I need new chisels because I did something dumb.

[dbhost]

I managed to ruin an already pretty poor chisel out of a set, and honestly won't cry over it. It was the 1" out of my Stanley Chinese set from Home Depot.

My disdain for them comes from the short handles, meaning my big hands overlap below the handle and can run into the workpiece, or above and risk smashing with the mallet.

The irons for lack of a better word, blade, working metal whatever, is also too short to be all that useful for say cleaning up deep mortises.

The metal itself is the biggest issue. I used it for cleaning up the corners on my last flip top stand on the rabbets, and, well a sizeable, maybe 1/8" x 1/4" piece of edge flaked off.

So I am looking for reasonably priced, but, well, longer chisels made with better / stronger steel. It's not like I ever was abusive to these things until I went to reestablish the bevel on the 1"...

I am considering the Irwin Marples M444 6pc set. It has sizes 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1 and 1-1/4in which would easily replace the Stanleys, the handles and blades look to be a good bit longer than the Stanleys which should make for a more comfortable operation.

I know my local Lowes has them, but I am kind of hoping to hear from the person that owns one as it were. How is the metal on them? I can check for comfort / fitment in store but I don't want chisels that will flake apart as I use them...


As a frame of reference, and I am not talking the Stanley Sweetheart chisel but rather the cheap pack set one, I found the replacement on Amazon but still hate it...


And the Irwin / Marples chisel set.

[twistsol]

Since Irwin bought Marples, they changed the handles first, then moved the production to China. Reviews of the current chisels are that they aren't any better than any other inexpensive set you can buy on Amazon.

If you can find a set new or used that is stamped with Sheffield England on them then you'll have a quality chisel. The one below came in Irwin packaging, but was purchased right after the sale of the company and nothing had yet changed. Look at the full size picture and you still make out the Sheffiled engraving on the blade.

[cwsmith]

I bought a set of four Marples chisels several years ago when they were still being made in Sheffield, England. The handles are steel capped and they've held up well with my occasional use. However, shortly there after, the manufacturing went to China and the steel quality suffered. I recall a few posts at the time from owners disparaging the poor quality. One posted picture showed a blade that actually split down the middle.

A few years later I purchased several Narex chisels from Lee-Valley and I've been very happy with them. Good sized handles and excellent blades, IMO. I've since added skew and mortise chisels to the set. (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...-tools/chisels)

CWS

[dbhost]

So it sounds like the options are...

1. Find just any old cheap China set with at least comfortable handles and treat them as disposable. It took me 10 years before I ruined the first one... and FWIW, I can keep going and just keep hating the Stanleys by buying the replacement chisel for something like $15.00. It works, but I just don't trust the Chinese steel in this thing...
2. Spend nearly $300.00 after taxes for a set of Lee Valley / Veritas chisels which are honestly really nice, but wow... big price difference! Not sure I want to absorb that.

[cwsmith]

I'm not at all for buying cheap chisels IF you really want to keep them for wood-working use. Sort of a PIA, to have to replace them so often (like after one use). I picked up a set a couple of years ago whenn I saw them at a local store, sort of house brand. Looked nice, came with blade protectors and had nice heft hardwood handles and four chisels were about $35. Last summer I used one of them for he first time and the blade chipped... so much for cheap! The Narex chisels that I have were purchased indiviually from Lee-Valley and I think I paid less than $80 for six of them. ( I don't need the larger widths.) Today's prices range from $13.50 to $17 individually from 1/4 to 1" width. They're made in the Czech Republic and had a pretty good review rating. at the time.

CWS

[leehljp]

I have a "Good" set and an every day set of Marples. When I am working on a project that requires regular use of one or different sizes of chisels, I use my Japanese set. but when I need one for a few minutes to clean up something, I pull out the Marple. I learned that I can ruin a good chisel quickly. If I pull out my good set, I WILL put it back. But for the Marples, it may stay on the workbench a few days and get use in oddball ways, and get damaged! Then I pull out my CBN wheels and grind out the nicks.

[dbhost]

Okay digging deeper into the Lee Valley website and I think I found more or less what i Need...

Narex Classic Bevel-Edge Chisels
Item 10S0976, Narex Classic Bevel-Edge Chisels, Set of 4 (1/4", 1/2", 3/4", 1")

$49.50 and it hits the sizes I need. I really have no interest in chopping logs with a 2" or anything like that... So pretty sure that would work.

At that price, I wouldn't feel too protective of them... But I also would be less likely to be stupid with them...

[cwsmith]

Good choice. Let us know what you think after you have used them for awhile.


CWS

[dbhost]

Well, for now, the 1" Stanley will be pressed back into work. I spent time with my honing guide, a flat piece of tempered hardboard, and some 40 / 80 / 120 / 240 / 320 grit sandpaper, I gave myself a workout but more or less got the bevel and edge right and clean. It has a slight skew, by maybe 2 degrees but I tent to tilt my hand that way anyway... So might work better. Thing is razor sharp and I will just keep plugging away with it until it is an annoying nub...

I am having to be somewhat conservative financially right now, so the new Narex chisels will have to wait for a little while. Not too long hopefully...

I must admit, my shoulders are NOT happy with the workout, but the chisel at least is in a working state even if it is bug ugly.