Thread: Chisel purchase dilemma

Originally Posted by zac_in_ak

Hi All

I was looking at getting some chisels I need a 1/16" 1/8" and a 1/2" I am down to either Harold & Saxon or Blue Spruce Toolworks. Has anybody used both? Help! They are both around the same price.

Thanks!

The current edition of Fine Woodworking compares twentyodd US available chisels

Blue spruce and Harold & Saxon are two very divergent chisels.

The question is what kind of work do you do?
What type of Blue spruce (Dovetail Chisels OR Paring Chisels) OR Harold & Saxon (CABINET RANGE OR ULTIMAX RANGE)?

In general Blue Spruce is a much lighter weight chisel, more suitable for fine pairing work. Blue Spruce is only 3.2 mm thick and would not survive being hammered. Blue Spruce is also only A2, where Harold & Saxon are M2 (If you go for the ULTIMAX RANGE) are modeled on the classic Australian Titan chisel and are built tuff for Australian hardwoods.

One day when I have the funds, or some one includes me in there will, I will be investing in some Harold & Saxon.

Hi Thumb,

sorry for posting something that provides no solution to your question whatsoever, but i couldn't help myself.

Last spring i was in Paris, where on the Champs Élysées, many prime brands present themselves to the public in prestigious flagship stores. Adidas has one, for instance, where you can also design your own unique customised sneakers by computer and order them on the spot to have them sent to your home.

A bit further down the same deluxe road is Peugeot's flagship setup, where futuristic concept cars are presented under intricate halogen lighting and the public can buy all sorts of lion branded merchandise. Treated in the same Hollywood manner was an array of tools, for the Peugeot car factory had and still has its own tool factory, called "Outillage Peugeot". They make industrial and DIY electric and hand tools, some of which having surprising looks and quality.

On display, for instance, was a very nice set of deluxe wood chisels, containing titanium parts. I stood there drooling and i had a mobile phone with a camera, with which i took pics from the concept cars but alas not from the tools. I should have done so, because i expected a nice presentation somewhere on the internet, but that didn't exist. I found one simple sober pic, showing one such chisel. A set of 4 is about 90 Euros and can be mail ordered. Should you own such tools, you are guaranteed to draw some attention.

The pics below show a regular and a titanium Peugeot chisel

greetings from the Netherlands!

gerhard

Those are cheapest shoddy looking chisels I have seen in a while, draped in bling bling Titanium. Mutton dressed up as Lamb.

These are some beautiful, and functional chisels.



Attachment 82740

Hi Zac

I can only report on the Blue Spruce, which I have.

These are wonderful chisels - beautifully designed and made. They are tanged, which produced a lighter feel in the hand than socketed chisels (I also have tanged Bergs). These chisels excel at paring dovetails.

A 1/16" chisel is not something that you are going to need to use a mallet on, regardless of the hardness of the wood. It is so slim that it will act like a stiletto. Problem is, BS does not make one this size. I have a 1/16" Iyoroi, and this is rarely used. I do use a 1/8" BS very frequently. The next size up is a 1/4", and I consider this too large a jump from 1/8" when cutting slim dovetails. I have a custom 3/16" on order from Dave Jeske (BS).

I cannot comment about the H&S chisels, per se. I have not even seen them in the flesh. They look very stylish. Can someone say something about the thickness of the blade. The images make them look stout. That would be fine for chopping, but give a dead feeling when paring. There is a reason that paring chisels have long, thin and flexible blades.



When it comes to steel, my first choice is O1, not A2 and definitely not HSS or D2. These are the order in which they are easier to hone and get sharpest. The Blue Spruce seem to be the exception. They get very sharp and hold an edge extraordinarily well. The best in this department, however, are Japanese chisels. When it comes to a chisel for hard woods, I turn to these. They hone up quickly and get very, very sharp.

