Lee Valley Chisels...Updated

My Japanese ebay chisels hold an edge way better than
my Lee Valley chisels.

I had the same results with LV chisels you had and I was kinda
disappointed with them.

Never heard Lee Valley and tool clearing house used in the same sentence before, interesting. Are those models on the lower price end of their line? Not that it makes it ok though.

for dovetails you’d be chopping, and chopping red oak on a 25 degree seems a bit risky. I’d be at 30….. even so, the steel should hold.

how do you sharpen? Could you have accidently de-tempered the steel when grinding??

Ben

-- Ben, England.

I have a set of Narex that will do that occasionally. My old Marples don’t do it very much, nor my Japanese chisels.
I work oak and hard maple all the time.

-- Tim-- http://www.tmuli.com

They cost $73 for a set of 5 and I know you can pay that much for just one good chisel but I’m still kind of disappointed. Oh well, live and learn.

Ben, I use sand paper to 3000. I can shave the hair on my arm but who cares when you can’t do a dovetail without dulling the edge. I would rather do dovetails than shave my arms…:)

-- I would drink a river of the kool aid before I took the smallest sip of the tea...

Shoot Rob Lee a PM and see what he says…

Shane, you know what…I’ll do just that and then let you guys know his answer.

Better yet let’s see if he monitors the best woodworking site on the web.

-- I would drink a river of the kool aid before I took the smallest sip of the tea...

I’d say the bevel is too acute for chopping oak.

I would venture to guess this is why these weren’t given the “Veritas” label. Still, for that price you probably would have expected a little more.

-- "hold fast to that which is good"

I can’t speak for the Lee Valley chisels. Held em’...but have never used em’.

But, I’ve been abusing the hell out of a set of Veritas PM-V11’s for the last two months and so far I’m pretty impressed with them. They seem to hold an edge really well with daily use(and abuse). I would say at LEAST twice as long, just as Lee Valley claims.
I found the handles a little on the small side, but Ive got big hands and long fingers(plus, just the change alone). It took about a week to get used to them and now I love them.

Just a thought if your looking to go a different route.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=69847&cat=1,41504

-- Come to the dark side....we have cookies...

I will bet Lee Valley will make it right

-- Ron in Kokomo

Loren, I agree probably too acute. The edge seems to fold over when chopping. Works great when paring.

-- I would drink a river of the kool aid before I took the smallest sip of the tea...

`` I would rather do dovetails than shave my arms…:)``

quote of the day!

-- Ben, England.

Yeah, 25 is too acute for chopping in oak. I would go to at least 30.

-- Dave, Colonie, NY

I think those are considered their “lower end” chisels (although still a little pricey), but they shouldn’t do that! I think they sometimes get a bad batch. I am quite sure they will replace them. They are a pretty good company. I’d give them the chance and then post a tool review about the results!

-- It's the best woodworking show since the invention of wood... New episodes Wednesdays at: http://www.stumpynubs.com