Narex Chisels

[poolhound]

I have a number of folks asking what I might like for the upcoming holiday and having made do with an odd mix of chisels for ever I thought a nice set would be a good suggestion.

As much as I might wish I know that budgets wont stretch to a set of Lie Nielsens so I am deciding what to suggest for a good value set. I have seen lots of opinions (including a fine woodworking recommendation) on the Narex bench chisels but would be interested to see if any of you good folks own any or might have other ideas.

These versions at LV look pretty good but who knows...

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=67707&cat=1,41504

[cwsmith]

I have a number of Narex chisels and really like them. My first set was purchased about five or six years ago, buying first the older style bevel-edge chisels, individually in sizes in 6, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 26 mm (basically 1/4 to 1/2 inch widths).

The handles are really superb, being well shaped and thick, with steel ferrals. They have held up well in my use, and the Chrome-Manganese steel hold it's edge rather well, compared to my earlier English-made (Sheffield) Marples.

The following year I purchase the Narex six-chisel set of mortising chisels. They are great!

I liked these so well, I went looking for the Narex manufacturing web site and there found that they made a variety of products, including a skew chisel set. I immediately wrote Lee-Valley and asked if they could get me those, and received a nice reply that they were going to look into it.... they now carry those in their catalog too, or at least did, the last two years.

All of these have held up very well and so far have required only slight touching up on wet/dry, and my granite tile plate (I use a Lee-Valley jig).

The only thing I've done, was to varnish the dark-stained handles, so as to preserve them a bit better, figuring that eventually I'd wear that darkness off.

All the Narex chisels came with edge guards. A couple of other places carry Narex chisels, but from what I've seen the handles are 'natural' colored and not the ebony-stained like the Lee-Valley offering.

Personally, I think the Narex are a good choice and well worth the money. The Cr-Mn steel holds it's edge well and are not nearly as susceptible to oxidation as my older Marples.

I hope this helps,

CWS

[poolhound]

Thanks that very helpful as you say your mortise chisels are the dark brown handles do they look like these bevel edge versions?

I have a number of Narex chisels and really like them. My first set was purchased about five or six years ago, buying first the older style bevel-edge chisels, individually in sizes in 6, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 26 mm (basically 1/4 to 1/2 inch widths).

The handles are really superb, being well shaped and thick, with steel ferrals. They have held up well in my use, and the Chrome-Manganese steel hold it's edge rather well, compared to my earlier English-made (Sheffield) Marples.

The following year I purchase the Narex six-chisel set of mortising chisels. They are great!

I liked these so well, I went looking for the Narex manufacturing web site and there found that they made a variety of products, including a paring chisel set. I immediately wrote Lee-Valley and asked if they could get me those, and received a nice reply that they were going to look into it.... they now carry those in their catalog too, or at least did, the last two years.

All of these have held up very well and so far have required only slight touching up on wet/dry, and my granite tile plate (I use a Lee-Valley jig).

The only thing I've done, was to varnish the dark-stained handles, so as to preserve them a bit better, figuring that eventually I'd wear that darkness off.

All the Narex chisels came with edge guards. A couple of other places carry Narex chisels, but from what I've seen the handles are 'natural' colored and not the ebony-stained like the Lee-Valley offering.

Personally, I think the Narex are a good choice and well worth the money. The Cr-Mn steel holds it's edge well and are not nearly as susceptible to oxidation as my older Marples.

I hope this helps,

CWS

[Cochese]

Unless they secretly came out with another version, the mortise chisels match the standard bench chisels - maple-color handles.

FWIW, Highland carries the entire line.

I see the darker chisels now on LV. Interesting. I don't know if it would have changed my decision, but I liked the darker handle better but the price on the lighter handle. Didn't see the bevel edge being worth the difference.

[cwsmith]

Exactly!

As I mentioned, I got the bevel edge chisels first, liked them a lot; and the following year they introduced the mortise chisels, which have a slightly larger handle with the same dark finish. (The handles are slightly larger as mortise work is a bit more taxing, I think).

I liked the darker handles a lot, makes for a very nice looking tool. When I saw the skew chisels on the Narex web site, I was hoping Lee-Valley could get them with the same matching handles, which they did.

I put a varnish on the handles, which enhances the dark finish, and will hopefully protect it when working with sweaty hands.

Here is a link to the Narex line that L-V carries. Unfortunately the newer offerings of the paring and crankneck chisels are naturally finished; it would have been nice to carry the darker finish, but of course that has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality and use.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/home/Search.aspx?action=n

CWS

[vaking]

I have and like MHG set - http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/1979/chisel-sets

[cwsmith]

I wasn't aware of the Highland offering until well after I purchased the darker-handled set from L-V. and started to do a bit more research.

I'm under the impression that L-V perhaps requested the darker stained handles, to keep some sort of exclusivity... a lot of product in their catalog seem to maintain that kind of thinking, IMO. In any case, I really liked the first set of Narex that I got and wanted to continue that similarity with any other Narex chisels that I might get.

As previously mentioned, the last two sets of Narex that were added to their catalog kept the natural colored handles though.

CWS

[gsmittle]

+1 on the Narex chisels. I've owned the boxed set of six for a couple of years now—got them from Highland.

Personally, I don't care about the finish on the handles. Light or dark, if the chisel works, then I'm OK.

I remember reading somewhere not to use a mallet on wooden-handled chisels, but I have used a small brass mallet on mine with no problems. I wouldn't use a 22 oz. framing hammer on them, though.

g.

[poolhound]

Good to know. Santa brought me the set of 4 from Lee Valley plus these 2 skew chisels. The handles dont match but then the handles dont cut!

+1 on the Narex chisels. I've owned the boxed set of six for a couple of years now—got them from Highland.

Personally, I don't care about the finish on the handles. Light or dark, if the chisel works, then I'm OK.

I remember reading somewhere not to use a mallet on wooden-handled chisels, but I have used a small brass mallet on mine with no problems. I wouldn't use a 22 oz. framing hammer on them, though.

g.