Now it is your turn. Can you say what you want to use these chisel for?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Thumb,

you're right, i am in awe. These and the ones in Derek's pic are beautiful. With such quality i didn't know still existed, i withdraw my remark about drawing attention with the tool i posted. True, they are blingy but if they were shoddy, Peugeot wouldn't have displayed them in the most expensive square yards to be found in the capital of France. The brand stands for something over there and French furniture makers do have something of a reputation as well. But there you are, on average that's all the quality we have left in Europe. Items like the ones you've shown do not exist here anymore. Be glad you still have them, i can see the purchase dilemma. What do these chisels cost on average? I may want to import some and try them.

regards

gerhard

Gerhard a set of six Blue Spruce Chisels are about 290.675 euros and a set of six harold and saxon would cost you - 412.234 euros.

zac_in_ak I agree with derek, a fine thin blades pairing chisel feel much nicer to pair with then a thick or stout chisel.

No chisel will serve all purposes.

I held some H&S chisels at the woodshow in Sydney, and can attest to their beauty and heft. They are a very well made tool, and highly drool-worthy. They are expensive, but are made to very high standards indeed, and they are on my wish list...

Originally Posted by zac_in_ak

Hi All

I was looking at getting some chisels I need a 1/16" 1/8" and a 1/2" I am down to either Harold & Saxon or Blue Spruce Toolworks. Has anybody used both? Help! They are both around the same price.

Thanks!

No dilemma at all. You happen to have given examples of chisels that are for different purposes. If you are hitting a blue spruce with anything more than your palm you are hitting it too hard. Whereas the H&S can take a pretty good thumping with a WOODEN (emphasis meant) mallet. Therefore the choice should be dead easy - buy both sets. If the funds aren't there for both you need to look at an alternative that will fullfil your needs to be very delicate and brutal at the same time - Lie Nielsen, Ashley Isles, Older Marples... comes to mind.

The chisels will be used primarily for instrument building the 1/16" is going to be for chiseling out the soundhole rosette and the binding ledges so it wont be hit with a hammer. I may just chuck it all in and go back to my old choice before I heard of BS and H&S ,LV detail chisels....but the siren song of quality heirloom tools is so intriguing

Hi all,

Thumb, thank you for the price quote. This is definitely an entirely different league from European products, there is nothing here with this finish and in this price range. I will ask around for shipping of a Blue Spruce set to begin with. The 6 and 25 mm H&S chisels from your pic look a bit like my Dutch made Nooitgedagt chisels. This factory does no longer exist, alas. These Friesian chisels can be sharpened and whetted to a very high level and they also have metal crimp rings to fortify their heads for wooden mallets, but their steel is a bit on the mild side and their edges do not stand all that long in hard woods. I would like to buy and try a 1/4"and 1/2" H&S as well, these are the sizes i use the most in oak and beech. This will be an exciting investment; such high quality tools will not only show what they are worth themselves, but also tend to reveal the true craftsmanship level of their user, haha. Let's see if i am worthy of this quality.

The choice of steel grades that Derek mentioned, are another thing long gone over here. There's only grades of HSS now and they are seldomly specified or mentioned.

Japanese hand tools should be interesting as well, the Japanese metallurgy is something of a legend but again those products are very hard to find here.

One thing's for sure, from the respectful and loving way you talk about these tools and display them, it's clear that you have the knowledge and the hours and are miles ahead of me in this department. Thanks for bringing these beautiful products to my attention.

regards from Holland!

gerhard

If it such fine work as musical instruments then I would go for the Blue Spruce chisels.

Gerhard I find it hard to believe that in all of Continental Europe there are no longer any fine tool makers. However I can only think of two European fine Tool Makers, Holtey and Philly Planes. ECE seem to get good review but hardly fine tools.

Gerhard you would be better to get the chisels directly from the maker rather then through a third party in Europe.

I have heard that BS does not make 1/16" so its H&S or if the wife won't budge go back to my old choice LV detail chisels

Then Harold and Saxon it is.