# Used / Vintage Chisels



## THRobinson (Oct 22, 2019)

Hey guys... just joined the site, starting to get a wood working shop setup and looking to get a few basic tools.

One thing would be a basic set of good chisels. From what I've read, buying old/vintage ones and restoring them is a good way to go because they used better steel than most being sold today, unless you buy the really pricey ones.

Came across a set of chisels today, tried to Google info about them but not finding anything at all. Estell? Anyone know much about that brand?

Also... any suggestions what to look for? Like... how old do I need to go to get the better steel, or which brands to get or avoid?

I have a handful of older ones my Dad had, but some I think were used to sheer heads off nails with, and some have chrome peeling off so, figured I'd start looking for something a bit better.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Why not try restoring the ones you have, any chisel you find will only work as well as it is sharpened. A fresh edge on most chisels will work well, better steel will just hold the edge longer. You will probably find certain sizes are the ones you use most, you can then spring for a couple really good ones, and unless you are alone in your shop hide them away so they are not used to open a paint can.


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## THRobinson (Oct 22, 2019)

I planned to restore whatever it was that I got... what I have though, from what I can tell, many of them are cheap chrome plated and not sure if worth white restoring or not. There are a small number of good ones though.... but only 2 or 3 that I've seen so far. 

Estell set looked good, but guy finally replied... one of those where it sold and they never bothered to remove the ad type deals. :S


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

At a certain point, chisels are good enough and hold an edge well enough. The quality of the steel is not the only thing that is important. You may want to look at other factors, like: 

* Do you prefer one chisel style over another? (The tang vs. socket debate! - save it for another thread.)
* Do you prefer one handle material over another? (Handles are replaceable; some people make their own.)
* Do you prefer a certain handle shape?
* How does it feel in your hand?
* Is it comfortable to use?
* Does it cut easily?
* Does it cut where you want?
* Does it not cut where you don't want?

-> Is it the right size?
Newer chisels are metric size. A typical set might contain 6, 12, 18, and 25 mm wide chisels, despite whatever the label says. Old chisels are mostly genuine Imperial size. A typical set might contain: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 inch wide chisels. For many (most?) chisel uses, it doesn't matter, but there are times when the exact width does matter.

In case it matters, I use a 1/2 inch chisel far more than the others combined. It is the right size for many jobs. When I was restoring the old Crown chisels I asked my friends, and every one of them told me that they use a 1/2 inch chisel most of the time and rarely use the other sizes.

Background:
I have two nice Crown 174R chisel sets with rosewood handles. One is an old Imperial set and the other is a new Metric set. (Why I have two is a story for another day.) I like the handle shape and the feel of real wood in the hand. They just work for me. I also have a cheap, lousy, Black and Decker 1/2 inch chisel I bought in 1980. I use it the most, even though I prefer the Crown chisels.

The I hate to admit it, but most of the time, I reach for the cheap, lousy, Black and Decker 1/2 inch chisel. It has a plastic handle and does not feel as good in the hand. Despite being a cheap, crappy chisel, it cuts well and stays sharp for a long time. I find that I reach for it most of the time because:

* I am used to reaching for it.
* It is usually ready-to-go sharp and stays sharp longer than you would expect from a cheap chisel.
* It sits in the front of the tool drawer by itself, ready to use. The Crown chisels are sets in the back of the drawer.
* It just works.


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## WeebyWoodWorker (Jun 11, 2017)

To be honest the ones you get at harbor freight aren't really that bad. That's what I use a lot of the time. 



Although I a have a dealer. Some people meet sketchy guys is white vans in the back of parking lots to buy drugs, I do the same thing but to buy chisels. I know a timber framer who works in Japan. Every time he comes back he brings all kinds of weird tools back with him. Really cool guy, 



-T


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

what ever you do get a decent sharpening system
i never had a sharp chisel until i bought this $15 guide off amazon

i added the harbor fright diamond stones on a base i made out of corian
and made a simple insertion jig for depth of chisel/plane


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## THRobinson (Oct 22, 2019)

WeebyWoodWorker said:


> To be honest the ones you get at harbor freight aren't really that bad. That's what I use a lot of the time.
> 
> Although I a have a dealer. Some people meet sketchy guys is white vans in the back of parking lots to buy drugs, I do the same thing but to buy chisels. I know a timber framer who works in Japan. Every time he comes back he brings all kinds of weird tools back with him. Really cool guy, -T


The seedy underbelly of the chisel black market. 

