Thread: Cheap chisel options

What are you going to do with these cheap chisels?

If you're hunting about 2ndhand, keep an eye out for old yellow and red handled Marples chisels, not the best chisel ever made but nothing wrong with them either.

Footprint are another decent cheap (underrated?) brand.

I'm also still using the cheap no-name chisels I bought from Bunnies years ago. They're excellent for those jobs that you shouldn't use a chisel (and definitely not a good chisel) for; furniture demo, scraping off old glue etc.

My pic would be these.

The Bahco 434 are durable and take a good edge. They're good enough not to get annoying (read sharpened too often) without being too expensive.

If you're patient enough chisels at markets will be as good for less money.

I can't anything wrong with a set of Stanley from Bunnings.

there is a set of blue handled Marples that look new, on eBay at the moment, they finish on Sunday or Monday. They could end up being a good buy

Try a search on here for 'Reasonably priced chisels'

Originally Posted by seanz

Footprint are another decent cheap (underrated?) brand.

agreed. I've got a full set of Marples blue chips, 10 year old Stanley set and 5 of the orange acetate handled Footprints.

Out of all three the Footprints hold the best edge by far. From memory I picked up 3 of them in a bargin bin at McEwans years ago. Last year I picked up 2 brand new ones on Ebay for $8ea.

If I was to start from scratch and had to buy new carpentry chisels I'd go for the Bahco's.

Can't see any footprints or (cheap) blue Marples available. I need something yet cheaper. I was thinking about buying these, or something similar:

OLDER WOOD CHISELS X FIVE. (eBay item 200616867880 end time 13-Jun-11 18:28:42 AEST) : Collectables

Giving them a bit of polish with oil and steel wool, then regrinding and honing. They might be old, but my experience with other tools is "old steel is good steel".

Arrrr........a motley crew. Not too bad for the price.......but......there isn't a set there. Some are bevel edged, some aren't, one of them needs a new handle and another one has a new handle, but the handle used to belong to a broom.

Patience.


What sort of flea markets has Melbourne got? They can be good, you at least get to check the back of the blade for pitting before you buy.

Originally Posted by seanz

What sort of flea markets has Melbourne got? They can be good, you at least get to check the back of the blade for pitting before you buy.

St Andrews market in Melbournes north east on a Saterday. Theres an old bloke who sells 2nd hand tools, just about everything you can think of. Usally has a couple of big boxes of chisels containing about every brand. Spend about 1/2 hour rumaging and you could put together a decent set for $50, he even has a box full of old oil stones for sale.

The Marples are item no 190538288995, though they are now at $100 after a quick jump from $30.
You can get a set of Fatmax chisels and a hammer for $134 form a shop

Where's St Andrew's market exactly?

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

Where's St Andrew's market exactly?

10 minutes past Hurstbridge (you've heard of Hurstbridge trainline?), south of Kinglake? Google maps is your friend.

Very much an alternative hippy market. You can get everything from healing crystals, vegan clothing, organic fruit & veg, the best paella and 2nd hand tools! Head across the road for woodfired bread, then cap the arvo off with a few pots under the verandah of the pub mmmm....

st andrews yarra valley - Google Maps

Ha! Not even slightly in Melbourne......it's in the Yarra Valley.
If you're in Hoppers X you may as well go to Bunnies and buy the set of Bahco chisels, it'll be cheaper and easier.

Originally Posted by Kyle

Very much an alternative hippy market. You can get everything from healing crystals, vegan clothing, organic fruit & veg,

And something to eat it with too!