Thread: Stanley Chisels

Originally Posted by rsser

For the great unwashed they're trying to trade on brand recognition, but equally the great unwashed won't appreciate a socket chisel or bedrock design. Curious.

Yes I agree, it is curious.

I think it's only fanatics like us that appreciate the likes of LN. For your average Joe Blogs apprentice, Stanley are the bees knees. My son-in-law is a young builder. He's bought a set of yellow handled Stanleys. He thinks they're great. He can beat the snot out of them with his claw hammer and the handles won't break. If he hits a nail, well an LN would need resharpening too. And he's just starting a family, so even if he'd heard of LN (before I mentioned them) he couldn't afford them.

I think we're a smallish market, but wooden handled socket chisels are aimed at us, not at the house builder.

Yes, of course you're right.

LOL ... Imagine the debates among the marketers:

"If it's a Stanley chisel it has to have the yellow and black handle!!" vs:

"Noooo, we gotta get to those baby boomer dudes with more money than sense, the handles have to be wood!!"

Actually, they do look good

OTOH, I'll wait for the tests and the community response

Or maybe send Stanley an email asking if the backs are lapped

Originally Posted by rsser

Actually, they do look good

OTOH, I'll wait for the tests and the community response

Or maybe send Stanley an email asking if the backs are lapped

Yes, I thought from those first pictures that they look good. I quite fancy a set of socket chisels, and at $US30 a pop, that's quite a saving over LNs $US55 each.

But of course, if they're made of cheese, or badly machined, then they're not worth it.

Like you, I'll wait for the tests - and hopefully for their launch in Australasia.

Cheers, Vann

launch in Australasia.

You mean New Zealand?


On a related topic, are the new Stanley Works planes available in Oz yet?

Originally Posted by seanz

You mean New Zealand?

An' I says nuffing !! (a line from an old British comedy)

We are a similar market, though Aussie does seem to get the new goodies first. But at least once they're available in Oz we can put the screws on Stanley's agents here (assuming of course that the chisels/planes are worth having).

So bring on the reviews

Cheers, Vann.

Apparently Stanley are hunting LN and LV with their new socket chisels. More here.

...but that's what they said about the new Stanley planes

If the chisels are subject to the same QA as the planes, they'll be useful for chiseling around corners.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Apparently Stanley are hunting LN and LV with their new socket chisels. More here.

They do a good job of looking like a #750. Unfortunately so! They do this too well ... time has moved on design-wise. On closer inspection they don't look competition for an LN chisel, who improved on the #750 they used as a model.

Here is the Stanley ..



.. and here is an LN ..



An important difference for joinery, especially dovetails, is the shoulder thickness of the chisel. In the example above, the Stanley is likely to bruise a dovetail while the LN, with a minimal shoulder, will not do so. (Which is why I modified the #750s I have).

If the LN ends up being 25% higher, regardless of how good the Stanley's steel may be, I would still prefer it over the Stanley.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Shockingly poor form, copying their own design of chisel. If they're made by some of the remaining chisel makers from Marples, and with Sheffield steel I'll happily pay the price (which is er, slightly less than a LN set).

As someone who is very limited on funds I'm very interested to see how the new Stanley SW range performs. A 25% price difference between LN and Stanley would certainly be a big consideration if I was looking for a new set - as long as they performed to an equivelent or near enough standard.


Denim

Originally Posted by Denim

As someone who is very limited on funds I'm very interested to see how the new Stanley SW range performs. A 25% price difference between LN and Stanley would certainly be a big consideration if I was looking for a new set - as long as they performed to an equivelent or near enough standard.


Denim

Indeed, eight Stanley in a roll for $199 or nine LN in a roll for $570....

If I was starting from scratch, and I had $199 to spend on chisels, I would not be looking to get a roll of 8. Instead I would buy the best 3 chisels I could afford, then add to them over time. You could afford 3 LNs if you wanted (they would be a little extra) - although I am not suggesting that you do so. Look at the Ashley Iles instead. In fact, you could probably get 4 or 5 for that, including shipping costs from the UK where they are made. The AI are as good as the LN and cheaper.

I wonder what 3 or 4 sizes others would aim for if that is all one bought?

For dovetails I would want an 1/8" and a 1/4". For more general work I want a 1/2" and a 3/4". I really don't like using wide chisels, so I could happily live with just those four.

Opinions?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Look at the Ashley Iles instead. In fact, you could probably get 4 or 5 for that, including shipping costs from the UK where they are made. The AI are as good as the LN and cheaper.

For dovetails I would want an 1/8" and a 1/4". For more general work I want a 1/2" and a 3/4". I really don't like using wide chisels, so I could happily live with just those four.

Thank you again for your advice Derek. Until now I wasn't familiar with AI and I'll certainly look at that avenue when the time comes.

Denim.

Age does have some small advantage. Most of my chisels were bought new and still going strong, mostly marples but I do have one titan. Oddly enough no stanleys.
Cheers,
Jim