Wood/carpenters chisels

[Ukulian]

The Stanley ones, nowadays marketed as 'FatMax', have lasted me the top side of 20 years and still hold an excellent edge.

As above, learn to keep them sharp.

[jamesd]

Cheers for the advice guys. would you just get a standard set of bevel edge chisels to start with? Do any of you have the special mortice chisels or don't you bother?

[Ukulian]

Cheers for the advice guys. would you just get a standard set of bevel edge chisels to start with? Do any of you have the special mortice chisels or don't you bother?

 

Haven't used a specialist mortice chisel since I was at school (and that was a long time ago! )

 

I must admit though, that all my mortices have been cut with power tools.

The FatMax set are bevel-edged.

[Woodworks]

Cheers for the advice guys. would you just get a standard set of bevel edge chisels to start with? Do any of you have the special mortice chisels or don't you bother?

 

Own one or two but never get used. Most of my mortises are cut with a chisel mortiser and the hand chisel is only used for cleaning it up. If you are doing the whole thing with a chisel then might be worth getting some. They are clumsy tools in comparison to a bevel edge chisel so you will want some bevel edge ones anyway IMO

[peatff]

Get a set of mortice chisels with a through tang for beating with whatever hammer comes to hand and for scraping stuff off whatever you are working on and a set of nice chisels to love and cherish for ever and ever.

[morten]

Good Japanese chisels can be had at a reasonable cost. They are typically a little quicker to sharpen due to a combination of the laminated blade and the concave back surface.

 

10 pc set (3mm - 42mm) laminated blade for less than £100:

Oire Nomi Japanese Bench Chisels Set of 10 | eBay

 

Similar, but with 3 waterstones at 169: Tataki Nomi Chisel Set - 10 Piece with Free Waterstone Set

Edited December 23, 2014 by morten

[jamesd]

Cheers for all the information guys, I've been looking into the Japanese chisels and really like the look of them. But what is the difference between the names of them?

I've been looking at "Oire Nomi" and "Tataki Nomi" and just wandered what the difference between the two is?

[morten]

Cheers for all the information guys, I've been looking into the Japanese chisels and really like the look of them. But what is the difference between the names of them?

I've been looking at "Oire Nomi" and "Tataki Nomi" and just wandered what the difference between the two is?

 

This page will tell you all you need to know (and more)...

 

Commentary1: The different types of nomi | Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

[agg221]

This page will tell you all you need to know (and more)...

 

Commentary1: The different types of nomi | Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

 

Very useful page Morten. The only things I would add are:

 

1. You might come across reference to blue steel and white steel. The construction of a Japanese chisel has a thin strip of hard steel laminated to the softer iron body. The steel can be 'blue' (tougher) or 'white' (harder). You can't tell which it is unless the description says, but generally blue steel would be used for heavier type and cheaper chisels, whilst white steel would be used for high end fine bladed and paring type chisels.

 

2. The maker's name does tell you something. Most chisels are 'signed'. Modern machine-made chisels usually have a stamped in name, whilst expensive hand-made chisels are pretty much always signed by carving the name in. If you are buying new, they will almost certainly be machine-made and stamped in. In practice, since reading the name is next to impossible (unless you read Japanese!) it only matters if you are buying old secondhand tools and want to try to work out what you have. Obviously if you buy secondhand tools with hand carved in names and rosewood or ebony handles it is clear that somebody went to a lot of trouble, which typically means the blades will also be excellent.

 

Alec

[jamesd]

Cheers for the help again guys! I have found this set of chisels which look reasonable what do you think?

 

Tataki Nomi Chisels, Woodworking, Hand Tools, Chisels, Japanese Chisels

 

They are a bit dearer than the irwin marples but i like the wooden handles and have seen some good reviews on the Japanese chisels as well.

 

I won't be doing any fine chisel work at the moment just making benches, garden furniture etc for myself atm