# No Longer In Search Of... Stanley 750 SW Chisels!



## smitty22

Thanks for the review Smitty, very thorough and useful information.


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## ellen35

Mine were delivered Tuesday… your review is very helpful.
I'm dying to find time to try them!
Ellen


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## Tim_456

thanks for the review…these are going to be high on my list. I am in agreement on the packaging..when the package looks like it's worth keeping, it's good in my book! I had the shrink wrapped plastic and the waste that comes with it. thanks for including that!


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## Bertha

I was waiting for this review to order them. I'm a big SW era guy myself and have been disgusted by the quality of the recent re-released SW planes. A real shame. I'm glad to hear these chisels haven't suffered the same fate. thanks for one of the most detailed reviews I've read on any tool, anywhere.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@Bertha - Thanks. I've made every effort to be accurate and forthcoming with what I see in the chisels. Hope everyone's experience is, if not better, at least consistent with what I've described.

@Cessna - True Imperial (English) measure per 'primary' labels on the boxes. And I did measure the 3/4" chisel, just for grins (zig zag ruler, not a caliper!). It's an important point; I'll check tonight and do an updated comment right away… If I recall (not in front of the packaging right now), there were 'approximate' mm equivalents provided somewhere for the Continentals…


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@Cessna - And maybe I *shouldn't be* ruler tricking the backsides (!?) Don't remember reading that it should be done, now that you mention it, but it's likely a carry over with what I do from habit of sharpening plane blades. It's very slight, maybe three to five stokes on the 1200 diamond stone. And I don't do it on my #45 cutters. Hmmmm…


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Measuring the 1 1/4" chisel is dead on. Same with 1" and 3/4" tools. These are imperial measure, not metric.


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## RGtools

The reason why the ruler trick should not be used on chisels is this. The back is a reference surface, any variation from flat guides the chisel away from the straight cut you want. The ruler trick is great for plane blades though.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@RGtools - Thanks very much for that, makes total sense to me. I shall reform my ways!


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## Bertha

^I actually have a project that suffered a bit from the ruler trick on chisels. When I would strike at the marking line, the chisel drifted ever so slighly. It took mor trimming than usual but all was not lost. If you backcut the showface a bit, I don't think it would matter much. I reground mine without the backbevel simply because I wanted to play with my chisels and the grinder


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@Cessna - Congrats! I don't think I'm alone in secretly dreading the arrival of a new tool nearly as much being excited by it. Can't be certain of anything when it comes down to it. Hope your chisels are everything you expect and more, or Stanley will be faced with yet another serious misstep in their return to 'our market segment.' Good luck, look forward to reading about your experience.


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## Bertha

^I'm looking forward to it, as well. Congratulations.


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## OutPutter

I loved the review (except for the @ signs which is a twitterbook thing, I guess, and poor etiquette like typing in all caps) even though I think four stars is too much. Handles that fall off, backs out of flat, and the other stuff you mention would make it an average tool in my mind and no amount of "good" packaging can make up for it. Packaging, in my mind, should only be expensive enough to be functional because anything more is added expense that increases the cost/price to no good effect. Wouldn't you think $200 dollars for eight pieces of American steel and wood with a little leather would go further than something that came from England by way of China (my guess)? Maybe a little off the subject buy what is the ruler trick? Mayber further off the subject but, why is it that a machine shop can't sharpen a piece of steel about ten times better than the average garage shop guy can? I think chisels and planes should come with a scary sharp to the tenth power that can never be repeated in a garage shop edge, don't you?


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## Bertha

^I have to agree with Jim about the sharpness-out-of-the-box point. My guess is that it probably involves some sense of liability, putting something uber-sharp in the mail and all. The "ruler trick" they're referring to is a quick method of establishing a secondary bevel by upping the incident angle by the thickness of a thin ruler. It's debatable whether to use the method on chisels but it's a quick way to establish a back bevel.


