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Buying advice: good price on these chisels?

4K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  Stick486 
#1 ·
A local guy is asking $100 for a 6-piece boxed set of Marples chisels made in England by Record before they were scooped up by Irwin. I can't find any information on them, so I thought I'd troll for some wisdom on the deal. The picture he included seems to show some corrosion. Most of them have tip protectors, so I won't really know what shape they're in until I go see them, but they don't appear to be battered or anything.

I basically want to know if the quality would make it worth fixing them up if they need some work. I'm a rank beginner, but am getting interested in learning how to use hand tools; chisels seem like a good starting point, and $100 seems like a reasonable price for a good set.

I've looked all over the Intertubz and can't find any reference to Record chisels, but given their rep on other hardware I'd assume the chisel's are at least a decent tool, in which case it'd be worth the $100 so long as there weren't any surprises about the condition when I see them in person.

Any and all comments are welcome!

Here's the picture:
 

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#4 ·
Lenore,, Do the chisels have "Sheffield England" on the iron?

if so, that set you show is a great set of chisels!!!! However, they are priced on the high end of what they are worth. They would need to be exceptionally clean and almost new old stock to warrant that kind of asking price. If you can get em for 75 bucks... not a great deal, but a good buy for 6 chisels. The blue chip line from Marples is no where near the quality of the ones you show, again, if they are stamped with Sheffield England.

In the price range you mention, Lee Valley (Veritas) has a line of really good chisels..they have reviewed very well and by all accounts of those who have actually used em, not a bad chisel at all for the money.

Narex® Classic Bevel-Edge Chisels - Lee Valley Tools
 
#7 ·
Hey Lenore...

Great news regarding the chisels.... if they are in decent condition,,,they are keepers. Good thinking on the pitting. Keep this in mind. If the front of the chisel is pitted, you can work around that relatively easily. If the back of the chisel is pitted, thats another story. You want an almost mirror like finish on the backs of the chisels...if you can achieve that with a modicum of effort your golden. With the face of the chisel, once you get past the pitting, you're free and clear. If they are that bad that you think it will take more effort than its worth..then you called it. Nice deal, but move on none the less. Nothing more disheartening than getting frustrated trying to put an edge on a tool that just won't take it...

I was referring to the classic bevel-edge chisels. These are a pretty nice chisel for the money. I like the wooden handle and hoop chisels as well, but thats not a deal breaker for me. The new Stanley's are considered a very nice chisel as well for the money. Almost universally reviewed as a fine product from Stanley. Good thing, since the bombed on their new hand plane lineup..

I used the worksharp for several years before going back to the scary sharp method. There are alot of way to get a great edge, scary sharp, worksharp, stones, powders etc.. If its turning and turning tools you're looking to put an edge on, get ahold of BernieW in here. Great guy, fantastic turner and he knows how to put an edge on his tools. I'm sure he'd be happy to give you some insight...
 
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#8 ·
My first set of chisels is sitting right next to me in the passenger seat! I took some pics with my phone but I can't figure out how to upload them, so it'll have to wait until I get home. There's some minor pitting and corrosion, a few chisels have small spots of rust, and some tips are very slightly chewed up, but I don't think it'll take a lot of effort to get them in working condition. The backs look flat but still have machine marks, and the small amount of corrosion will be removed when I lap them. The handles are so might that the balance point on the larger ones is barely above the blade, but that seems like a good thing.

I need to dig through my wet/dry sandpaper and see if have something flat to lay them on so I can start cleaning them up. Maybe a granite tile from a big box store? Should i use some kind of tool cleaner first? And what's the best way to deal with corrosion on the top sides of the chisels?

Off to the grocery store, then I'm going home to admire my new toys.
 
#11 ·
Lenore...

75 bucks later and a little sweat equity and you're have a very nice set of chisels...All of the backs need attention with the 1" needing the most. Good news is if the pitting is that bad on the 1", don't worry about it. there is plenty of chisel in "front" of the pitting that if you can get that portion of the chisel flat, you'll be in great shape. The sizes are Impeiral w/metric equivalents..

Don't be bashful about using an aggressive grit paper to flatten out the backs and remove any pitting from the front edges..Smooth out all the backs at least to the point where you don't see any sanding scratches on the surfaces.

You'll find all kinds of arguments regarding what to use as a reference surface.. how flat is flat enough? A granite tile from the big box stores "might" be ok.. but I would not
bet on it. If you're in this for the long haul, shop around for either a granite surface spec'd out as flat, or go with a piece of plate glass (shatter proof). I use a piece of 1/4" plate glass
 
#12 ·
Nothing there that won't clean up nicely. Good snag, Lenore! Those have never been flattened, so, they are nowhere near "sharp". That's the first step. Next is finding a sharpening method that you are comfortable with using and getting good results. Lots of info on the site if you do a search. Again, good buy!
 
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