How many chisels is too many?

**IanW** · 13th June 2012, 10:11 PM

There have been a few threads discussing the number of tools one "needs", and 'Berlin' has been musing about cutting his tools back to a nominal 100 to suit his peripatetic life style. I've had a few 'downsizes' myself over the years, and try to keep the number down, but they do have a habit of sneaking up, when you are the type to feel sorry for a badly-treated tool & feel compelled to bring it to a home where it will get a little TLC. In that spirit, I recently managed to acquire a couple more Titan socket firmers that I'd been keeping an eye out for, to complete a 'set' of these, which has blown out my chisel collection to 45, (not counting some carving chisels). This has sent me on a bit of a guilt trip, & I stood in front of the tool cupboard for fully 10 minutes today, trying to decide if I really needed that many....

I'm afraid the answer was 'YES!' I agreed with my 'frugal' inner voice that was insisting I could get by with fewer, but I just could not decide which ones I would be willing to give up. Some have been with me for a very long time, while others, like the Titans are relatively recent acquisitions. So dammit, I'm sticking with the lot! I'm going to present each lot to you and try to justify their existence (it's also a chance for a cheap gloat, I admit, as I'm pretty pleased with them all, having collected most of them over many years, rehandled most, and spent a considerable amount of time & sweat re-habbing some of the more beaten-up specimens).

So here we go, the drawers contain:
1. My set of BE Lie-Nielsens. This is the only set of chisels bought new. They are my big indulgence (after the kids left home & all that

), but should see me and maybe one or two more generations out. Not everyone's favourite, but they suit me to a 'T'. I had a very good old Marples 1 1/4" and a newish 1 1/2" (the two at the back of the drawer), which I will stick with - the 1 1/4 is a lovely bit of metal, & I have used it a lot in the 30 or so years I've owned it. I rarely have need of the largest size, so it could possibly be deleted, but once a year or so it's just right for some job or other. The two little chisels at the right are my home-made minis, a 3/32" and 1/16" - very handy at times.

2. My set of paring chisels. Most of these are New Haven Edge Tool chisels that were given to me (yes, given!) by a friend. I picked up the 1 1/2" (A 'Swan') and the 3/4 (an Essex) later, to fill some gaps. These are sharpend to barely 25 degrees, & definitely not to be bashed. I just love the way these chisels feel in the hand, & use them constantly. They are all definite keepers.

3. Mortise chisels, butt chisels and some skews. The 1/2" skews (at rear) are from Lee Valley, while the 1/4" are made from a couple of old chisels picked up at flea markets. One is a Marples, & I can't read the brand on the other, but it may be the same breed. The smaller skews get the most use -the 1/2" don't see a lot of daylight, but they are the right tool for some jobs.

The butt chisels are old, worn-down BE sockets of good pedigree - Worth, & Buck, & Swan, among otherss. As you can see, I have a bit of a fondness for socket chisels, and in this case, I gave them egg-shaped handles that are shaped to match the sockets. They have a great feel, & fit very nicely in my hand. These are probably bordering on a luxury item, but every now & then, they are the best tool for small paring jobs, tight places, & so forth.

The mortise chisels are a mixture - one is a Lie-Nielsen, because it was the only 5/16" I could find, after years of searching. It's a size I like to use a lot for tenons. They have all been selected to match the chisels of my hollow chisel machine, just a couple of thou wider, so that they can be used to clean up the machine-made mortises very neatly..

4. Last of all is my recently filled-out set of Titan socket firmers. Now I did manage to live pretty happily without these for the vast majority of my woodworking career, I admit, so these are probably the greatest indulgence of all. But they are useful, and I maintain a much higher bevel angle on them, so they can be pounded into hard woods with a little more safety than the LNs. Several came into my hands in a very sorry state indeed (why do people bash bare sockets with hammers??

), but now that they are cleaned up & given nice new handles of Mulga & Gidgee, I think they look pretty handsome, too.

So, they all stay......

Cheers,

**Da bunny lover** · 13th June 2012, 10:22 PM

I bought a set of Lns at the woodwork show, also have 8 marples, a few bergs, 12 Titans still room for plenty more

**nick_b00** · 13th June 2012, 10:25 PM

Don't feel bad Ian, I find these new ways to justify my collection of hand tools all the time too.

you only need a single comrade to agree you need them all and I'll do that for you.

If it makes you feel better I am a self confessed Titan-o-phile and probably have more than 45 of them.

Nick

**ian** · 13th June 2012, 11:17 PM

How many chisels is too many?

when you have so many, keeping them all sharp is impossible

**Da bunny lover** · 13th June 2012, 11:17 PM

But i couldnt hide mine or yours in a draw.....in my workshop makeover im planning a nice glass display cabinet for mine.

**behai** · 14th June 2012, 12:07 AM

Good evening Ian,

I would not have the heart to part with any of them! Anybody can see that you take great pride in these chisels. My dad has some (very good quality) Japanese bonsai cutting tools, sometimes he would just leave them in the kitchen table so he could admire them.

I would like ask a silly question please

You don't have any square corner chisels?

Best regards,

...behai.

**issatree** · 14th June 2012, 12:49 AM

Hi Ian,
I'm with you, as I like to polish my Chisels to a mirror finish, but I try to stick to near the original design Handle that the Chisel may have had when it was first made.
Have been using Merbau of late, good & hard, but Cotoneaster, Photinia, Apple, Desert Ash, Claret Ash are about my Favourites.