Harbor Freight... I swear I can't go onto a forum without that place being mentioned. Even in the Canadian forums I'm on where we don't have HF, it always gets mentioned. I'll have to get my passport and take a trip down some day. Harbor Freight, and Pawn Shops... they sound so much better there than here.


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

get the terminology correct

it's called *harbor fright*, cuz any tool with a cord is likely to cause you headaches >
though you can't beat the harbor fright $9 grinders, i keep 3 around
at $9 you don't even worry when they don't start, just toss in the can :vs_laugh:


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## THRobinson (Oct 22, 2019)

We have something close to that called Princess Auto... which has virtually no car parts in it aside from light bulbs and... nope I think that's it. From what I've seen online, they definitely get some of their stuff from the same places and rebrand it, but also looks to be about 1/3 the size.

Not bad tool wise... I sometimes grabs stuff there like an oddball sized socket I'll maybe use twice in a lifetime, or stuff like pry bars and such. Not sure how much I'd trust the stuff for when it comes to bigger items like drill presses and air compressors though.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

THRobinson said:


> We have something close to that called Princess Auto... which has virtually no car parts in it aside from light bulbs and... nope I think that's it. From what I've seen online, they definitely get some of their stuff from the same places and rebrand it, but also looks to be about 1/3 the size.
> 
> Not bad tool wise... I sometimes grabs stuff there like an oddball sized socket I'll maybe use twice in a lifetime, or stuff like pry bars and such. Not sure how much I'd trust the stuff for when it comes to bigger items like drill presses and air compressors though.


Princess Auto has one of the best return policies of anywhere I shop, granted you have to watch the quality of some of their products, but they can't be beat on many items.


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## THRobinson (Oct 22, 2019)

Never returned anything... rare I go, bit of a trek to the nearest one for me, and again when I go I usually just buy odd's n end's no one returns anyways.... gloves, solder, feeler gauges, etc.

Wish it were closer. Lots of cheap stuff I end up spending more on at Canadian Tire simply because it's 20min away instead of 1.5 hours.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I never tried the HF chisels, but I have seen their combination squares and their hand planes. Yuck! I returned them. 

I have also tried the WorkZone chisels so highly recommended by the revered Paul Sellers of hand tool woodworking fame. They are designed in Germany, made in China. In the US, they only appear at Aldi stores as a seasonal item, but the set of four chisels sells for $6.95.

When they went on sale in Fall 2018, the word spread among local woodworkers around here. Four Paul Sellers' recommended chisels for $6.95! Who could pass on that?

Well, the WorkZone chisels are not so impressive when you get them. The machining is awful, and they are not close to symmetrical. They don't come sharp, but that's expected. I kept one set to use for chisel abuse, like striking them with a framing hammer or cutting off staples during furniture disassembly to harvest wood.


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## WeebyWoodWorker (Jun 11, 2017)

THRobinson said:


> The seedy underbelly of the chisel black market.
> 
> Harbor Freight... I swear I can't go onto a forum without that place being mentioned. Even in the Canadian forums I'm on where we don't have HF, it always gets mentioned. I'll have to get my passport and take a trip down some day. Harbor Freight, and Pawn Shops... they sound so much better there than here.



Right Canada... Whoops. I was up there just a bit ago and was quite confused about assorted things such as the lack of pennies and sales tax existing. Had never heard of a London Drugs before, interesting store. 






-T


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Dunno who was telling you that modern chisels are only good if theyre expensive cause they use crappier steel than the older ones. Honestly, that statement is probably truer in reverse, thanks to modern advancements in the production of metals, good quality steel is cheaper and more accessible for even the lower-end stuff so even a cheap chisel will be good. Look no further than the people who swear by the Aldi chisels for evidence of that, or Harbor Freight. 

Moving past that, selection of steel is about the least most important thing to get a good chisel. So long as its not got a bunch of impurities and and at least .75% carbon content, itll probably make a good edged tool. A lot more important are heat treatment, quality control, and design. Unfortunately, only that last one will be visible to you, so best to not go for bottom of the barrel stuff if you dont want to play a guessing game. 

