad double sided oil stone.

Japanese carpenters of yesteryear couldn't get any oilstones even if they wanted to. Anything works as long as it makes your tools sharper.