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## OutPutter

Thanks Bertha. How do you decide how far from the tip you place the ruler I wonder? Interesting, now I'm going to have to Google it. I don't think the liability thing will fly though because I know you can get knives and razor blades through the mail that are sharper than your average plane when they arrive.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Code:


Putter -

 signs identify for me who I'm directly replying to, of course. I don't do the twitter thing. It is interesting that you include a format slam in a tool review. Bottom line is the same as stated (exaustively) in the text - I shared my observations to the best of my ability. Thanks for reading.


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## jbertelson

*Smitty*

(I hope I am giving you the right name) Thanks for the review.

I am not that much into chisels, and have a bunch of lucite handled Great Neck and Sheffield chisels off the shelves of the local industrial hardware store. Between the two brands I was able to cobble together a set that looked pretty much the same, and are…....well…...fair to middlin' I guess. They replace a 40 year old set of Craftsman…and one replacement Stanley for a lost one…......that I beat up over the years, and my wife tried more than once to use as screwdrivers….(-:

But thanks for the review because it tells me what to look for, I found out a little about sharpening chisels, and I enjoyed your review style. I have not written a any reviews for a number of reasons, but the time will come. There are many views on reviews, but it is obviously a free-for-all, and thats the way I like it.

You done good, as witnessed by some of the comments. You affected peoples purchase decisions.

Alaska Jim


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## Bertha

^Smitty, I wouldn't take too much offense to Putter's critique. When you're faced with such a detailed review, your attention naturally turns to detail (no offense meant, Putter). After all, you're kind of setting the bar for chisel review . Although the packaging doesn't impress me, it might to others and you were right to comment upon it if it impressed you.

To Outputter, I think herein lies the problem. I've never been a big fan of the ruler trick, whether on plane irons or otherwise for the reasons you state. It's actually ironic because I'm a "coarse" woodworker but crave details only when sharpening irons. I wish you only the best in the sawdust.

To Jim, no doubt. Maybe this could be the launching point for your chisel fetish. I get really fired up about chisels and as a Stanley guy, this review was very important to me.

To all, chisel on!!!


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## JL7

Good review - thanks for posting - I have been searching for a decent set of chisels so your post pushed me over the edge and picked up a set a few weeks ago …......

Jeff


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@Jeff - The chisels have gotten moderate to heavy use the last three weeks and I'm real happy with them. Hope your experience is at least as good as mine.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@Cessna - Cool that you added input. Here's to many years of good use ahead!


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## Timbo

Nice review Smitty, thanks for posting it.
FYI on the ruler trick, flattening the back of a plane iron can take f o r e v e r. Using a steel ruler or other type of thin metal to shim the end of the blade opposite the bevel allows you to flatten a very small area of the back thus saving time and effort. Check out this site: http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/ruler%20trick.html


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@Timbo - Thanks, and the 'saving time and effort' piece is likely how I got into doing the Trick to chisels in the first place! It makes a nice edge quickly, but I think I'm ready to say that I'm reformed now, and agree that's it's best for plane blades; chisels not so much. It does make sense that a back angle can pull the flat of the blade away from edge cuts that are supposed to be 90 degrees…


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## lysdexic

@Cessna: why do you strip the lacquer?

Thanks


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

RE: the lacquer stripping thing, I wondered that myself. Whatever was removed by sharpening is all that has come off of my chisels; the rest remains.


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## WayneC

Wonderful purchase. I would love to have a set. Related to using the ruler trick. That is for plane blades but should never be used for chisels…


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## lysdexic

Makes sense. Thanks for the response.


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## Bertha

Agree with Wayne and Cessna. I guess you could use the ruler trick to establish a secondary bevel, but you'd need a really thick ruler!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

And I've placed an update in the review, under Set Up, warning future readers of the Evils of the Ruler Trick re: chisels…


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## RGtools

Smitty. This makes me laugh.


