Thread: Record price for Titan chisel

Originally Posted by Doggie

Yesterday a Titan 1/8th chisel sold for a total of $267 on ebay. It looked to be in excellent nick judging by the two photo's accompanying the blurb and indeed would make an excellent collector piece. There was no mention of the blade being marked although the early "Helios" decal on the handle looked good. When you consider that these exact chisels can sometimes be picked up in similar condition at markets for around $10, I am banjaxed. The price paid doesn't make it any less a great inclusion to the collection but it certainly skews the market and ups the ante for us Titan tragics bottom feeding and dumpster diving at flea markets. Maybe the good old days are done and enough years have passed to allow rarity to kick in. I hope not. I'm not anywhere near finished my collecting. Anyway, good luck to the deep pocket punter. Nice chisel.

Well I checked the date......no, not 1st of April. This is the link to the sale:

Rare Vintage Titan 1 8" Registered Firmer Chisel Excellent Condition | eBay

I am not a chisel collector, more of a user, but that makes no sense to me at all.

Cheers,

Camo

Originally Posted by camoz

Well I checked the date......no, not 1st of April. This is the link to the sale:

Rare Vintage Titan 1 8" Registered Firmer Chisel Excellent Condition | eBay

I am not a chisel collector, more of a user, but that makes no sense to me at all.

Cheers,

Camo

After a depressing day or so after the one eighth went off I watched a two inch bevel (light tang?) with no handle (but a couple of ferrules) plus a couple of vin-ordinaire side kicks go off today for $236. Wow, I'm impressed and even more distressed. I'm definitely out of the kitchen at these prices. Might have to change to collecting Turner screwdrivers or eggbeaters or something. The rarer Titans are becoming a dream, at least on the Bay. What's going on??

Sad Doggie

Hi Doggie,
I placed an offer on ebay for that chisel at what i thought was a fairly safe bet and got trounced good and proper, it seems that some one out there is setting up one hell of a titan collection, really wanted that chisel too, like you back to the markets
Cheers, Richie

Originally Posted by Richie Rich

Hi Doggie,I placed an offer on ebay for that chisel at what i thought was a fairly safe bet and got trounced good and proper,Cheers, Richie

If Ritchie Rich gets out bid we're all in strife. Ok, 1/8ths and 2" are not all that common but North of $200 for any chisel (even Bergs) is BIG money (its half a Norris A5 almost). Imagine what a 1 3/4 Titan will pull. I figure (hope) this is just a blip, black hole, fissure in the universe, crack in the fabric of existence or something and I'll wake up tomorrow and all will be as it was. Rationality, calm, no elections, peace in the Middle East, no drugs in sport, all drones grounded and $10 to $15 Titans everywhere (even heavy tang and socket bevels). We can hope Ritchie. Good luck with the collecting. How do you feel about eggbeaters?

Just inflation, have a quick look back at this thread where they were going for a dizzying $70 in 2009 https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/t...46/index6.html

That does seem a tad over priced unless it was owned by someone very special.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

Just inflation, have a quick look back at this thread where they were going for a dizzying $70 in 2009 https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/t...46/index6.html

That does seem a tad over priced unless it was owned by someone very special.

$70 in 2009 would be around $78 today at 3% inflation. I reckon $260 (the one eighth) is more than inflation Claw. And who could have owned it that would make it so special, Jesus? I think the price is more the product of the intersection of a perceived rare item meeting two keen, well heeled and dedicated bidders who were desperate and might not get out and about much. I picked up an unused one eighth a week or so ago for $10 at the HTPAA sale and I saw two others that someone got to before I did.

After the bay price spike two more of these "rare" items popped up almost straight away AND, the underbidder is still out there. Anyway on re reading that 2009 thread, the price curfuffel at that time died down almost immediately (as it always does) and it will this time as well. Scrub the eggbeaters stay with the Titans.

Good sense sometimes departs when the bidding gets keen. That is why you need discipline when you go after things on the bay. On the other hand I may just be too tight. I reckon there is a lot of auction remorse out there at times.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

Just inflation, have a quick look back at this thread where they were going for a dizzying $70 in 2009 https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/t...46/index6.html

That does seem a tad over priced unless it was owned by someone very special.

Soooo, Claw Hamma
What about these?
They were owned by Ron Biggs. They were given to me by his wife when she discovered I collected tools.
The chisel isn't marked...can you imagine what it would be worth if it was owned by Ron Biggs, and also a Titan..

Regards,
Peter

Hey all,

Given all this Titan talk, I decided to have a closer look at what I thought was my full set of Titan Heavy Socket Plain Edge Chisels (which I use and love), but after looking at my 1966 McPherson's catalogue:

image.jpg

I now realise I am actually missing the 7/8th chisel, so I thought I would ask (given you guys seem to have been watching the prices), is the 7/8th inch in this type an easy find, and what should I expect to pay, based on standard history (not the current abnormal prices)?

Cheers,

Camo

Originally Posted by camoz

Hey all,

, is the 7/8th inch in this type an easy find, and what should I expect to pay, based on standard history (not the current abnormal prices)?



Camo

ANSWER: It depends.

In my inexpert opinion 7/8ths are rarer than usual sizes (1/4 inch variations) in any type of Titan chisel but not as rare as extreme sizes like 1/8ths, 1 3/4 and 2" when they are part of a set. Heavy sockets are rarer than heavy tangs and heavy socket bevels are rarer still. That just the blade. Heavy socket handles are rarer than heavy socket blades (by about four times) and a good one (a la decal) is rarer still. My advice is to find a blade first then chase a handle. Most sellers will not know it's a 7/8th (looks like a common 1") so only the dealers will try to belt you up for the odd size.