Have a few interesting Blades, a Holmes, Hale Bros., have only 1 Brades, & amazingly quite a few very nice Blades with no name at all.

I'm going to have to part with a few of mine as I have no more room.

Have to find out how to put the Photos on The Forums

Noticed very Highly Polished Handles, so what did you use.
I like to use Straight Beeswax, which gives a fairly good finish.

**chook** · 14th June 2012, 05:58 AM

For myself, I long ago reached the point where I had all all the tools I strictly needed. But it is another question altogether as to whether I have all the tools I want. I earn my living doing something other than playing with wood. I have tools not because I need them but because I like playing with them. So that so long as I keep within the bounds of the budget I have set for play, there is no limit to what or how many tools I might collect.

As for keeping them sharp-I like sharpening tools. It is an important skill and the results are worth the time.

**pmcgee** · 14th June 2012, 06:17 AM

Too many?

I think you probably need some English or French heavy mortice chisels too.

What you are needed for a framing job?
Or want to build a barn?

Cheers,
Paul

**IanW** · 14th June 2012, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by ian

when you have so many, keeping them all sharp is impossible

Yeah, well, I'm approaching that point, for sure! You could pull any chisel out at random, & most would be shaving-sharp, but I admit, not all.

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

But if someone were to give me one.......

Cheers,

**_fly_** · 14th June 2012, 09:28 AM

Now you have the trouble of spending 20 mins working out which one you will use for a job.

Its not that many, You've got
left handed ones and
right handed ones and
soft wood ones and
hard wood ones and
furniture ones and
construction one and
slow ones and
fast ones and
big ones and
small ones and
long ones and
short ones ......

If you keep telling yourself that, there must be a few more categories of chisels you need like fat ones and skinny ones, Old ones and new ones......

**IanW** · 14th June 2012, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by behai

.......I would like ask a silly question please

You don't have any square corner chisels?

Hi Behai - nope, not a silly question. Corner chisels are something I've ever felt a need for. When I have to square a corner very accurately, I chop to about 0.5mm from the scribe lines, then use a very sharp chisel placed in the scribe lines to make a single, clean cut & finish it off. Much easier & quicker for me than the time & effort it would take me to sharpen a corner chisel properly.....

Cheers,

**IanW** · 14th June 2012, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by issatree

I'm going to have to part with a few of mine as I have no more room.

Hi issatree - I thought I might do that, but it's like Sophie's choice! However, I forgot to mention that I do have a few duplicates that are going to have to go to a good home.

Originally Posted by issatree

Have to find out how to put the Photos on The Forums

It's very easy. To post on the Forum, you shoukld resize your pics to 800 pixels on the longest size & a file size of around 100Kb. Then scroll down to the 'manage attachments' button (below the 'submit' button), click on that & follow the prompts to upload your pics, which will appear as thumnails in your post.

You can embed pics in the text of your post if you have them stored on an external URL, but the Forum doesn't encourage it for various reasons. You also need to consider folks who are stuck on the end of slow modems, which is one reason for keeping file sizes small....

Originally Posted by issatree

Noticed very Highly Polished Handles, so what did you use.
I like to use Straight Beeswax, which gives a fairly good finish.

Shellawax. Easy to apply, lasts much longer than I ever expected and gives the handles a very nice feel. I give them an annual waxing (about every 3 years or so...

).
My favourite handle woods are the hard Acacias (Mulga, Gidgee & the like), Bull-oak & She-oak. All take a lovely silky finish, and stand up to being walloped extremely well. But the list of suitable handle woods is virtually endless....

Cheers,

**Berlin** · 14th June 2012, 09:59 AM

Alright, what's going on here?! A group of shamelessly profligate tool hoarders egging on a repeat offender!

Tut tut tut.

I think you left out a box of Sweethearts too didn't you Ian?

As the nominated representative for Tool Austerity and as someone who has clapped eyes on IanW's hoard I feel I should make a few points.

Firstly, standing in front of the tool cupboard I was filled with something a lot closer to envy than reforming zeal. There is nothing less than top notch in there and, which brings me to my second point; everything has a place and everything's in its place. There are no boxes of random, rusting odds and sods. If one is to have a mania for specificity its good if it goes with fondness for order.

Thirdly, i'm limiting my tool kit so it is easy to move and as I'm still pretty green, pardon the pun, don't want tool collecting to get in the way of woodworking. I couldn't say when a heavy firmer (the socket Titans) were a better choice than the mortice chisels or BE chisels or when a butt chisel were the thing called for. IanW has piles of (neat stacks of fine) furniture and has earned the frequent chisler points to have as many chisels as he needs or likes.

**IanW** · 14th June 2012, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Too many?

I think you probably need some English or French heavy mortice chisels too.

What you are needed for a framing job?
Or want to build a barn?

Cheers,
Paul

Nope, too old for that caper, Paul. I only take on small jobs now....

And Fly - I have enough trouble justifying what I've got! Can't help feeling guilty, because I got by ok for more years than I can remember with about 5 chisels in total, & still managed to build some reasonable furniture. As Chook says, it's more 'want' than 'need'.

I also feel a bit silly tarting them all up the way I have, but having tools that look good and perform well has to be one of life's greater pleasures. Let the girls have their pearls & diaamonds - the sight of a drawer full of nice tools does much more for me.....

Cheers,

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