chisels....lesson learned.

[Joemolf]

An anecdotal story just for fun..., My neighbor was going to bid on a nice old small chest. She showed me the listing and said she'd bid up to 150 for it and I could have the chisels. It was full of what appeared to be a full collection of beautiful old well cared for chisels. I pointed out to her that probably two or three of those chisels were worth her bid. There had to be 15 or twenty of them in there. It sold for 500 bucks, so no free chisels for me (chuckle).

As expensive as good chisels are people are spending the money for them. I tried to order some single edge flat chisels from Wood Workers and they are mostly all except for a few on back order. I don’t like backorders! Single edge chisels! The two I ordered with shipping approximately 100. Ouch!! The closest store that has the ones “ I think” I need is 100 miles away. Lousy website site the items are scrambled; I don’t want to add something to my cart only to when I check out find they are on backorder.

 

[HSmithTX]

Most wood working stores are staffed by old farts, a call to the one 100 miles away would probably get someone to put hands on them and set them behind the counter with your name on them if they actually have them. Some of the old farts actually know how to use the tools too, and can help you pick something in stock that will do what you want. The woodcraft store local to me has been really helpful.

 

[Joemolf]

Most wood working stores are staffed by old farts, a call to the one 100 miles away would probably get someone to put hands on them and set them behind the counter with your name on them if they actually have them. Some of the old farts actually know how to use the tools too, and can help you pick something in stock that will do what you want. The woodcraft store local to me has been really helpful.

Thanks! Getting to a store like that would definitely be worth the trip. Nothing like getting all your senses involved. Even though online returns today are easy I’d rather not deal with that.

 

[bud in pa]

I am on a fixed income so i am frugal(cheap) I don't care whose name is on the tool as long as it works. I have been known to collect old files and grind them to what I need.

 

[Joemolf]

I am on a fixed income so i am frugal(cheap) I don't care whose name is on the tool as long as it works. I have been known to collect old files and grind them to what I need.

You are probably also talented!

 

[deerstalkert]

Pfeil is the way to go. Get one or two every pay day and eventually you will have a nice set of them. The cheap chisels work great for stirring paint.

I use them for scraping gaskets from the pan and block of V8's the cheap ones not the Pfeil's.

 

[Col. Batguano]

The smallest Pfeil V and U shaped hand pushed chisels get the most work in my carving. They take the teensiest bits of wood at a time, which gives you the chance to adjust and fix things when you go off your lines and create elbows and flat spots in your curves before going further.. Getting your carving started right is the most important part of carving (which is why the pencil and eraser should get a LOT of use). The bigger stuff is more for profiling or detailing your figures once they are established.

Don't forget about small shaped scrapers either. The 3 sold by Brownell's (green, red, blue) should cover a lot for what you need.