Thread: How many chisels is too many?

Originally Posted by IanW

Well, thanks Berlin, and all you other encouragers. I freely admit that I knew putting up a few pics of nice sets of tools here would be far more likely to get approval than censure. But my guilts are quieted for the moment.

Hmmm, there is still one drawer in my tool chest that contains stuff that needn't be there. I wonder what could be squeezed in there?

OK, that's enough from me. I'm off to do some different woodworking for the next couple of days - splitting & stacking MIL's Winter firewood....

Cheers,

I'll be the only one to try and help cure your obsession. Swing by the Post Office and send them all to me.
cheers,
Jim

How many is too many? After bringing his 8th guitar home the wife asks ...

" HOW MANY GUITARS DO YOU NEED ??? " Sez he " Count'em up when I'm dead."

Hi IanW
That's a nice assortment and I am envious of your paring chisels which I don't yet have any useful number of. I've been after some Titan paring chisels for ages and the search continues.

Now, you said:
--- Last of all is my recently filled-out set of Titan socket firmers.

The (heavy? version in the pic) socket firmers came in 12 sizes, from 1/8" through to 2" so you still have a few gaps there that need filling! Hehe.....

Regards Peter
Titan junkie in Brisbane, Australia

Originally Posted by pjr

Hi IanW
That's a nice assortment and I am envious of your paring chisels which I don't yet have any useful number of. I've been after some Titan paring chisels for ages and the search continues.

Now, you said:
--- Last of all is my recently filled-out set of Titan socket firmers.

The (heavy? version in the pic) socket firmers came in 12 sizes, from 1/8" through to 2" so you still have a few gaps there that need filling! Hehe.....

Regards Peter
Titan junkie in Brisbane, Australia

Peter - I meant a set of Titans for my use - not a complete factory set! I haven't the patience or need to try & find any more....

ditto on the nice assortment!

How many chisels is too many?

for practical purposes its probably once you have a chisel thats serving the same purpose as another or if you have a chisel for a specific purpose with no probability you will ever use it

i tried to apply the question to something else to see what i came up with..i considered kitchen knifes...when i was young i bought an expensive (to me) set of knifes with wood and brass handles, used them for many years but they were too thick in the blade so they never felt quite right to me and didnt perform as good as some knifes i came across as the years went on, then i noticed in the kitchen cupboards there were all these other things taking up space that did the same job as a knife would (but supposedly faster or easier). so about 15 years ago i threw out the all the gimmicks and kitchen appliances where a knife could do the job, retired the wood handle set of kitchen knifes (not sure where they are now, packed away somewhere) and bought a set of those Global knifes that are common now (kinda expensive but there are far more expensive knifes around), i like them still, they work well, once in a blue moon i add one to my set thats designed for a specific purpose if i feel i can get use out if it, sure i could get by with just 2 or 3 knifes (in addition to table, butter and steak knifes etc) but its nice to use a knife designed for a specific purpose..its a luxury either money or time (or both) allows one to indulge in

same with chisels, you can get by with just a few but having some ground to different angles suited to a specific purpose is a nicer way of working and it is hard to get rid of a nice old set of chisels if you have worked with them for a few years, some i'm not so sentimental about, they get bashed through nails or ground for some other purpose..bad luck for them, they died for a good cause

if you have somewhere to put them like those set out trays and can get to them easy enough then even if there are repetitions, it might be an indulgence but no harm done..harder to develope that intimate relationship with one particular set if you spread out your affections across many though i think chisels call you a player when you do that haha


cheers
chippy

Originally Posted by IanW

Peter - I meant a set of Titans for my use - not a complete factory set! I haven't the patience or need to try & find any more....

) me too really. When I started my Titan chisel & gouge page I was thinking I might try and gather a full set. I gave up on the idea when I realised how many styles and sizes there are.

pjr

Ian

When I started to read your first post I was floating along with the reasoning, very lazily ticking off the chisel models in my mind and probably dismissing them almost simultaneously.

Then I realised that you had groups, all numbered, and twigged that down the page, out of sight, were pictures.

When I saw pictures, I wondered where this pang of conscience came from. It would be nigh impossible to part with any of those. You have crafted the handles beautifully and in some ways this is what I think makes them indispensable. I know that most of the discussions regarding cutting tools revolves around the blades and their ability to take and hold an edge, but you hold a chisel by the handle. Most of the power and control is focused around that part with the other hand guiding the blade with paring chisels or walloping with a mallet with the more robust versions.

The tactile and aesthetic qualities of the handles particularly endear us to this type of tool. As most of those handles were made by you they have special significance.

Incidentally I particularly like socket chisels and I couldn't help noticing that the majority were made in this style.

Keep the lot. End of discussion.

Regards
Paul

This is clearly a case of when too many chisels is not enough, in the words of Roy Slaven & H.G Nelson

Originally Posted by IanW

I swear I won't buy another, single chisel.

but pairs or sets are a different matter

Originally Posted by behai

I would like ask a silly question please You don't have any square corner chisels?

Best regards,

...behai.

Hi behai, it's not a silly question

square corner chisels are mostly a tool for squaring mortices wider than about 25mm -- basicly they're a timber framing tool.
Then there's the small scale corner chisels designed for inlay work

What is missing from the other Ian's collection is some timber framing chisels

or a slick

Good evening IanW and Ian,

Thank you for the info. I am guessing that experienced people squaring two lines more accurately than beginners. I have the short, no handle Veritas with the magnetic attachment, I use it to punch the four corners first. It is short, so very easy to control. I found the mortices that I make look much better.

In a far future, I plan to get a Lie-Nielsen normal square corner chisel with handle.

Best regards,

...behai.

in expectation of having my wrist slapped for hijacking the thread, what sort of chisel are you currently using to chop mortices?

Ian, you can't possibly get rid of any chisels - what would you do with the empty space in your draw? It'd play with your head, I think that it'd be much safer to buy a couple of extras in case you loose 1 or 2!!

Unfortunately, I only own 3 poor quality 'corner hardware store' chisels (not even bunnings quality!). They're ok, but you have to sharpen very often as they definitely don't hold an edge.

But there's a light coming, I've just bought a set of Harold & Saxon's in the group buy...now to wait for them to arrive. Maybe I can start making a box to fit them in in the mean time...oh wait I need a chisel to cut the dovetails...doh!

Ian

... and where are the Bergs? I know you also have Bergs

It is true that we probably do not need more than 3 or 4 bevel edged chisels and perhaps 1 or 2 mortice.

If I was a professional and made my living from my tools, I would look at it differently. Excess tools are just overhead.

But since you and I are just doing this for the love of it, where's the harm? It is a relatively cheap interest - chisels, unlike bandsaws and tablesaw and ... , are inexpensive items, especially if you are collecting and restoring vintage.

Keep in mind that I am in a similar boat to you, although something of a novice compared with you!

Regards from a sunny Cape Town (for the next couple of days)

Derek