Debating chisels...

[Brian]

I've been jettisoning my American chisels lately and replacing them slowly with japanese makers.

I have currently some Koyamaichi blue steel paring chisels that are my favorite chisels in the shop, Koyamaichi white steel tataki striking chisels that I also very much enjoy.

I want a set of dovetail chisels to replace my lie nielsen's and I'm debating between blue steel Koyamaichi's and Ouchi Yama-ari's.

[Brian]

ok, Also Tasai and Funahiro...

[Chris Hall]

What has lead you to jettison your non-Japanese chisels?

(deliberately naive question)

[Brian]

It's for a few reasons, my primary complaint being that the edges of western chisels do not hold like those of japanese.

My Koyamaichi parers can literally be at my side for days on end without needing to be resharpened, where as my western chisels in a2 are needing a resharpening daily. some combat this with a strop and strop as they use, but I don't prefer that approach.

Same applies to those chisels that I use with a mallet, the Gennou transfers energy much more effectively that a western mallet in my experience. A nimble, small metal hammer just does a much finer job than that of a big western mallet.

I have blue spruce chisels I quite enjoy for detail work, regardless of their edge holding by comparison, but my LN's see the mallet regularly and the edge just does hold up.

Have you had the same experience?

[Steve]

A question for you - myself, as an armature woodworker, were would you recommend for Japanese tools? I am not looking for top of the line, but not junk either. Or, am I better of just having a single really good chisel if it is all I can afford?

[Brian]

Ok, so I decided to go ahead with some tasai chisels..

Steve,

I think the rest if the forum is likely a bit more well versed in this are then myself. I like to dabble and in doing so will try out many of my basic needs chisels from many makers. So I have heavy chopping chisels from Koyamaichi in white steel, paring chisels in blue steel. Blue spruce paring chisels, LN bench chisels and mortise chisels and also Koyamaichi mortise chisels.

Aside from blue spruce I have not had the need to own more than a handful of sizes of each style. I do mainly casework and tables so I have tools centered around that.

[Paul Atzenweiler]

Over the years I have picked up a large number of low end Japanese chisels (ebay and garage sales) that perform very well. They simply say "Japan" on them. They are not finished as well as my other Japanese chisels but I use them a lot and see no reason to replace them any time soon. They hold an edge very well. I have about 15 or so and they are not as pretty as my other chisels (that is for sure) but I have no problem recommending them based on their performance. Some of these chisels I have had for 30yrs and they have held up very well.
The reason I am posting here is not to say that low end chisels are the best - far from it. What I am saying is until you can afford the best there are a lot of other good chisels you can afford until then.
I don't read kanji so the 3 chisels in the bottom picture (on the left and bottom of pic) are left unidentified.

[Brian]

Nice Paul, name or no name those look pretty nicely made. The only structural difference I can see from the photo is that the steel lamination does not come up the sides as far as I've seen on other chisels.

The lamination appears to be flat, rather than a channel shape.

I think a bit of this deviates into fetish more than practical necessity, I'm certainly guilty of that. For instance I've ordered paring chisels and chisels intended for very light use with the gennou and have spec'd them with ebony handles...not very practical.

For stuff intended to see heavy use I lean on the side of practicality, using white oak w/ centered pith, ahead of exotics.

As tempted as I am by stuff such as mokume, I have been able to avoid it thus far. It seems to extend just one step too far into the 'gentleman woodworker' category and out of the category of practical necessity.

[Paul Atzenweiler]

. . . deviates into fetish . . . HA!! You're killing me!! These chisels are indeed not finished a nicely as others. I think I am going to regrind a few of these into a set of dovetail chisels that get narrower as you go up the chisel. I don't feel guilty doing this since I have an ample number of them. I will post pics of finished grinding/filing/lapping.

[Paul Atzenweiler]

I traded some tools to a local blacksmith for a silver/copper mokume ring for my wife. I think I like it more than she does but it doesn't fit me. I love that pattern on chisels. I also love the dimpled hammering on some of the chisels.