Hi All,
I came across a set of chisels (different brands). I wanted to get some feedback on if it would be a good buy. I am just getting into wood working with hand tools so this would be my start to collecting chisels.
I have attached some pictures and these are the details I have so far:
– Vintage wood working chisels
– Gouge chisels are 2 inch to 1 1/2 inch / made in the 1920’s
– Flat chisels made in Sweden in the 1950’s
– Narrow chisels made by Stanley in the USA
– Hand crafted ash handles
The seller is looking $50 for all.
Replies
You have three big gouges here. Are you going to do a bunch of carving? Because gouges are used for carving. This set sounds like a good buy for what you get, but they are the gouges are specialized and I wonder how much you will use them. When I think chisels for day to day work, I think of bench chisels which are flat chisels of varying widths. If bench chisels are what you need, start with a set of 4 or 5 chisels, 1/4" to 3/4". This will handle 90% of your needs.
A good buy. If all you want are the bench chisels you'll probably get them for free after selling the rest on ebay.
Although some of these chisels are not essential for a beginning woodworker, as you advance in your skills you may find them useful. You can always resell the tools you don't use.
The three gouged you will most likely never use. The tool in the middle is very specialized, and you will never use.
Do you flip things on eBay? I don't. It's too much bother. If you do, you can make your money back and keep the bench chisel s. If not, pass. I'm not wild about how the chisel s were rehandled -- they aren't original. And it might be a lot of work to get the backs flattened and ready for use.
If it were me, I'd pass. But it could still be worth your while.
Thanks for the replies. great feedback. I don't think i'll have much use for the gouges just now but maybe down the line. I also come across a set of chisels with the wording "Made specifically for Sears" on the handle.
The seller is looking $40.
The gouges look more like lathe tools to me.
On the Sears chisels, if its Sheffield steel that's a plus. The are socket type look to be well made.
That said, personally I wouldn't give over $25 for them you never know what you've got steel-wise until you use them.
You might be able to do some research & find out who manufactured them.
Like most people, I looked at flea markets and online for bargains. I spent a lot of time flattening backs, making new handles, and all sorts of things. Then more money to get sharpening machines and things to help rehab old tools. A lot of time and money went down that rabbit hole.
If I had to start over, I would do it very differently. Three sharpening stones and a 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 Lie Nielsen chisel s. Done. That handles the vast majority of work, and 3 minutes of honing and you're done.
It may look like a lot of money up front. But compared to the big box of iffy chisel s sitting unused in my basement, it's a lot cheaper, and they are far better tools.
I agree with those who've commented that you can spend a lot of money on trying to buy from flea markets and on-line auction spaces, only to achieve debatable results. I'm an intermediate-level woodworker. I adhere to the notion that it's less expensive to buy (new) the highest-quality tool you can afford. In my case, I bought a set of six Wood River bench chisels (1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4” and 1”), to replace my old not-very-high-quality set of Stanley butt chisels, at a cost of about $130 including shipping. They are great to work with, hold their edges well, and after the initial work to tune them up out of the box (which took about two hours to do the whole set (back-flattening and bevel-honing), it's a breeze to touch up the sharpness.
I agree with those who've commented that you can spend a lot of money on trying to buy from flea markets and on-line auction spaces, only to achieve debatable results. I'm an intermediate-level woodworker. I adhere to the notion that it's less expensive to buy (new) the highest-quality tool you can afford. In my case, I bought a set of six Wood River bench chisels (1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4” and 1”), to replace my old not-very-high-quality set of Stanley butt chisels, at a cost of about $130 including shipping. They are great to work with, hold their edges well. I spent about two hours to tune them up out of the box (back-flattening and bevel-honing), it's a breeze to touch up the sharpness. But if you enjoy the restoration process, by all means....
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