6 chisels, hold the handles
By packaging their chisels without handles, Narex has found a way to get their tools into the hands of those on a budget.
Mar 04, 2020
I was just scrolling through r/woodworking (for non-millennials, that’s the woodworking section of Reddit, a popular online community), and stumbled across a post about a user buying an unhandled set of Narex chisels for about $50. Back in the day hand tools were frequently sold without handles, making it easier to ship heavy tools from England, where much of the tool steel came from. I don’t know if shipping factored into Narex introducing this set, or if was more about trying to hit a price point. Either way, it’s interesting to see.
On our podcast, Shop Talk Live, I’ve sung the praises of my Stanley Sweetheart chisels, which were priced at $70 for a set of four when I got them a couple of years ago. If you add in the $50 I paid to finish out the set with 1/8-in. and 1 1/4-in. chisels, they were still an incredible value. The price of the Sweethearts has risen in the last two years to around $100 for the set of 4. This price increase would easily take them out of the running for many who are just getting into the craft. Maybe by packaging their chisels without the handles, Narex has found a way to get their tools into the hands of those on a budget. If you have a lathe, making a set of handles could easily be done in an afternoon. If you don’t have a lathe, use a spokeshave or block plane to make your handles. You’re a woodworker after all!
As you’ll see in the reviews below, Narex has a history of making good tools at an affordable price. Let’s hope that this set follows suit.
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Narex Paring ChiselsLong blades and shallow cutting angle |
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Marking knife: Hock Double-Bevel Violin Knife, 3/4 in.
Lie-Nielsen No. 102 Low Angle Block Plane
Starrett 12-in. combination square
Comments
I saw that post too! I always wondered why no one did this. I prefer tang chisels and making your own handles just adds to the fun!
It's all your fault Ben, you made me, made me I say, go out to look out at Narex chisels. I ended up buying a 2" chisel. I cut a fair number of stopped housing dados and the 2" will come in handy.
Narex is a revelation in how very good quality tools can be produced and sold for far less than the prices of many premium brands that don't appear to offer a lot more functionality or quality. It would be very interesting to have an FWW article exploring Narex as a manufacturer and business, in the same way as you've done for manufacturers such as Lie-Nielsen, Veritas and others.
Being British, I'd be very happy if the tool-making traditions and expertise of Sheffield, Birmingham and other once great tool-making areas had survived. As I understand it, Eastern Europe has some of the same tool-making traditions, some of which are a lot older than those of Britain. It would be interesting to know more of these; and why they have survived better than they have in Britain.
Lataxe
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