Popular Woodworking 2001-02 № 120, страница 34
i Available from: Garrett Wade, 800-221-2942, www.garrettwade.com These Czechoslovakian chisels look a lot like the Freud chisels, but the blades are tougher and held up a lot better in use.The handles are a bit lumpy but serviceable. Overall, these are decent mid-priced chisels. Grizzly Available from: Grizzly, 800-523-4777, www.grizzly.com While these chisels were easy to flatten and sharpen, they simply didn't hold an edge as well as we hoped.The handle would be more comfortable if you refinished it, but it is still a little on the thin side.While we've found Grizzly's machinery to be an excellent value,these chisels did not make the cut. Lee Valley Butyrate Handle Available from: Lee Valley Tools, 800-871-8158, www.leevalley.com While nicely made, these Japanese-made chisels were some of the most uncomfortable to hold. The detents in the side were too deep, and our hands quickly became sore after using these chisels to cut a couple joints.The face of the chisels needed a lot of work to flatten, and the edge was quickly destroyed by white oak Lee Valley Wooden Handle Available from: Lee Valley Tools, 800-871-8158, www.leevalley.com These chisels are absolutely identical to those offered by Grizzly. We suspect they are made in the same factory. Unfortunately, they suffer from the same set of problems.The handle should be refinished and the cutting edge was not as durable as we hoped. Marples Butyrate Handle Available from: Craftsman, 800-377-7414, www.sears.com/craftsman These British chisels have a large and comfortable handle that is easy to grip and strike with a mallet. While the blades look identical in every respect to the blades on the less expensive Marples Blue Available from: a variety of sources, including Lee Valley Tools, 800-871-8158, www.leevalley.com For many of us, the Marples Blue Chip chisel was already on our bench before we began this test. Our testing confirmed what we have known for years.The Blue Chip is an economical and hardy chisel, if not a pageant winner. Sand off the seam on the polypropylene handle and you've got a chisel that will serve you well for many years. Pfeil Swiss Made Available from:Woodcraft, 800-225-1153, www.woodcraft.com The handles on these Swiss chisels are unfinished and vaguely bamboo-shaped.While some editors seemed to like this form, others reported it a bit uncomfortable while making paring cuts.The chisels were tough to set up, and the edge was not as durable as we like. Available from: Garrett Wade, 800-221-2942, www.garrettwade.com While these chisels scored well across the board, the cutting edge came up a bit short in our tests. That's too bad because these chisels have so much going for them.The overall design is sleek, and the chisel feels quite balanced in your hand. Sandvik Available from: Professional Hardware and Supply, 800-248-1919, www.profhdwr.com These Swedish chisels have an excellent handle that is well-finished, finely detailed and feels good in your hand.The blade of the Sandvik chisel was easy to flatten and hone, but the cutting edge did not hold up well in use. Available from: home center stores, including Lowe's These British-made chisels are not easy on the eyes.The handle is too stubby.The blade is too short.That said, these chisels hold onto an edge like a dog on red meat.And here's the bonus: these are the least expensive chisels we tested. If you're strapped for cash, these are the chisels that should be in your toolbox. Hwschherries/ l?40*^ Available from: Highland Hardware, 800-241-6748 or www.highlandhardware.com These chisels — while a bit on the pricey side — were all around good performers.The editors found the handle to be comfortable (though some might recommend refinishing the handle), and the blade held a nice edge. Be advised that you will have to work for it.The chisels we tested required a good bit of setup, mostly lapping the face. Woodworker's Supply K Sorby Boxwood Available from:GarrettWade,800-221-2942, www.garrettwade.com;or Woodcraft,800-225-1153, www.woodcraft.com When we showed off the array of chisels we tested to visitors, they invariable picked up this one first. This chisel's classic lines and boxwood handle have an almost irresistible pull.That said, we recommend you knock down the edges of the octagonal handle a bit before use, or your fingers and palm will suffer The blade was difficult to lap flat, though the cutting edge was reasonably durable in use. Available from: Woodworker's Supply, 800-645-9292 We didn't expect much from this chisel when it showed up.The handle was a bit ugly and was too skinny for our tastes. But when it came time to get to work, these chisels were ready.The faces were reasonably flat, and the chisels were easy to set up.Add to all that the fact that the edge proved quite durable in our tests and you have a pretty good bargain. On the right is a chisel whose face is "bellied." It will take considerable work to get the face flat enough to sharpen properly. On the left is a chisel whose face is "hollow." You could hone the chisel right now and produce a keen edge. However, further flattening will result in a chisel that won't dig into your work. |