Now, where you find it will dictate the price. For instance

• Off a good mate - free
• Off a not so good mate - $5
• Garage sale - $5
• Second hand junk joint - $10
• Boot sale/flea market/jumble sale - $10 to $15 depending on nouse of seller
• Trash and treasure - $10 to $25 depending on nouse of stall holder/dealer (dumping grandpas stuff or part time/full time wire wheel jockey)
• Gumtree - $15 or more depending on vendor knowledge
• WWF member being kind (like Scribbly or Doggie sigh !) - $15 or so
• The Bay - $20 to $30 (Incuding postage) Much less if you buy a brace of chisels in a bulk buy
• Club tool sale - $20 to $35 (HTPAA or TTG) where you are more likely to buy both handle and blade in top nick
• Antique centre - $15 to $20
• Antique shop - $30 upwards

Except at the Tool club sales condition will not matter.

After all that, where are we?

Spread your net wide and go to the club tool sales. Take the long view. Don't pay $200+

Originally Posted by lightwood

Soooo, Claw Hamma
What about these?
They were owned by Ron Biggs. They were given to me by his wife when she discovered I collected tools.
The chisel isn't marked...can you imagine what it would be worth if it was owned by Ron Biggs, and also a Titan..

Regards,
Peter

Wasn't Ron the Great Plane robber. That looks like the one he pinched and got away in an unmarked parer. Eventhough he was a small time chisler he was always a bit of a smoothy.

Originally Posted by Doggie

ANSWER: It depends.

In my inexpert opinion 7/8ths are rarer than usual sizes (1/4 inch variations) in any type of Titan chisel but not as rare as extreme sizes like 1/8ths, 1 3/4 and 2" when they are part of a set. Heavy sockets are rarer than heavy tangs and heavy socket bevels are rarer still. That just the blade. Heavy socket handles are rarer than heavy socket blades (by about four times) and a good one (a la decal) is rarer still. My advice is to find a blade first then chase a handle. Most sellers will not know it's a 7/8th (looks like a common 1") so only the dealers will try to belt you up for the odd size.

Now, where you find it will dictate the price. For instance

• Off a good mate - free
• Off a not so good mate - $5
• Garage sale - $5
• Second hand junk joint - $10
• Boot sale/flea market/jumble sale - $10 to $15 depending on nouse of seller
• Trash and treasure - $10 to $25 depending on nouse of stall holder/dealer (dumping grandpas stuff or part time/full time wire wheel jockey)
• Gumtree - $15 or more depending on vendor knowledge
• WWF member being kind (like Scribbly or Doggie sigh !) - $15 or so
• The Bay - $20 to $30 (Incuding postage) Much less if you buy a brace of chisels in a bulk buy
• Club tool sale - $20 to $35 (HTPAA or TTG) where you are more likely to buy both handle and blade in top nick
• Antique centre - $15 to $20
• Antique shop - $30 upwards

Except at the Tool club sales condition will not matter.

After all that, where are we?

Spread your net wide and go to the club tool sales. Take the long view. Don't pay $200+

Thanks for taking the time to go into such detail for me. I am certainly not going to pay $200+, I would hate my wife to have to serve time for murder. I will make it one of those keep an eye out for things, and of cause if anyone sees this and says "I have been looking for someone to buy my spare chisel" then feel free to send me a PM.

Based on what you were saying about possibly having to buy the handles separately, does that mean that all the heavy socket handles are interchangeable? What is involved in removing a handle, and fitting a handle?

cheers,

Camo

.

Based on what you were saying about possibly having to buy the handles separately, does that mean that all the heavy socket handles are interchangeable? What is involved in removing a handle, and fitting a handle?
/QUOTE]

I missed your last reply Camoz and only today realised you asked two questions. Answers are

• Heavy socket handles (and light socket handles as well) came in three sizes. Each handle size was intended to fit 1/4 to 5/8ths chisels, thence 3/4 to 1 1/4 thence 1 1/2 to 2 inch, respectively. They are only "interchangable" within their intended size grouping. The heavy socket set was usually eleven chisels in number from 1/4 to 1 inch in eighths thence from 1 inch to 2 inches in quarter inch jumps. Up until about 1975ish replacement handles could be bought separately, they came in boxes of twelve
• Socket chisel handles are usually not "fixed on" as such (like a tang handle) and stay in place by friction from use unless stuck in specially. They come out usually with a sideways tap or when you are least expecting it like when you're on the roof and it drops through the framing to the ground or, when you really need it's lost somewhere in the bottom of the ute.
• Sorry about the delay.

Originally Posted by Doggie

.

Based on what you were saying about possibly having to buy the handles separately, does that mean that all the heavy socket handles are interchangeable? What is involved in removing a handle, and fitting a handle?
/QUOTE]

I missed your last reply Camoz and only today realised you asked two questions. Answers are

• Heavy socket handles (and light socket handles as well) came in three sizes. Each handle size was intended to fit 1/4 to 5/8ths chisels, thence 3/4 to 1 1/4 thence 1 1/2 to 2 inch, respectively. They are only "interchangable" within their intended size grouping. The heavy socket set was usually eleven chisels in number from 1/4 to 1 inch in eighths thence from 1 inch to 2 inches in quarter inch jumps. Up until about 1975ish replacement handles could be bought separately, they came in boxes of twelve
• Socket chisel handles are usually not "fixed on" as such (like a tang handle) and stay in place by friction from use unless stuck in specially. They come out usually with a sideways tap or when you are least expecting it like when you're on the roof and it drops through the framing to the ground or, when you really need it's lost somewhere in the bottom of the ute.
• Sorry about the delay.

Hey thanks for that. I am still looking for that illusive 7/8th, but I am sure when I find one I will find many. Thanks for the detail, I really appreciate it.

Cheers,

Camo