Thread: Chisels how many do you really need??

Originally Posted by DSEL74

There seems to be more and more types of chisels available and I am wondering how many you do really need and how many are just nice to have? Some of course will relate to the type of woodwork you do.

I honestly couldn't say how many chisels I have.

4 Lie-neilsen's (2 dovetail and 2 mortising)

8 Stanley bench chisels 1/4" and up

Various odds and sods that have been modified for that one-off job here and there. usually a narrow cheap one either made narrower or beveled at an angle and occasionally bent. Often these have been the narrow chisel out of a cheap 4-pack and the rest of the 4-pack is lying in the bottom of a toolbox rusting quietly away, waiting for its day to shine.

If I had to make a guess its probably between 30 and 40. One thing I can be really sure of is I have far fewer chisels than I have router bits. Maybe that's a question to put on the power=tools forum.

Cheers

Doug

This is interesting question.

I may one day be able to answer that once I figure out how many I currently have. I do not think I am as bad as some but I know that I am not as good as I should be.

Currently I am using about 6 go to chisels for almost everything, so the others are just to fill the space in garage / house.

I forgot to mention the cheap $*!tty one I use to open paint tins

When I started my apprenticeship, we apprenctices were issued some new wooden handled chisels (Marples). They weren't a set. There was a 1" bevel edge, a 3/4" bevel edge, a 5/8" bevel edge, and a 1/2" firmer. They were supposed to be enough to get us started, and possibly see us through the apprenticeship. The 1" got the most use, the 3/4" got the least.

I also have a couple of sash mortice chisels from that era - but I think I may have bought those myself.

I now have one or two more...

Cheers, Vann.

Vann, I don't know if you remember Lloyd's, 'the Australian Carpenter'. His suggested start-up kit has three chisels and perhaps a couple of gouges. But those were the days when you carried your kit to the job.
My FIL had a set of Titans for work and mainly Marples that belonged to his father at home. I've probably got four times the number and am nowhere near the quality of the work he turned out.
ps 3/4" seems to be my least used as well followed by 5/8"

There is no answer to that question because it's impossible to define what something is 'needed'.

Different work requires different tools. And a small collection of high-quality tools will often do the job of many more specialised ones - although as always, it is 'jack of all trades and master of none'. And owning tools is nice.

I certainly think it's possible to have TOO MANY chisels.

All chisels need to be lapped and polished (except high-end ones). They need to be kept oiled and rust-free. They need to have a place to live in reasonable order. They need to be regularly sharpened. In summary, tools need upkeep. I think there quickly comes a point where the marginal increase in utility from a slightly more specialised use is outweighed by the burden of these things, not to mention cost. If I started again, I would hopefully take the more sensible approach of collecting chisels as the need arose rather than trying to collect a 'set'.

I think most of us could survive with only a few. I'd probably nominate a 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1 1/4" bench chisel, together with a 3/8" mortise chisel. That would do 90% of most work, and one could get more specialised sizes and types as the need arose.

Also, you can pare, chop and mortise with a single high quality bench chisel, you can do none of those things with a whole roll of inferior ones.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Opening a can of worms here but it is a legit question.

I am wondering how many you do really need and how many are just nice to have?

Want to see something scary. These are the discards.Non Titans at HTPPA sale.jpgOval, Commsteel and Guarantee discards.jpgTitan Australia discards.jpg

[QUOTE=Doggie;1719723]

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Want to see something scary. These are the discards.

Good to know that the hard rubbish collection comes in handy.

Originally Posted by Doggie

Want to see something scary. These are the discards.

Ok You win.

I have a set for carpentry:

tumblr_mw0px7PPxP1qhrm32o1_500.jpg


and a drawer for use in the shop:
tumblr_mvygp3Xs481qhrm32o1_500.jpg


I could get by with fewer. in fact, I mostly have. I pick them up when I find ones that I don't have for cheap enough that I can't pass them up. I do admit to having a few near duplicates, though.

I just need two more.

Honest. Then I'll stop.

wow Doggie if those are your discards I'd love to see the good set , bridger you've sure got some nice ones in that lot , I'm sitting round 70 or so chisels.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Opening a can of worms here but it is a legit question.

There seems to be more and more types of chisels available and I am wondering how many you do really need and how many are just nice to have?
Some of course will relate to the type of woodwork you do.

Some I have seen referred to as:

• Bevelled edge Firmer -- these can usually be wacked really hard
• Bevelled Edge Bench Chisel
• Bench
• Registered Edge Chisel
• Bevelled Edge -- depending on the manufacturer, these can be very similar to dovetail chisels
• Paring }
• Dovetail } -- these are very similar, paring chisels usually have a longer blade and for some uses will be cranked
• Butt Chisels -- Tage Frid's case, these are normal bevelled edge chisels which have been shortened a bit through years of sharpening
• Skew -- maybe one left, one right in 1/4" size. Really only used when dovetailing
• Fishtail -- maybe one, in 10mm size. Really only used when dovetailing
• Mortice (Old Style Oval Handle)
• Firmer -- these can be wacked really hard
• Sash Mortice (Mortice blade on regular style chisel)
• Heavy Duty Sash Mortice Chisel -- with battery drills and such, you don't really need any of these
• Carpenter's -- for me these are the ones I'll let someone borrow. Typically, a new "carpenter's chisel" is designed to be struick with a steel hammer.

you left out

• Lock mortice
• swan neck

Could you get by and do most of your projects with just one good set of chisels? Do the other 90% only come out once every few years, and if when the do are they indispensable to do that job?

so how many do you need?

Morticing -- 2 or 3 -- in most situations a 5mm, 8mm, 10mm would get you bye

Firmer -- I suggest 16mm and possibly a 25mm

Dovetails -- again 2 or 3 -- 5mm, 10mm, 19mm would be my pick

Skew / Fish tail -- a left/right pair or a 10mm

Paring -- almost any really sharp chisel will do -- I typically use a 16mm, but a 25mm and 32mm would also be handy

Carpenter's -- 1/4in, 1/2in, 3/4in 1in, 1-1/2in


If you can afford the asking price, the Lie Neilsen chisels can make a good set -- you can use the same chisel as a dovetail, bench or paring chisel.

However I don't suggest you buy the full 7 (or is it 9?) chisel "set"

If you are doing a job or going to do a job and you feel the need for that tool then you should get it, be it a chisel or a thingamjig. I rolled back my chair and looked at my chisel rack, all my chisels are there other than some of my great, great grandfathers carving chisels that still live in his cabinetmakers chest. There is still one left from a set I bought when I was 10, the rest have been collected up as I need them. Don't buy a set if you're not going to use a set. Don't buy pig stickers if you are not doing big mortises in house frames or hardwood furniture. Just buy what you need when you need it!!
Footnote : Unless it's a really great once in a life time buy or unless you just have to have them.

Bottom left are rasps etc but the rest prety much chisels collected over the last 43 years (as required)