Thread: Monday night Show'n'Tell

Try looking here for some Titanic info: http://peterrobinson.galootcentral.com/titanchisel/

Originally Posted by scrounger

Doggie got a question for ya - did titan come out with a full set of socket chisels ?
scrounger

Depends what you class as a full set.
Titan had a number of socket chisels to its stable from the get go. The heavy sockets plain and bevel (201 and 206), Light sockets plain and bevel (231 and 236) and later a socket butt, bevel only (316). Each of these sockets usually had ten in a set (1/4 to 1 1/2 inches) that is 1/4, 3/8,1/2,5/8,3/4,7/8,1",1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1 1/2) the 1 1/8th being the odd man out, up until about 1960 when the 1/8th was dropped The butt seems to be an exception in that it was only available from the early fifties. 201's, 236's and the butt (316) went to the the early seventies. 206's and 231's seem to have finished in the early sixties. To muddy these waters, McPherson's claim the 201 and 236 had twelve sizes (1/8 to 2" and no 1 1/8) in their 1955 and 1960 catalogues but went back to 1/4 to 1 1/2 after that, maybe this was a special lot made for them or, a miss print. Personally I've never seen a 1 3/4 or 2" Titan socket of any sort. To my thinking a set of 9 or10 constitutes a set for the most part with or without the 1 1/8th which appears to be only produced during the fifties and probably dropped when Stanley came along in 1963. McPherson's, I was told, were not a major Titan distributor. Hope this helps.
That blue plastic 146 should be put in your collection along with it's red (now pink) mates. It might not have been a flash chisel but it's getting rarer and mostly not recognised as a Titan.
If you've got boxes of Titans maybe we should talk
. Titan plastics.jpg

For those that haven't seen the McPhersons catalogue entry, see here:
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/titan-chisels-1955-mcphersons-catalogue-122004

Originally Posted by scrounger

..... been trying to put a set together but man there hard to find & I've never seen a full set anywhere,........

It's interesting to me what we think of as a "set" of chisels. If you are a collector of chisels, then of course you have to have one of every size & model made by whatever manufacturer you choose to collect, or you'll be a failure.

However, if you want to be a user of chisels, a "set" is simply the sizes & types you need that will make it convenient to work on whatever it is you want to make. You can do perfectly acceptable work with a very small number of chisels, if forced to, or if that's all you need for your work anyway! The only chisels I owned for about 20 years were the standard pack of 4 (1/4" to 1") BE chisels that were sold everywhere (& still are). I managed quite a variety of work with those clunkers.

Now, it would be hypocritical as well as silly for me to suggest that all anyone ever needs is 4 chisels, but my point is that when you do manage to find every size ever made in a particular style of chisel, most people will discover they use some sizes a lot, others occasionally, & some hardly ever at all. There are lots of reasons for that, some related to what you actually make, others (in my case at least!) because you are too lazy to go & get the perfect chisel out for just a few cuts, & make do with the one nearest your hand, etc.

Once you start getting a few chisels together, though, it's awfully hard to stop, isn't it?! A set in 1/8th increments is fine, and should make most of us very happy, but if you know there were a couple of 1/16th incremental sizes between some of the smaller members, the 'gaps' just beg to be filled every time you look at them, even though you don't really need them, & will probably never use them more than once or twice in 10 years.

We're a strange lot......

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

It's interesting to me what we think of as a "set" of chisels. If you are a collector of chisels, then of course you have to have one of every size & model made by whatever manufacturer you choose to collect, or you'll be a failure.

A set in 1/8th increments is fine, and should make most of us very happy, but if you know there were a couple of 1/16th incremental sizes between some of the smaller members, the 'gaps' just beg to be filled every time you look at them, even though you don't really need them, & will probably never use them more than once or twice in 10 years. Cheers,

Of course if you want a set of Bergs...

Beveled and Unbeveled: 1/16" to 5/8" in 1/16ths, 3/4" to 2" in 1/8ths, 2 1/4", 2 1/2" = 23 chisels in each format = 46 chisels in total.

How close is anyone? There are of course other chisels in the Berg catalogue I have (1922), but these are the "standard" bench chisels.

Cheers
Peter

Was that a rhetorical question Peter?

thanks for the detailed info & links

looks like I've got years worth of scrounging to do to find a good set of titan sockets, I'm not really a collector & am not that interested in "mint condition" tools I'd just like to scrounge a good user set at a bargain price that look & feel good to me & yes it's very hard to stop picking em up when I'm out hitting the G/sales last count was 100 chisels or so & I've added to that a bit .

here's some photo's of the titan group so far.

001.jpg002.jpg004.jpg005.jpg

& this is only the titans not including the other brands I've got piled away.

the gouges set is interesting - clearly branded titan on the handle but not on the blade ?? picked another up last weekend with branding on the blade but of a different style.

scrounger

Originally Posted by Heavansabove

Of course if you want a set of Bergs...

Beveled and Unbeveled: 1/16" to 5/8" in 1/16ths, 3/4" to 2" in 1/8ths, 2 1/4", 2 1/2" = 23 chisels in each format = 46 chisels in total.

Peter

There are Bergs and bergs.
Berg socket bevels.JPGBerg tang bevels.jpg

very nice, makes my set look like junkers

Originally Posted by Doggie

There are Bergs and bergs.

Now you're just making me feel inadequate

This is just a small amount of the early hand tools I have collected over the years from outside Australia. The rest of them I either use on a regular basis in the workshop, or they remain unused and stored away in boxes. I need to pull my finger out one day and get rid of most of it.

Originally Posted by Heavansabove

Of course if you want a set of Bergs...

Beveled and Unbeveled: 1/16" to 5/8" in 1/16ths, 3/4" to 2" in 1/8ths, 2 1/4", 2 1/2" = 23 chisels in each format = 46 chisels in total.......

Strewth, Peter, I didn't know Berg made a 1/16" chisel, or that they had 1/16" increments over 5/16"

Just as well, or I would have been pining for a full set in 1/16" increments. I've learnt to live very happily with my LNs in the sizes they make, so I'm not interested in owning any more sizes.

I'm not, I'm not....

But there are times when a 7/8" would be handy......

Cheers,

This arrived from the big auction site today.

Terrible photos so I took a bit of a risk, but it was under $200.

A beautiful little sweetheart number 2.

2.jpg1.jpg

I'm not fond of the glossy lacquered woodwork, but I'll probably rub it back and give it a coat of shellac and wax.
The sole is a bit wavy so I'll give it a flattening. If you're going to flatten any plane it might as well be a No 2

Yeah, they are sweet little tools, and I lusted after one for years, thinking they would be very handy for some jobs. But I never came across one at a price I was prepared to pay (no, I'm not stingy, ultra stingy would be more accurate ). I considered the small Veritas, but never worked up the enthusiasm sufficiently to splurge, then a few years ago, I made a little solid-bodied woodie, which would be very close to the size of a #2. It is a most handy little thing, occasionally, and it has satisfied my wants, so I got off lightly......

Cheers,