Now, the list doesnt jump straight from bottom of the barrel no-name brandless stuff all the way to top of the line $500 chisels hand-made by Japanese craftsmen who have honed their craft for generations, theres a lot of grey area in there. My personal set of chisels includes Irwin and Shopfox, both of which retail for about $10 a chisel, and they take and hold a razor edge that i sure cant complain about. As some background on that, i make custom knives, ill complain about any edge i can. Stick to a decent name brand, from a company known more for making woodworking and not construction tools, and most importantly invest in your sharpening gear as well


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Aldi (supermarket chain) chisels are well worth buying when they have them (usually 3 times a year) for under $8.00 set of 4. Nice wood handles, Metric sized, Made in Germany, Quality steel, Long blades. They are nice bench chisels...But will require fettling.


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## homestd (Aug 24, 2018)

I have some old Stanley chisels that I really like (1", 3/4" and 1/4"). I have another set that is ok but I prefer the size of the Stanleys. By the way, if anybody happens to have a 1/2" Stanley, I will gladly take it off your hands.


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## fareastern (Sep 19, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Dunno who was telling you that modern chisels are only good if theyre expensive cause they use crappier steel than the older ones. Honestly, that statement is probably truer in reverse, thanks to modern advancements in the production of metals, good quality steel is cheaper and more accessible for even the lower-end stuff so even a cheap chisel will be good. Look no further than the people who swear by the Aldi chisels for evidence of that, or Harbor Freight.
> 
> Moving past that, selection of steel is about the least most important thing to get a good chisel. So long as its not got a bunch of impurities and and at least .75% carbon content, itll probably make a good edged tool. A lot more important are heat treatment, quality control, and design. Unfortunately, only that last one will be visible to you, so best to not go for bottom of the barrel stuff if you dont want to play a guessing game.
> 
> Now, the list doesnt jump straight from bottom of the barrel no-name brandless stuff all the way to top of the line $500 chisels hand-made by Japanese craftsmen who have honed their craft for generations, theres a lot of grey area in there. My personal set of chisels includes Irwin and Shopfox, both of which retail for about $10 a chisel, and they take and hold a razor edge that i sure cant complain about. As some background on that, i make custom knives, ill complain about any edge i can. Stick to a decent name brand, from a company known more for making woodworking and not construction tools, and most importantly invest in your sharpening gear as well





I couldn't agree more.Some old chisels are absolute junk and some of the new ones are incredibly good for what they cost.Just to make it more confusing,some old chisels are wonderful and some of the really cheap modern chisels are fit only for levering the lids off paint cans.


We should have the technology to make quality tools every time and we do-mostly.Then when a youtube sage pronounces them good,gullible amateurs hand over piles of cash for a pretty basic tool.It gets funny when they advocate flattening and sharpening "systems" that require hours of effort before you do any actual woodwork.If you tried that in a professional environment,you would have somebody on your case fairly soon.....


I bought a set of the Aldi chisels a couple of years ago and they are wonderful tools.The grinding isn't perfectly symmetrical,but I don't cut wood with those surfaces.The backs were flat enough and it took very little time to get a good edge.The edge lasts a long time too.Are they the best chisels I have ever bought? No,but they are a whole lot better than some of the antiques I own which are made of soft steel. I have actually annealed,hardened and tempered a couple of old chisels.One was transformed into a very useful tool and the other was still junk.


If I wanted a set of chisels to admire for their beauty and to use occasionally,I would be looking for a set of boxwood handled Marples.I have never had a Marples chisel that wasn't good,whether wood handled or plastic handled.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

At least you got a balanced view from others who appreciate Aldi WorkSharp chisel set. The price point is certainly the best anyone can find for a set of four new chisels. 

Sorry, but I fail to appreciate them as much as others. Flattening the backs on them was not my idea of fun. The ones I have did not start out close to flat. 

Twice I have bought them to give to our woodworking club's annual auction. At least they bring in donations for the club. I tag them as "German-designed chisel set highly recommended by hand-tool expert Paul Sellers." They usually sell in the auction for around $20. I hope that they are going to experienced people who know better, but want to contribute to a worthy cause.


