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I have one Lie Nielsen 3/8" and a few really cheap ones. I am looking to purchase a small set of good quality chisels.
I like the Lie Nielsen chisel but Im not really fond of the detachable handle. I would prefer some strait pairing chisels.
A set of four or something would be nice and my price range hopefully less than $200 dollars.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I have lots of chisels but I'm very partial to my Two Cherries chisels. You can pick and choose specific sizes HERE and stay within the price range you have in mind. I'd sell my table saw and one of my band saws before I'd part with these chisels.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I've been real happy with this set that I picked up from Lee Valley:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 43500&ap=1

I believe It has a maple handle. Thats a good idea!

First, maybe I am missing something, but I don't think the handles on the LN chisels are removable. My Dad has some traditional chisels of that type, and growing up I thought they were removable also. Later I got some Barr socket chisels, and discovered that it was possible for this type of chisel to be permanently mounted. No handle has shifted despite the fact I use these for demos, and take them to the cottage and otherwise expose them to differing conditions. Apparently all that is necessary to make the handles permanent is to dry the handles and them wallop them tightly on and let them re-hydrate. I guess this would have to be done a little carefully not to split the handles. I would contact LN and see what they say. A tiny dab of epoxy might also add a slight insurance. I mean tiny, if you slather it everywhere the chisel will not be wood to steel and you will find it less reversible.

As far as chisels are concerned, there is a lot of tosh written on the subject. I have hundreds of them, and some are a lot better than others. If I had to start again, despite 30 years with Japanese tools, I probably wouldn't go that route again. No question they are the best by a country mile, but they are a whole discipline of their own. Once you leave being a "Japanese tool user" to just trying to get stuff done in the West, you run up against two realities. You can probably get more done with something else, and you will be working on stuff these chisels were not designed to do. I did put in the time to learning them, and as a result I have that whenever I want it.

An exception would be if you can find some HSS Japanese chisels. These are pretty wonderful in the various forms I have used them, and while it is revolting to contemplate from a trad perspective, they can be easily power sharpened. I have seen them for sale at prices half that of our premium Barr and LN, etc... chisels, and they would beat them on any criterion. I don't know a current supplier, but I haven't looked either.

If I was starting over again I would just make my own out of O1 tool steel. It's ridiculously easy, but another thing you have to have served time on. Buying chisels I would take the collected wisdom on who makes the best, and then select the ones with the most continuous blades. I hate chisels that vibrate when I am working them heavily. Look carefully at the handle junction and toss out any chisels that get real ornamental and narrow at that point, it undermines the cutting action. Also, if you want to save money overlook fancy wide range sets, just add the ones you really need. Personally I would carry on wit your LN "set". They are wobblier than I like, but a proven design. Just buy a few a year as you need them, and you will be where you want to be soon enough, with pro grade tools.

http://barrtools.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?S ... _Code=CMCS

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=O-1-C

If you look at the LN chisels vs the Barr, you will see how the Barrs get sketchy at the transition to the handle, he just kinda blends them in an ugly way. But that is a real user tool. And the Japanese tools are similar because they are forged using weaker iron. It is possible to break a Japanese chisel if you set your mind to it, but at least they are stiff. The LN is pretty good. They do make the chisel narrower than the shoulder of the blades, but they don't go all stupid with finials etc...

My Barrs are pretty old, and he was not making them really edge holding at the time. They will need early resharpening if one works harder woods, Cherry Mahog, all day long. I don't know how he tempers them these days.

On the LN, get O1 if you are a traditional sharpener, and A2 if you use power, or stuff like diamond paste. If you do use power, that is fine, but use a light touch so as not to waste steel.

PS. I would also toss out during any selection process anything that uses a tang. Tangs are fine as, say, the cost of doing your own home made chisels, but from pro shops, at pro prices, don't make me laugh. If you make them yourself you a) can do ugly unsellable things that will make them more rugged, and, b) can tolerate repairing them, or even breaking them, if you get benefits like lower price, instant access to variety, etc...

LMII or Blue Spruce.
If they are only for instrument work, there is hardly another choice.

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I second that. Those LMI chisels are my favorite!

I purchased one of the Hirsch offset chisels from Lee valley for brace shaping and it held an edge so well I picked up a couple other straight Hirsch chisels from them, for a reasonable priced item they are quite good.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

The Narex as recommended by Mark are the best bang for your buck by far.....!!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Any socket chisel will have a removable handle, and the Lie Nielsens are as well. But once you know how to use them, it is not a problem. Simply put the handle into the socket and bang the butt of the handle against a solid workbench or something. It will stay in there without a problem, and if you do want to remove it for some reason, Hold the steel end of the chisel and tap the side of the handle against your bench a few times, and it will come loose. Socket chisels like Lie Nielsens are also good for someone who may wish to make their own handles some day.

I prefer socket chisels for a few reasons, one of which is that they have more weight and also, they have a better feel in the hand for me. Also, it is no fun when a tang chisel starts to come loose from the handle, and this has been a problem for me with the LMI chisels believe it or not, but I may have been using them for more than what they are, which is paring chisels. That being said, I love the feel of the LMI handles, and they hold an edge pretty well.

Also, two cherries are great for sure, and a good deal. I've never used the Lie-Nielsen chisels, but it sounds like one of their strong points is that they come with perfectly flat backs and set up properly, and this is one very important thing, as it is no fun having to spend time flattening chisel backs with brand new chisels.

