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I apparently have a chisel problem - but so what? Anyway, you really need to handle as many as you can. That was my mission at the WWA in Pasadena. I tried LN, Blue Spruce, Veritas and maybe some others. As with Mongo, my hands are on the large side. Unlike him, however, I found the LNs to be tiny and lacking presence. What I wound up with was Veritas PMV-11 bench chisels and Blue Spruce long paring chisels. I have since acquired Narex paring and mortise chisels and got a nice boxed set of Wood River butt chisels. Also have a collection of Sorby registered chisels.
At a certain point, you will get to the point where you tire of decision paralysis and then just buy something. If feel doesn't bother you too much then decide based on cost. Any of the top names are excellent choices. I know nothing of Japanese chisels. Veritas chisels come flatter than I can get them and that saves considerable effort. In short, you asked if Veritas are worth it. They are very much worth their cost but is the cost worth it to you? Apparently so. I just bought the set and moved on down the road.
Hope this rambling post has been of some value to you.
Thanks, Curt
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"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
-- Soren Kierkegaard
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Purely from a steel standpoint, you really can't do any better than PM-V11. It's the perfect balance between sharpness, durability, and ease of sharpening. I have PM-V11, D2, A2, O1, and Japanese White Steel chisels. I far prefer my PM-V11. As Derek says, the feel of the handle and balance are strong points to be considered. The geometry of the lands is another consideration. My knock against Narex is the lands are too long, making them difficult to get into corners of dovetails when paring out waste.
I would purchase one or two PM-V11 chisels and if you like them, go ahead and buy more. I don't think you'll need the entire set. I rarely use more than 4-5 sizes of my chisels. The nice thing about LV is their generous return policy. If you don't like them, return them.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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Lots of good stuff to read & consider here. Personally, I started off with just a few old swap meet finds...Weatherby's, Jennings & Stanleys. First 'SET' was Irwins which were great 'starting' chisels to help me learn to sharpen and to see what I really wanted/needed. Like cputnam, I ran the gamut with Sorby, Lie Nielsen, and, finally, I sprang for the Blue Spruce and the Veritas PM11. Those are my 'go to' chisels now, although I have a 3/4" LN paring chisel that I have had to hand for over 20 years & it is a KEEPER. The PM11 is the finest worker I've experienced although the Blue Spruce give it a 'run for the money' and is a delight in the hand! YES the PM11's are worth the money, and I believe they are more bang for the buck than any other...but I can's see buying a 'set' of them. You will discover that, depending on what/how you work...a few will do 90% of what you need to do. To pay an exorbitant amount of money for a tool you may use twice in a decade...is hard to justify. I have the old Weatherby 1/4" mortise chisel that that serves my purpose, cost me $10 and, I don't think anything on the market will dig a mortise more than a fraction of a second quicker/cleaner than it does. But...I see a lot of folks that love to handle (fondle) tools as much as if not more than they like to build with them. Do what you WANT to do!
And post PICs
Don
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(04-14-2019, 10:02 AM)DonSlaughter Wrote: Lots of good stuff to read & consider here. Personally, I started off with just a few old swap meet finds...Weatherby's, Jennings & Stanleys. First 'SET' was Irwins which were great 'starting' chisels to help me learn to sharpen and to see what I really wanted/needed. Like cputnam, I ran the gamut with Sorby, Lie Nielsen, and, finally, I sprang for the Blue Spruce and the Veritas PM11. Those are my 'go to' chisels now, although I have a 3/4" LN paring chisel that I have had to hand for over 20 years & it is a KEEPER. The PM11 is the finest worker I've experienced although the Blue Spruce give it a 'run for the money' and is a delight in the hand! YES the PM11's are worth the money, and I believe they are more bang for the buck than any other...but I can's see buying a 'set' of them. You will discover that, depending on what/how you work...a few will do 90% of what you need to do. To pay an exorbitant amount of money for a tool you may use twice in a decade...is hard to justify. I have the old Weatherby 1/4" mortise chisel that that serves my purpose, cost me $10 and, I don't think anything on the market will dig a mortise more than a fraction of a second quicker/cleaner than it does. But...I see a lot of folks that love to handle (fondle) tools as much as if not more than they like to build with them. Do what you WANT to do!
And post PICs
Don ......................
Don....everybody knows you can't do good woodwork without the latest and most expensive tools..... And think about the "Bragging rights," man!!!!
Often Tested. Always Faithful. Brothers Forever
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Get off my lawn !
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Chisels...just chisels...
Just get them sharp, and put them to work....
If i was to ever spend a month's rent and a car payment of something as a few chisels....I'd get a set from Japan...but...for now...happy with what I am "stuck" with..
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
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If you really want the set, I don't think you'll be disappointed with it. By all accounts they are as good as advertised. As others have said, if you really don't like them, you can return them and try something else.
However, I agree with what's been said above about chisel sets: you don't need a whole set. In my experience, you can do practically everything with a couple narrow chisels (1/8", 1/4"), a medium chisel (1/2" or 5/8"), and a wide one (1 1/4", 1 1/2"). I can't remember the last time I used my one 1" chisel, for example. Think about the two or three chisels you use the most and just get those. If you love them, you can always add one or two more to your collection later on.
Steve S.
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot
Tutorials and Build-Alongs at The Literary Workshop
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(04-14-2019, 06:16 PM)bandit571 Wrote: Chisels...just chisels...
Just get them sharp, and put them to work....
Best advice so far...
Woodworkers love to overthink, and overbuy. Some approach woodworking as if it were a Phd study. I also know quite a few woodworkers who have fancy, premium tools, but lousy techniques in maintaining or using them.
Simon
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Well, I can't thank everyone enough. As I read through the string of responses, I was wondering if there was a more thorough review of the thought process around so many different choices of chisels - I am not sure there is! I really appreciate the responses and advice - and yes Derek, I read your entire review, too. And so....... after looking at everything, I decided on a set of Lee Valley PM-V11's. I think other people had the same idea as me - taking advantage of the free shipping - as they are on back order until the end of May! I can certainly make do with what I have in the meantime, but I am looking forward to getting them and taking them for a test drive. Thank you again, and as always, very much appreciated! FPT.
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I found with my old fleamarket finds, Swedes and Englishmen understood balance, us Canucks and the Yanks didn't . I can tell the differences in steel between brands of Swedish chisels.
A man of foolish pursuits
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