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## P89DC (Sep 25, 2017)

I agree about the modern metals being good quality overall. As for a set of vintage 750s, with current prices exceeding the cost of new premium Lie Nielsen and Veritas if I had the money I'd buy new. As for the Aldi chisels, great for all of you that love them, bless your hearts  , 

I have a set of Marples Blue handle bench chisels from the 90s. I looked at some vintage Marples with box wood handles, ouch, not cheap either. 

Since I have a more down-to-earth budget I looked at Wood River chinese specials that my local Woodcraft stocks. I was disappointed by the quality of the finish and chisel-to-handle alignment. If that was what I'd get for $10~$12 each then never mind.

I took a chance and ordered a set of Narex butt chisels from Taylor Tools. All four backs polished up quickly because they were flat. I've since purchased skew, paring and crank neck sets and all of them came flat back and were easy to prep to razor sharp. Made in eastern Europe by free people feels better than made by slave labor too.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Personal observation: A big reason people tend to prefer vintage hand tools is quality control. If you purchase something made during the "golden era" of manufacturing, you can say with a high degree of certainty that it's a decent product that was built to last a lifetime. Regardless of who made it. 

Today, not so much. Such a wide variety of experiences for the same exact product ranging from "I love it" to "it's junk." About the only instance where quality remains high is with the higher price point tools like Veritas and Lie-Nielsen. But then you're looking at $50-$75 _per chisel_, which is ridiculous.

I have a set of Stanley Bailey chisels that are okay. Sturdy handles, hold an edge, but don't get crazy sharp. They're good for beating out a mortise, but I would never use them for precision work. I have a few Narex chisels. One is worthless, the others are decent. I'd put them on par with Stanley. My Aldi chisels are a step above - the good ones, at least. I had to go through 3 sets to get the best chisels of each size, but they sharpen up to a high polish and despite being super cheap, are better than the Stanley and Narex in my opinion.


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## AwesomeOpossum74 (Jan 27, 2017)

It's certainly difficult to find any vintage chisels at 2nd hand stores within 100 miles of my town. The ones we (my son and I) have found were in generally bad shape, chipped and not well maintained; looked like they were used to open paint cans, chisel concrete or other abuses, and found at the bottom of random tool bins. $2 each, and and hour of work would get them into some form of workable condition. Once there, they were pretty good to use for general woodworking. Sadly, I've never found any of the sought-after brands in the wild.

The only modern brand of chisels I've ever bought for my own use are Narex. I started out with their entry-level set, then moved to their premium sets, which I like a lot. I think they're the same metal, but different grinds and handles. Note: I'm not trying to sell people on them, but for as much as they cost, I think they're a good buy, and hold up pretty well to the more expensive brands.

When my son was sharing my shop space with me, and when my bro-in-law wanted to try out woodworking, I bought the Harbor Freight $7 yellow handled chisel sets. They were cheap enough I could give the chisels to them and not feel bad if they dropped them and damaged the cutting edge. And the fact they are rough ground gave them experience honing them, and a sense of accomplishment when they converted a "turd" to a workable tool.

The biggest things I notice when using chisels is the balance, and the weight. A light, easily maneuverable chisel is so nice, especially when chopping and paring dovetails. I've not met a plastic-handled chisel that felt balanced.




Tool Agnostic said:


> I never tried the HF chisels, but I have seen their combination squares and their hand planes. Yuck! I returned them.


I bought one of their hand planes. Because they're so cheap (in all ways that matter), I converted it into a scrub without feeling like I was destroying something of value.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Every woodworker has a mix .....*

If you are starting out, then asking this question will be helpful, but you'll get a myriad of answers. Some as stated above will be fine after considerable fettling? others won't be salvageable. When I started out 50 years ago, there weren't many choices, either Sears or Ace Hardware. I ended up with some Dunlops, and some Kmarts? Then I realized some were made to hammer on, others were not. Some had steel caps on the plastic handles, others didn't. Why?


There were two types, framers/carpenter's chisels and wood worker's chisels. You shouldn't hammer on the wood handles ones or any without a striking cap. The all steel ones were made for heavy duty, on site work. Fast forward 50 years. Now I have an entire mix, all steel, handles of plastic, handles of wood, Japanese Damascus, framer's, mortising, bent necks, Japanese slicks and gouges......