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## JeremyPringle

So far my only gripe about the SW was I did not like the machine marks left on all the flat surfaces. It was no issues lapping the back, but I think Stanly can certainly do a better job about it (and they put a finish on the metal as well?), you can actually feel the machine marks with your finger nail. Also, I found the machine marks to be distracting. So I lapped not only the back, but the top and both bevels as well to get rid of the nasty reflection. Once lapped and sharpened to 8k, it felt really good and ready to be put through its paces.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Jeremy - Nice to have additional feedback. The machine marks are very clear, you're correct. When I saw them, I wondered how long I'd have to use them before they wear took them down / became smooth. As in, my old Everlastings have logos that have nearly disappeared from many decades of use.


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## jace_robert

Just measured the set that I bought and they are dead flat out of the box. So happy that I have them and I can't wait to get something to use them on!!

Jace


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Jace - Congrats, here's hoping they help you make outstanding projects for a long time to come! Keep us posted when they get some use…


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## lazyoakfarm

I purchased this set after reading the review. I never thought of Stanley when I thought of a good to better quality tool. This is my first set of chisels. Used to use a screwdriver.

Stupid Question…
Are the wooden handles supposed to just fall off? What keeps them secure? None of handles are attached to the chisels.


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## a1Jim

Thanks for the review.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

@lazy - not stupid question, actually. The handles did, when I first got them, come free from the sockets pretty readily. I fixed it with a two-fold approach: 1) using them will seat the handles in the sockets, of course, and 2) I applied hair spray on the tenon portions of the handles then re-seated them in the sockets. I wrote about it at the end of the original review above.

Socket chisels are different beasts, obviously. I'm not an expert, but think one of their appeals to craftsman includes the ability to make replacement handles more easily that a tanged chisel can be re-handled. They're also supposed to hold up well (when a mallet vs. steel hammer is used to strike them, of course).

Good luck, and enjoy your tools!


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## lazyoakfarm

Used mine over the weekend with a homemade mallet only about 12oz. seems a little light. what mallet are y'all using?


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## Bertha

Hey Smit, I barely knew you in this thread! I still haven't bought the new ones but I've added a few vintage 750s to the collection since you posted this.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Hello, Al! Yes, it was quite a while ago now, wasn't it? 

Lazy, I'd have to weigh mine, I don't know because it's an old oak mallet that I've had forever. A lot depends on what you're chopping on, too (softer woods vs, let's say, maple?) regarding mallet weight. I'm guessing many folks have more than one, of different weights. It's very much personal preference.

For what it's worth, I use that old oak mallet for pretty much all the chisel work I've done so far. But I have an old lignum vitae Stanley #11 for those times a battle axe is called for…


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## Bertha

^you hijacked first, Smit, so…I do exactly what you do. I have a trusty squarish ash head/maple handle mallet that's my go-to. Pretty heavy, but not obscene. It's got a faceted handle and I can chisel with my eyes closed. I "learned" with this mallet, so everything else feels weird. I have smaller, prettier mallets for delicate tapping and nudging. If I had available a large chuck of lignum, a mallet head would be the first thing I thought of. I'd probably save a few pieces for woodbody mouth repair. Lignum is definitely the way to go if you can; ash is a pretty good 2nd bet. I think Lignum stinks, though, so there's that


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

It's my thread, and I'll hijack if I want to…



How 'bout a diversion, Al? Did you check out this madness?

Go to the end of the comments for pictures of manly stock prep…


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## Bertha

^I'll check it out when I get home, Smit. All the images are blocked out on this computer. I don't need pictures to spot all my favorite text. I see large dimension lumber, a cambered #5, and walnut; all glorious things!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

50" of hand-ripping goodness, my friend. In living color.

EDIT: hand-ripping, RESAWING goodness…


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## Bertha

^Good golly dear.


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## leatherstocking

Why does it say S.W. Inside the heart?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Former president of the Stanley Works (SW) was William Hart; that's where the Heart comes in. Good background on the Company here.

The SW reissues are Stanley's attempt to re-enter the 'more premium' tool market by pulling a trademark that represented what many think was their best era in toolmaking.

Welcome to LJs!


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