I like my LMI chisel set for fine work. For paring chisels, I have several of the Sorby chisels. Others say there are other better paring chisels, but I like these a lot and have never been tempted to try others. (Got mine from Lee Valley).

I am tempted to get a more workmanlike set of bench chisels - the LMI's aren't the kind of chisels I'd be tempted to start doing heavy furniture work with.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Exsqueeze me?? Those are nice chisels. Those are pricey boutique chisels. Those are two among many good chisels.

I like shopping on Ebay for old American and English steel. But if you want to buy new, Footprint and Crown (from Sheffield) are a very good value.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Two Cheries and Hirsch have already been mentioned. I have used these quite a bit and have no complaints. To me, they appear to be the same chisel, with the only difference being the Two Cheries chisels have the Two Cheries logo stamped below the size.

I have a set of Anton Berg "Shark" vintage Socket Chisels that are excellent - handles are fit correctly and don't pop out unless you want them to. I got a set of nine of them on eBay for a very good price. Berg also made a tang chisel which seem to sell for cheaper. The steel is excellent and they are nice and thin so they can sneak into tight places. The Berg Handles are also my favorite. They just feel good to me. Most other ones (like the Stanley 750/LN feel chunky). Blue Spruce paring chisels do look nice though....

I find these pretty good, - Henry Taylor Long Thin Bevel Edge Paring Chisels
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Set-of-4-Bevel-Edge-Paring-Chisels-Made-in-Sheffield-England-by-Henry-Taylor/productinfo/225-0404/.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I did a web search for Hirsch chisels and found a lot of references to the fact that they are indeed the same chisel as Two Cherries with different labels. I was glad to find this as I was unable to find Two Cherries here in Canada when I was looking for some new chisels and settled on the Hirsch from Lee Valley.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

If your in AU and read this thread and are in the market for something special, these Harold & Saxon chisels get a very good wrap..they also do a long paring chisel not listed.

http://www.haroldandsaxon.com/product_range.htm

Cheers

Kim

I wouldn't get a 'set' of chisels - buy the widths you need. Some of the skinny LMI chisels are handy for bridge work, and a 1/2" or 5/8 will do for all your purfling/binding trimming and paring jobs.

For most instrument work you need paring chisels, not something designed to be hammered all day. If it has metal hoops around the handle, it's not a paring chisel!

I like to use a shallow sweep gouge for shaping braces. (Out-cannel carver's gouge..Henry Taylor or similar)

John

This Narex set is hard to beat at $49 from Highland:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/narex-chisels.aspx

They have a 4 piece Hirsch set for $100:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/hirschbeveledgechiselsetoffour.aspx and singles starting at 2mm

"For most instrument work you need paring chisels, not something designed to be hammered all day. If it has metal hoops around the handle, it's not a paring chisel!"

True, but most of the suggestions including the LMII chisels are Bench chisels. The LMII for instance aren't hooped, but they make a point of how they are tougher than Japanese chisels (good luck), but why again? If they aren't being hammered on and are being used for braces and necks, why so tough.

The fact is hoops or other bench chisel features would not detract from the pairing use in any way relative to the format of the LMII chisels. And if you like the op lies the LN chisels you can rig them for bench or push chisels use by swapping the handles. I don't see where a weaker chisel that is more cheaply made is a great step forward at the same price point. But sure, it will cut braces, so long as you never have another use, like mortising the joints in your bench etc...

By the way, a good way to seat socket chisels hammer heads, etc... Is to grab the handle with the metal bit dangling in the air below, then start hitting the grip. This will cause the hammer head, or chisel to walk up the handle, and wedge hard. It is more elegant than bashing the chisel into things. And works better than anything else I have seen. It just looks like it would send the metal bit flying, but it doesn't.

I do lots of my work with Japanese chisels that have hoops and I don't find them inconvenient in any way.

On topic, one more option is Pfeil, I heard a few people saying they are good bang.

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Build log

Well, I hate to go "pinkies up" on you all, but 15 years ago when I had a day job, I bought a set (1/4 to 1-1/2") of Robert Sorby English style cabinetmaker's chisels with boxwood handles, and I think I'll keep 'em...

There are lots of good chisels out there. You'll probably spend more time paring with them as opposed to using a mallet so choose a shape & size that's comfortable for you.

I like these & they're not crazy expensive
http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/a ... _bench.htm

They also sell Blue Spruce, Sorby, Henry Taylor & others.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I used to do a lot of carving and the chisels I like the best are Pfeil. I have a bunch of them and they work very well.

There are a lot of chisels that work well, especially some of the older ones. Same as planes, you don't have to go to some botique store and pay big $$$. Its certainly ok if you want to, I have a few of those tools too but they're an indulgence not a neccessity.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I have a nice selection of modern Blue Spruce, Taylor, Sorby, LMI, Pfeil, 2 Cherries etc chisels, but I usually prefer my old European ones. Berg, Eskilstuna, Jernbolaget, Kongsberg and Marples are all great brands from long ago, and unless you are in Scandinavia, where they are common in flea markets etc., eBay is probably your best bet for finding them. IMO Blue Spruce chisels have an uncomfortable blade geometry, and those LMI handles are really awkward. The carbon steel in those old chisels seems usually (but not always) to be very good at taking, and reasonably well at holding, an edge. They are usually easier, at least quicker, to sharpen than modern cryogenically treated steels, which means I'm more likely to keep it really sharp. YMMV, of course

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin