Replies

1. 
   BG | Oct 31, 2004 12:18pm | #1

   Mac,

   Your experience with Sorby chisels is similar to many here including me.  I enjoy them for paring but they will not stand up to pounding...the tip rolls.  The Japanese are some of the best for dovetails; the tip being very hard it holds up well.  Two Cherries have an excellent reputation for overall performance and the new kids on the block, Lee Neilson, are getting good reviews. 

   Over the past year I've picked up some old Witherby's, Stanley 750, etc. they perform beautifully...and can still be had at tag sales cheaply. 
1. 
   Ole | Oct 31, 2004 02:23pm | #3

   Mac

   I got the same experience with some Crown chisels, very disappointing, the edge seemed to roll over very quickly even working with soft wood ex. pine. I got some two cherries chisels and they stay sharp (almost) forever. No doubt that Lie Nielsen chisel are OK - equal to or perhaps even better - but the pricetag a bit scary IMO..... I Love the smell of sawdust in the morning....

2. 
   sailalex | Oct 31, 2004 02:14pm | #2

   I have used Hirsch chisels (which is the same as Two Cherries, except the handles) and they are , in my opinion, the best value. I used some Japanese chisels (they were good but not great) and surprisingly my first chisels were Buck Brothers chisels from HD that performed decently, particularly considering the price. But after trying the Hirsch, I will always go back to them everytime. You can check them out at the Highland Hardware website but I understand they are the same as Two Cherries.

3. 
   Alan | Oct 31, 2004 11:24pm | #4

   mac,

   Sorby edge tools are rapidly gaining a very bad reputation.  Recently there seems to be many more bad stories about Sorbys than good.  You may add me to the list; I have bought my last Sorby chisel. (Fortunately I invested in very few).

   I am now chiseling wood into submission with Hirsch bench chisels, Two Cherries mortise chisels, a couple Crown special purpose chisels, and others on which I've lost the AKA papers.  The Hirsch and Two Cherries are excellent tools; they take a very fine edge and hold it a good long while.  My Two Cherries and Hirsch chisels are both very fine tools; I highly recommend them with no hesitation or conditions.

   I pounded along for many years with Marples bench chisels and mortise chisels, and I have no serious complaints about them either.  (Mine are not the renown Blue Chips; mine have yellow and red plastic handles.  I'm told these are different from Blue Chips in many ways.)  Marples, too, are excellent tools.  They also take a very good edge and hold it well.  I don't think they get as sharp as my recent acquisitions, nor do they hold an edge as long, but they are more than just useable;  so I also reccommend Marples.

   I don't think you can go wrong with either Hirsch or Two Cherries.  In my experience they are both top-notch tools and you will be delighted with them.  The Hirsch bench chisels, especially, are a bargain right now.

   Alan

1. 
   mcafee7 | Nov 01, 2004 02:38am | #6

   Thanks for the responses guys.  You've all confirmed what I suspected.  My bad experience with Sorby wasn't an isolated incident.  Luckily I was able to return them for a refund, minus my return shipping cost, so at least I'm in a position to try something else.  I'm leaning towards Two Cherrys or possibly Hirsch.  I'm reluctant to try any of the Jappanese chisels though.  I keep hearing that, while they're very hard, that hardness makes them very brittle.  I'll let you know what I get and how they work out.

1. 
   dwright | Nov 01, 2004 07:56pm | #12

   Mac,

   Some time back I decided to buy single chisels from many different manufacturers, use them all for a while, then pick which brand to get for a full set.  I have Sorby Octagonal Boxwood, old and new Stanleys, Ashley Isles, Two Cherries, Sandvik, Harris Tool, Henry Taylor, and Marples Blue Chip.  Might have forgotten a couple just now.  After a couple years of chopping and paring I've decided that there isn't much difference in the steel except that the Sorby and the Henry Taylor edges roll over much more quickly than the others.  Durability of all of these chisels gets much better when sharpened to a 25 degree primary bevel and a 30 degree secondary bevel.  I would definitely skip the Sorbys and Henry Taylors.  My choice among the others would be made on aesthetics and "feel".  Here are my personal thoughts:

   --  Old Stanleys (750):  Favorite chisel but I don't have the patience to chase down a full set out of the used market.