 

Don't buy any set thinking it will be your last...... you will always have room for a different brand, a different style, you may inherit some that just have sentimental value.....? :vs_cool:


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

AmishElectricCo said:


> Personal observation: A big reason people tend to prefer vintage hand tools is quality control. If you purchase something made during the "golden era" of manufacturing, you can say with a high degree of certainty that it's a decent product that was built to last a lifetime. Regardless of who made it.


I dunno about that, quality control has always been a crapshoot. The only difference now is that any of the crappy old stuff is dead and off the used market, so it just looks like everything was good


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

A very timely post by Paul Sellers: I Read a Review

Everyone posting in this thread should give it a read.


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## P89DC (Sep 25, 2017)

AmishElectricCo said:


> A very timely post by Paul Sellers: I Read a Review
> 
> Everyone posting in this thread should give it a read.


One thing I've learned is the more false virtue signaling about using low cost tools and minimal inventory the more likely the false virtue signaler has a plethora of expensive tools....

Nearest Aldi to me is an 800 mile round trip. Think about the carbon emissions, oh the horror!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Search for "low cost" bench chisels ....*

I found this basic and informative:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2007/04/30/evaluating-low-cost-chisels


Which ones to buy?
https://toolguyd.com/narex-bench-chisels-high-quality-for-woodworkers-on-a-budget/


Some very nice sets here under $100.00:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bevel+ed...512447&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_43anpqee0j_b



Basic info:
https://woodandshop.com/woodworking-hand-tool-buying-guide-chisels/


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## AwesomeOpossum74 (Jan 27, 2017)

AmishElectricCo said:


> A very timely post by Paul Sellers: I Read a Review
> 
> Everyone posting in this thread should give it a read.


Read it, and I agree, mostly. But there is certainly a difference in the quality of the metal between my Harbor Freight $7 sets, and my Narex ($40 for the same size set). Even after flattening, shaping, polishing and sharpening, the HF chisels feel like low-carbon Chinese pot metal. Even when mirror shiny, they don't slide through wood like my Narex. I don't know if annealing would make a difference or not.

The blog can be extended to other tools, e.g. hand planes. When I first started, I went expensive with the Veritas #4 hand plane, because I thought "go big or go home" based on reviews and articles. That hand plane now sits in my storage cabinet, largely unused. I use my old early 1910(ish) Stanley planes as my preferred bench tools, as they are comparably lighter and more maneuverable. I could have bought an army of them for the money I paid for my Veritas. Am I sorry I bought it? No, not really; it's a good plane. And it taught me a good lesson.


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## bob493 (Nov 13, 2019)

Ive noticed a lot of people "knee jerk" to buying complete sets of chisels. I'd make a strong argument that most people starting dont need a 3/16" chisel for instance. 

If you're dead set on a full "set", Narex makes quality chisels that dont break the bank. Or you could go my route and piece-meal chisels you need that are inherently good quality. Every now and then I'd buy a stanley sweetheart chisel of whatever size I needed. I started with a 1/4" and a 3/4", that does most everything I need. Worked up to a 1" and 1/2". I've yet to encounter any situation I cant use with these 4. For quality of life, I will be purchasing some angled head chisels and some mortising chisels, but that will come when it comes. While individually they can be expensive, they DO go on sale from time to time.


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## fareastern (Sep 19, 2014)

I totally agree with the comment about not needing sets of chisels.I also use 1/4 inch and 3/4 inch chisels for almost everything.I do own a couple of sets of chisels and many more chisels that were picked up because they were too tempting to leave for somebody else to buy at various sales.They all get sharpened and tried and if they feel "right" they get used,doesn't matter which magazine or online guru endorses them.The feel and the quality of cut determines whether I use them.Besides the two mentioned earlier,the only other chisel I rely on is a crank handled 3/4 inch Henry Taylor paring chisel and I would estimate that over the years at least ten other people have bought one after seeing it in use.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Repeating what I said earlier:

My 1/2 inch chisel gets the most use, by far. When I asked my friends which chisel they used the most, every one of them said the 1/2 inch, without any prompting from me.


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