Thread: 70s Stanley chisels

I would keep these ... Might be better than the new Stanleys anyway!

If you're going to buy new ones, I'd pick up just a few of the $30 Narex ones. You don't need a huge array of chisels to start with. Maybe just 1/4, 3/4 in. just to get started, later on 1/2 and 1 in.

The seventies Stanley chisels a quite high quality and are sort after by those who know, definitely keep them and sharpen them, the ones without the steel in the handle end are the better versions, they 100% better than the rubbish Stanley put their name on these days, $12 to get them sharpened unless you live next door to the sharpener and you are very wealthy you need to sharpen them yourself.

Just to add to what China said, learning to sharpen isn't that hard... Just a bit of practice.

And you need to be sharpening frequently to get the best result. I would sharpen every day I use a chisel, just about. Don't get bogged down in all the methods out there... Just get an oil stone and have a go!

I found Paul sellers videos the most useful to see how to do it (but don't worry about diamond plates, just get an old oil stone and use 3 in 1 oil when you're starting out).

I just sharpened a set of new fatmax chisels last week for an apprentice.
They came up ok but I don’t expect them to be nearly as good as the old ones.

The Marples from the 70’s were better than the Stanley chisels but the new stuff will be average compared to the old ones
I wouldn’t be in a hurry to get rid of the old gear

Hi,
i have managed to collect a full set apart from the 1/8" chisel
from a junk shop in the last year or so and they sharpen up well.
If you have had them since your apprentice days then they may
end up being sentimental to you.

Martin.

I’m not a heavy chisel user (mostly do turning) but bought a set of chisels because I thought I needed them. The main advantage to having a full set is that if you grab one and it’s blunt you grab the next one. Sometimes you’ll get a better price per chisel by buying a set, but often it’s a small difference. So I’d agree with those that recommend just getting them as you need them, and starting with the ones you already have should give you a good idea at what you need and want to do what you personally do.

I’d also agree that learning to sharpen them is a good idea. I grew up with blunt chisels - my dad would always moan about them, but never sharpened them, I assume because he didn’t know how. I was quite annoyed to learn, as an adult, that they weren’t supplied sharp for life and that you actually had to keep sharpening them yourself. After I got over myself and just started fiddling, I’ve got better at it, and although I’m no expert, I manage to get a usable edge that’s better than it was before.

Originally Posted by old workshop

Hi,
i have managed to collect a full set apart from the 1/8" chisel
from a junk shop in the last year or so and they sharpen up well.
If you have had them since your apprentice days then they may
end up being sentimental to you.

Martin.

Blue Chip Marples chisels (Sheffield) from the 1960s and 70s were considered premium in their day and can be found quite cheaply today.
They hold an edge well and are worth collecting as a set
Tom

Originally Posted by Jaded62

Hi all.

Starting to set myself up for woodworking.

I have a mixed bag set of Stanley + one Sandvic chisels circa late 70s which would have formed part of my apprentice tool kit. Are these worth keeping and sharpening or should I just replace them?

I doubt they've been seriously sharpened for decades.

$125 gets a set of 6 Stanley fatmax or ~$12 each to sharpen.

Its not the cost either way, just what's the best tool.

Cheers,

Mark

The ones you already have will do fine. They are good, serviceable tools and will get you going. I wouldn't get into anything else until you know what sort of chisels you will actually need for the woodworking you will be doing.

On the new/modern Stanley chisels... There are a couple flavors of them. The ones "Made in Sheffield England" are generally good. They are/were made of an alloy that's along the lines of 52100 and it does well for woodworking, it's just got a bit more alloy in it, which makes it feel a bit "chewy" on the sharpening stones. The alloy on those seems to have a goldish tint. The "Made in China" ones are/were an alloy similar to W1. Easy to sharpen and feels mostly "dry" on the stones. The alloy on those seems to have a grayish tint.

I would stay away from the "Steel shank" models, as they are considerably heavier than the normal ones... Unless you plan to do a *lot* of hammering on them with metal hammers, then the steel shank protects the handle from cracking.

Be aware that the "Stanley," "Irwin Marples," and "Dewalt" products are all owned by the same parent company. I found the above distinctions to apply regarding alloy. So for example, Irwin now sells a set identical to the Stanley socket chisels, except they are made in China out of a steel that seems to be similar to W1.

I didn't have trouble with the China made Stanley/Irwin/Dewalt high carbon steel. It was easy to sharpen and held up fine against anything else in it's price point. I think the Made in Sheffield stuff was a bit better, but it's also more expensive... So pick your poison.

I will caution you to stay away from discount miscellaneous China import stuff. It's incredibly variable and there's no telling whether you will get a good tool or a dud until you use it.