Thread: The best brand of chisels

I see that i may have simplified the subject a bit too much, I appreciate all of the replies and I see that perhaps i need to learn a bit more about the different types of chisels and their normal use
To clarify the question:

I usually work with fir or oak, mostly fir.
I’m looking for good quality chisels in the price range of 400 dollar PR set( about 4-6chisels)
I will do dovetailing, tenon and mortise work, mostly with thin oak boards and maybe a bit thicker fir boards. Furniture making to simplify it.

My original thought where to get 2 different set of chisels, one set of mortise chisels, and one of bench/dovetail chisels.

I do not own that many chisels as it is, but i want the chisels to last a lifetime, perhaps even my kids can get them some day. So I’m looking to invest in tools that are well made and do a good job. I do not care so much about the name of the brand or how they look as long as they get the job done, are fun to work with, sharpen easily, and can hold an edge.

The brands that have already been mentioned i have looked into and I like them all: D
Unfortunately I can’t wait several years to get the tools as i don’t own that many to start with. Therefore the Harold and Saxon are out of the question. I am leaning towards the Koyamaichi. But as i mentioned earlier I need to get more knowledge about chisels before I make my decision.

Thank you all for all the replies!!! You have all been a great help

Originally Posted by Andreas87

I see that i may have simplified the subject a bit too much, I appreciate all of the replies and I see that perhaps i need to learn a bit more about the different types of chisels and their normal use
To clarify the question:

I usually work with fir or oak, mostly fir.
I’m looking for good quality chisels in the price range of 400 dollar PR set( about 4-6chisels)
I will do dovetailing, tenon and mortise work, mostly with thin oak boards and maybe a bit thicker fir boards. Furniture making to simplify it.

My original thought where to get 2 different set of chisels, one set of mortise chisels, and one of bench/dovetail chisels.

I do not own that many chisels as it is, but i want the chisels to last a lifetime, perhaps even my kids can get them some day. So I’m looking to invest in tools that are well made and do a good job. I do not care so much about the name of the brand or how they look as long as they get the job done, are fun to work with, sharpen easily, and can hold an edge.

The brands that have already been mentioned i have looked into and I like them all: D
Unfortunately I can’t wait several years to get the tools as i don’t own that many to start with. Therefore the Harold and Saxon are out of the question. I am leaning towards the Koyamaichi. But as i mentioned earlier I need to get more knowledge about chisels before I make my decision.

Thank you all for all the replies!!! You have all been a great help

Andreas
in regards to what is the "best" chisel, Derek's comment "When you boil it all down there are only two types of chisels - sharp enough and dull" captures ONE of what I consider to be the THREE critical considerations
The other two are the SIZE range and their FEEL in your hands

after making sure that you keep youir chisels sharp enough for the job, the best chisel is the one that you want to use because it FEELS right in your hands when you pick it up and use it.


SIZE for many on this forum is maybe not an issue, but for you could be critical.
I grew up with inches and fractions and converted to metric in my very early 20s. I can happily use either system of measurement.
But when it comes to working with wood working tools, I have to make a choice every time I need to chop a mortice or plough a groove wood -- will the groove and mortice be 6mm or 6.35mm (=1/4inch)
For you this should be a primary consideration -- there is little point in buying a set of US "standard" inch chisels if your grooves are going to be dimensioned in mm.
Much as I love my Lie Nielsen bench and mortice chisels, I wont recommend them to you as in all probability your grooving and rebate planes (and router cutters) will be metric and hence not a match for the US sized chisels.
My strong suggestion is that you stick to metric dimensioned tools, which will automaticly limit your choices.
the few useful exceptions to this restriction are the equivalence between
5/16 inch and 8mm
5/8 inch and 16mm
3/4 in and 19mm

Thanks Ian, I hadn’t thought of that at all!
Good point

Andreas,
As you are in a hurry to get some working chisels at a reasonable price here is something to think overReasonably Priced Chisels - Woodwork Forums
They have had good reviews in some woodworking magazenes. They cut Australian hardwoods as good as any chisels I have used so should be fine on oak and fir.
If you can spend $400 per set then there is a lot out there to choose from. Ian's point about metric and imperial measurement is worth considering. All US tools are in inches as well as older UK tools. I can use both ok but having a mix can sometimes cause a problem. One tip for marking out mortice and tennons is set the marking guage on the width of the chisel being used to chop out the mortice.
I got the set of mortice chisels as I could not find good old mortice chisels and did not want to wait any longer. Before that I cut mortices by using a drill to clear out most of it then clean up the sides with regular bench chisels. (A couple of picks)
There is more than one way to do any job and sometimes it is with what ever tools you have got.
Regards
John

i have the full set or robert sorby boxwood chisels and love them they are a beautiful chisel to use.

here is a link http://www.macwood.com.au/index.php?...3bcaac23407948

I like the Japanese chisels. Got a set of 10 on eBay for $210 shipped; sharp and square out of the box and they've held up very well. They're as good as my Iyoroi chisels from Carbatec and a fifth of the price.

JAPANESE OIRE chisel 10P "NA" with contain scroll plane | eBay

The E-bay chisels are they hand made by a smith or? I was a bit confused by the info on the sellers site.

Yeah, he needs a better translator. I believe they're hand forged, just not by a master smith like Tasai or Ikeda