Thread: Titans

Purely impressionistic response, but I reckon my Titans hold a better edge than my Bergs and both are better than my Stanley Fat Max. For them I use a 25 degree primary and a 2 deg microbevel. My collection of English pigstickers seem to hold their edges better than the Titans, but that may be because I use a steeper primary bevel (about 33 deg) with the same microbevel. That may be because the bevel is stronger.

As for your FIL's recollection - sounds like the "cringe" that affected Australian manufacturing at that time(and any tariff wall protected industry in any country at any time) - consumers tended then (and still do in other countries with tariff walls) to take the view that the only reason the domestic product has to be protected is that it couldn't compete on an even playing field with the superior quality and value for money of imported products. So the result of protection is that the domestic product is unfairly disregarded and people develop a kind of cultural cringe about manufacturing industry, thereby defeating the very intention of having the tariff. Shows how perverse consumers are and why the only way to develop resilient industry is to encourage it to develop without protection or on a strict timetable for losing protection, so that consumers just assess the products on their own terms and not affected by the prejudice created by protection. That is why it was the nationalistic government of Whitlam that dismantled most of the tariff wall in Oz.

Hi Wongdai,
Ask your friend if he has any of those old rubbish Titans that he can give you.
They are excellent chisels and well worth using.


Some time ago I sent a bevelled edge Titan across to my friend Samu in Finland as a memento of Australia. Samu contributes to this forum from time to time.
Bergs are relatively common over there. Samu has used it and it is worth repeating his comments:

The Titan I got from you is very nice and cool chisel indeed. I am building a woodie (handplane) at the moment, and I am using the Titan for it. It holds it's edge well. To be honest, the steel resembles very much Swedish carbon steels of the era, especially the type used in Rosenfors chisels (yet another Eskilstuna steel products factory).

The full thread is here:
https://www.woodworkforums.com.au/sho...=titan+finland

Nice to see that it holds its own in the exalted company of Swedish chisels.
Regards from Tele Point
SG
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Life in every breath.

I have three old Titan mortice chisels that are my favourite chisels. They hold an edge very well, and sharpen relatively easily. I also have an old bevel edge Berg that I use extensively. I think the Berg holds its edge longer, but there isn't a lot in it, and the Titans are very nice to use (they have the original handles which are nicer than the Berg handles IMHO).

I agree with SG - get your FIL to give you all the crappy old Titans that he has!

Wongdai,

Count me as another member in agreement - Titans are a quality, solid chisel with excellent steel. I have been collecting and restoring them for several months and using them on Tas.Oak hardwood projects. They sharpen up to a mirror finish - surgical scalpal sharp, and I have the scars to prove it! - and hold their edge. Some have not needed resharpening in months of use.

BR,

Fraser

I have only just aquired 4 titans these last few months. They were in a sorry state when I got them so I cleaned them up, made handles and got then sharp enough to shave with.
I find them as good as any of the mixed bag of English chisels I have. They have plenty of steel and have a good hefty feel to them. I have just used them to chop out mortices in 5''x2'' bluegum and am very happy with them. I suspect they were designed with our hardwoods in mind. You don't feel timid laying into them with the mallet.
Regards
John

I'm still using my fathers titans , still hold an edge and are great to use , I'm with SG on this one

I found another of dad's recently
He'd been using it as a cold chisel I'll photo and post it to see whether there is any restoration hope (but I suspect it is beyond any hope)

I have a few titans here at home and they are in my opinion, a great chisel to use. I reckon they are easy to sharpen and hold a good edge. My wife's god father is a chippie from the old school and he reckons they wern't the best around in his day but still held their own when it came to daily use. I think he prefered Stanley from what he told me. Funnily enough he has a few titans lying around his shed though.

Thanks for the advice guys. I picked up another four Titans of various sizes at a garage sale today. $5 the lot.

Originally Posted by Wongdai

Thanks for the advice guys. I picked up another four Titans of various sizes at a garage sale today. $5 the lot.

Oh man, the garage sales I stop at are always just full of baby stuff and old lady clothes. I must be pretty close to stumbling onto a treasure trove garage sale soon