   --  New Stanley:  Too roughly manufactured and cheap looking for my taste.

   --  Ashley Isles:  Handle too heavy.

   --  Two Cherries (or similar Hirsch):  This would probably be my choice if buying a whole set.

   --  Sandvik:  Design = more of a utility chisel than woodworking chisel.  Edges too thick to get into dovetail corners.

   --  Harris Tool:  Earthy looking chisel.  A visitor to the shop might think I made it myself, or turned the handle myself for a blade I already had.  Edge is a little thick for dovetail corners, but workable.  These would be my #2 choice behind the Two Cherries.

   --  Marples:  Good choice if cost is the prime issue.

   I haven't tried the LNs yet, but plan to during a trip to Maine next year.  My only concern is that the handles are slightly out of line with the blades - sort of like Japanese chisels.  I wonder if this would throw off my vertical chop judgement.  I'm pretty used to the in line chisels I use for that task now.

   I spent a couple months working with a couple Japanese chisels.  They were comfy to hold and accurate in use, but chipped way too easily.  Time saved between sharpenings was lost many times over grinding out chips.  Back to Western style chisels.

   Hope This Helps,

   Dave

1. 
   Michmesquite | Nov 01, 2004 10:07pm | #13

   Dave

   An acquaintance of mine received a set of L-N chisels for evaluation a bunch of months ago. I had the opportunity to try them first hand and while a bit on the small side (these are bench, not paring) they felt very comfortable in the hand. He also had some pre-production L-N mortising chisels which, again, felt very nice in the hand and chopped very nicely.

   I'll regrind the edges on the Sorbys for a less steep angle use them for paring work.

   I agree with your assessment on the Japanese chisels. The three I tried (medium high quality) all chipped on the harder woods I regularly use. Japanese chisels are designed for the softer woods typically encountered in Japan. The higher Rockwell numbers for the Japanese chisels allow a sharper edge but hardness is not always the best test of good steel._________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

1. 
   newtrva | Nov 07, 2004 04:37pm | #14

   How do Pfeil tools fit into this hierarchy of quality?

4. 
   JimW | Nov 01, 2004 01:07am | #5

   I love my Two Cherries, but I had Buck Bros before, so I can not compare them to other quality producers.  I decided on them after talking to others here.  Over and over I got Two Cherries as the best quality for the price tag.

   Jim

   Coventry Woodworking

5. 
   lwj2 | Nov 01, 2004 04:08am | #7

   I've got a set of Marples boxwood handled chisels I bought from Woodcraft years ago that do quite well.

   Patrick Leach at Superior Works -- http://www.supertool.com/index.htm -- has used tools for sale, you'll have to e-mail him to get on his list. If Pat sells it it's guaranteed to be as described -- warts and all. He frequently has old chisels for sale, amongst other goodies.

   Barr Specialty Tools has hand-forged chisels for sale: http://www.barrtools.com/ -- pricey but has an exellent rep.

   Leon Jester, Roanoke VA

   Q: How do you know when a politician is lying?

   A: His lips are moving.

6. 
   Michmesquite | Nov 01, 2004 05:13am | #8

   I have the same problem with my set of Sorby chisels, and I bought them to replace a set of Freud chisels.

   My Lie-Nielsens arrive Monday after the required 6 weeks wait. I'll let you know how they turn out.

   _________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

1. 
   stephengaal | Nov 01, 2004 05:31pm | #10

   I had the same trouble with Sorby's.  I use them just for paring.  I find them no better than the Marples Blue Handles.

   The Lie-Nielsens, on the other hand, are superb.  I figure I am going to use these chisels for the rest of my life.  Sometimes, you get what you pay for.Stephen J. Gaal

1. 
   Michmesquite | Nov 01, 2004 07:22pm | #11

   I have five Lie-Nielsen planes, and one more on the way with the chisels. These are superior tools and will last many lifetimes. I can see my great grand kids using them. (Assuming we have wood left for them!)_________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

7. 
   Ardito | Nov 01, 2004 05:14pm | #9

   Mac,

   I have a set of Ashley Iles chisels and I LOVE them.  They came delivered to me in really good shape, and required just a little "tweek".  I purchased them from "Tools for Working Wood"...  http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=IL-100-20.XX&Category_Code=TMT

   Cheers!
   Dark Magneto