Medium Grade Chisels + Tools Thread

[Anonymous No.864018]

Sup diy, I'm in the market for some decent upper-medium grade bevel-edged chisels (Ashley Iles, Stanley SW, TraditionalWoodworker, Hirsch, Two Cherries, etc) and I'm at a bit of an impasse. All of the above require some type of tuning which I'm cool with, but I'm not sure whether to go with a socket or a tang/hooped chisel.

If possible, I'd like an imperial sized set, but if the stanley/ai/tw are dogshit, I'm open to getting metric. I've also used a 20mm two cherries chisel to cut some basic dovetails and I felt like the balance was too handle-heavy for vertical chopping. I readily admit I'm a noob however, so anyone with more experience is more than welcome to convince me otherwise. I have small hands for a guy if that helps.

tl;dr:
>need chisels
>tang/socket?
>medium price (160-220 for a set)
>small hands
>profit??

[Anonymous No.864032]

>>864018
What kind of chisels we talking here? Butt, lathe, carving, paring, mortise, other?

[Anonymous No.864058]

>>864032

I'm looking for general bench chisels. I've been borrowing a friend's blue marple chisels but he needs them back. Mostly I want the best set that I can afford, but I'll be using them them primarily for dovetails. It'll be my only set for now, so I don't want to get a specialized set like a butt, paring, or mortise.

pic sort of related - down the line, I'd love a set

[Anonymous No.864063]

>>864058

Here's some links to the sets I'm looking at
Traditional woodworker (says firmer chisels but looks like an imperial version of the 2cherries - can't really see the cross section)
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Set-of-6-Firmer-Bevel-Edge-Chisels-in-Wooden-Box-Made-in-Germany/productinfo/101-1012/

Stanley SW
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-16-793-Sweetheart-Series-Socket/dp/B0051PCQ7Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

2Cherries
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Value-Set-of-6-Bev-Edge-Chisels-in-Wood-Box-by-Two-Cherries/productinfo/500-9100/

Ashley Isles (sold out and apparently not coming in for a few months :/ so it may be a moot point)
https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/IL-100-40.XX/Mk2_chisels

[Anonymous No.864079]

>>864018
>>tfw i have at least twice that many chisels, some made a 100 years ago, that are so hard they can cut brand new home depot chisels in half.

[Anonymous No.864088]

>>864079
I'm a big fan of vintage tools but chisels is one of the few areas where modern tools (good ones at least) can be better than even the best our forefathers could make. Prior to the 1960s HSS was uncommon in chisels and it was virtually unknown before 1950. Pic related, from a set of bloody beautiful Craftsman chisels I have. Wonderful handles, great velvet lined box, carbon steel blades :( They cut wonderfully but I have to sharpen them a lot more often then my high speed steel chisels and the HSS cuts just as well.

[Anonymous No.864100]

>>864088
>one of the few areas where modern tools (good ones at least) can be better than even the best our forefathers could make

>few areas

[Anonymous No.864111]

>>864100
Basically almost anything that needs to hold a super sharp edge and almost anything meant to be portable. Other than the the old tools are generally better. You might be able to argue safety but for a few things but safety is pretty easy to retrofit onto older tools without much hassle.

[Anonymous No.864260]

>>864111

oh nice, walker turner with vlink?

also if you're talking about general consumer products, yes, the old tools were better. If you're talking about the highest end shit, now is clearly the golden age.

Srsly, look at pic related

[Anonymous No.864264]

General consumer tools had just as much junk back then as we do today.

Its just mostly the decent stuff has stood the test of time while the shit was thrown away years ago.
If you buy old tools routinely you see you share of shitty ass tools

[Anonymous No.864306]

>>864264
Oh, I agree. That said though, you have to look at price. I've dug through Craftsman catalogs and old dirty paper. There were tools and machines you could by for very reasonable prices that were very good quality. Machines and tools that, if you bought them now, would cost several times what the olds machines did accounting for inflation.

Take picture related for example. Craftsman top of the line floor standing drill press for 1951. It was $121.25 with a ½ HP motor. 200 pounds of metal. The only plastic on it was the handles and the insulation on the wires. Thats about $1,112.88 in todays money. A grand wouldn't buy you a machine half that nice today. I've seen them sell for under $100 on Craigslist.

[Anonymous No.864308]

>>864306
Derp.

[Anonymous No.864476]

>>864306
i'd have to disagree. Here in yuropoor land decent professional three phase drill press will start at around 1KEUR

I think that today you can get same or better quality tools for comparable real-terms value as you could back then. Also consider the general advances in science and engineering, the quality of materials like steel and high-end plastic is soo much better.

>mfw my 100 year old tool steel hot chisels go blunt after punching a single hole in modern mild steel while forging

The main issue is that most/many are not ready to spend the amount of money required to buy quality, since "hey, there is a device at 1/10 of the price right over there at $cheapdiystore" Today, as you did back then, you get what you pay for.

[Anonymous No.864519]

>>864476
The problem around my part of Europe is that the cheap crap-tier tools are so prevalent that it's hard to actually find anything better. Quite a few of the stores that cater to professionals won't even sell to non-professionals.
There is hope though, the chain that's gone to shit the last decade seems to be shaping up and sell quality tools again.

[Anonymous No.864573]

>>864519
>the chain that's gone to shit the last decade seems to be shaping up and sell quality tools again
which one?

[Anonymous No.864615]

Is it just me or is this angle too steep? I'm a new DIYer and I don't know any better.

[Anonymous No.864634]

>>864573
Clas Ohlson, it's still baby steps but considering that they went from the go to place for old men looking for tools into selling mostly kitchenware and cheap house brand tools I'm happy enough with seeing Knipex in their line. I just hope it's a sign of things to come.

[Anonymous No.864638]

>>864088
dude, i've tested my chisels. the modern average cost ones can literally be cut in half by the old ones... the old ones can cut glass. that's how hard they are.

of course your can buy new ones made beautifully but most of them aren't good.

[Anonymous No.864663]

>>864638
>he modern average cost ones can literally be cut in half by the old ones...

>>864088
>chisels is one of the few areas where modern tools (good ones at least) can be better than even the best our forefathers could make.
>(good ones at least)

So, I was talking about good ones, not 'average' ones. Whats the problem here?

[Anonymous No.864718]

>>864638
>cut glass
srsly?

is it made of diamonds?

[Anonymous No.864797]

>>864519
I get my pro quality gear from auction sites that sell bankrupt metal working companies equipment ( I mainly do metal work) . Also, government over here regularly sells surplus stuff at auctions, great deals on machines to be had there, but of course you cant plan a purchase, as they pop up unexpectedly.

It also helps to cozy up with a guy who is a contractor/owner of a small metal/wood shop and ask them if you can purchase pro gear at those stores through them. Maybe offer to pay them 5% of the price or so for their trouble.

[Anonymous No.865066]

>>864718
Glass, ah 5.5 on the Mohs scale can be cut/scratched with a bunch of materials, including hard toolsteels.

[Anonymous No.865923]

>+ Tools Thread
I just put hands on a nice & small hand Router, then already wonder if building a router table wouldn't be a top benefit.
Can you convince me on some dedicated uses where the router table would be a top addition, versus doing it with handy router ?

[Anonymous No.865952]

I've got narex chiseled from Czech and they're pretty good for the money, otherwise veritas and pfeil make some good mid to high price chisels.

[Anonymous No.866679]

>>864615
25-35 degrees depending on how hard your wood is.