I covet some premium chisels

[Stuart Kent]

I believe that was explained. I get various reviews mixed up. Stumpy, Rex, WbW etc. Just like all their instructionals, everyone has slightly different methods so you need to take it all in and see what makes sense to you. As an example, in most tests, a tuned Wood River bench plane is preferred to a late Stanley, but I find when I reach for a #4, somehow I grab my type 16 instead of the fancy new W-R. Maybe the weight is just alien to me even if it works better.

Methods sure do matter. When I started, the top option was an Ark. black. I still have it but not sure why. Slow does not even begin to describe it. Went to Spyderco and Coors ceramics. Not much better. Suffered with "scary" until I bit the bullet and got a set of DMT. Better, but still not happy. Added a 16000 Shapton. Now I am happy. I don't think I have enough years left to flatten and polish a 1 inch chisel on the old Norton oil and hard black.

Stuart,
They were not wrong for many decades. Over a century even. Then quality ( Irwin buyout and Blue chip went south) and advances in metallurgy changed everything. Cryo treating, automated heat treating, more precise CNC machining etc. and look at the differences between the offerings in plane irons with traditional and the new Veritas alloy. I believe I recently saw a review and both H-T and 2 Cherries were now middle of the pack for carving tools. Even my 1970 era Marples morticing chisels are a parallelogram, not square in cross section. Just enough to effect chopping a mortice.* My same vintage yellow handle Marples get as sharp as can be, but edge retention compared to my Narlex is almost a joke.

Now, across all the prestige brands, we are really just arguing between the best of the best.

*I am considering looking for a machine shop that can grind them square to the next smaller size. I don't use the big half inch that much anyway.

good points, I was simply adding to the discussion, that a few inexpensive tools can be used to make world class furniture.

 

[Graywolf]

Scott I’m curious about when you state your mortice chisels are a parallelogram. Are you saying you think they should be square along the sides? Because they are not. I happen to have a set of mortice chisels from that era and a several that are at least a hundred years older. They are all one dimension at the cutting edge and narrower on the other side. This gives the chisel relief to move in the mortice without getting stuck and bruising the sides of the mortice.

 

[tvrgeek]

Most mortice chisels have a degree or two "tumble home, equal on both sides. So across the top is just a tiny bit shorter than across the bottom. Not mine. The top and bottom are the same, just tilted as a parallelogram.

 

[Graywolf]

Most mortice chisels have a degree or two "tumble home, equal on both sides. So across the top is just a tiny bit shorter than across the bottom. Not mine. The top and bottom are the same, just tilted as a parallelogram.

Then that’s sad, sorry to hear that.

 

[pop-pop]

Most mortice chisels have a degree or two "tumble home, equal on both sides. So across the top is just a tiny bit shorter than across the bottom. Not mine. The top and bottom are the same, just tilted as a parallelogram.

The good news is you only have to fix one side.‍

 

[bob vaughan]

good points, I was simply adding to the discussion, that a few inexpensive tools can be used to make world class furniture.

Sometimes internet workshop discussions focus more on the shopping than the working.

 

[tvrgeek]

Sometimes internet workshop discussions focus more on the shopping than the working.

Yes, but in doing a bunch of mortices, the outward leaning edge did give me problems. Without the You-Tube, I would not have had as easy of a time figuring out what was going wrong. Maybe fixing this is a reason to keep my WorkSharp a little longer.

Had I not bought a Froip saw, I would not have known what was wrong with my other ones. ( some fixed, some sold). I never knew if my problems were me or tool. With a good tool, you know it is you. With the good saw(s) my sawing has gotten vastly better. Quite a difference in #2 Phillips bits, Jigsaw and Saws-all blades, even utility knife blades. I loathed square drive screws until I found out how big a difference the screw brand makes. ( as used in mobile homes and even the Kreg brand, junk).

And some videos are just plugging, quite true. Many "Best tool" reviews by reading the slick sheet. Some are clear in their bias, others a little more subtle. ( ever notice in talking about planes, R.C. never mentions Veritas even though he mentions Clifton?)