You can no longer say that if you want a good western style chisel you need to get yourself a used Stanley n.750 and restore it to good working condition.

You have manufacturers like Lie-Nielsen that offer a set chisels based on the 750’s and through the use of better raw materials and manufacturing techniques produce a tool that’s even better that the original.

But how much are some people willing to pay for these tools?

Recently I was watching a few items on eBay and when the auctions ended I was quite impressed! But maybe not for the right reasons.

One Lie-Nielsen 102 (bronze low angle block plane) sold for $100.99. That is over the retail price and well over the $87 that is advertised in the Fine Tools Journal website. I wonder why would anyone pay over retail price for a used tool….

Two other interesting auctions were for vintage Stanley n.750 chisels which sold for $47 and $51 each, quite close to the retail price of a brand new Lie-Nielsen which sells for $50.

Would you rather buy a rusty vintage tool than a brand new one that happens to be even better. Let me know what you think in the comments section….

Another interesting fact is that Wenzloff & Sons are no longer taking orders for custom made saws as of August 4, 2008. According to Mike Wenzloff the waiting list for direct orders is well over 4000 saws.

They may resume taking direct orders in the future once they manage to clear the waiting list and there will be a revision of the prices. As it is right now, a custom made dovetail saw would cost you the same as one sold through Lee Valley and when you order directly from Mike you can specify all the details, from the wood species of the handle to how you’d like the teeth sharpened.

I am on that waiting list since February for two handsaws and it looks like it’s getting close to my place on the list. How close? Mike said 2-3 weeks some 3 weeks ago. I guess he’s probably shaping the handles on my saws right now…. I’ll post some photos when they arrive.

A last note on the subject of quality tools is the recent announcement that Stanley will be offering a line of handplanes that will be able to compete with the likes of Lie-Nielsen and Veritas, although the prices published by The Schwarz on his blog are quite lower that the competition.

Further reading:

• Lie-Nielsen Chisels: Better Than Vintage – by The Schwarz
• Premium Dovetail Saws – by The Schwarz
• Wenzloff & Sons – Custom Made Saws

While we are on the subject of saws, here is a link to the best essay I’ve read on how to sharpen a saw blade:

• Saw Filing – A Beginner’s Primer

Enjoy!

Saws

Every toolbox should have at least two handsaws, one filled for rip cuts along the grain and another for crosscut. The rip saw, if used for ripping rough lumber, should be around 26″ long with 5 tpi.

The other essential saw should be a smaller crosscut saw like a 12″ long backsaw with around 13 tpi.

To complement your set of handsaws, and if you want to cut your dovetails by hand, you could add a dovetail saw which is a smaller backsaw with it’s teeth filled for rip cut and with a higher teeth ratio, usually around 16 tpi.

A small coping saw is also a good addition to any toolbox for those moments when you need to cut a curve on a small piece of wood and want to keep your fingers away from the bandsaw blade.

If you want to try the Japanese saws, the ryoba will be a good starter. This type of saw has teeth on both sides of the blade, one for rip cuts and the other for crosscut. You can pair the ryoba with a dozuki which is the Japanse equivalent of a backsaw. These can be found with both crosscut and ripcut profiles, the later being a great dovetail saw.

Next installment: Chisels

I’ve been meaning to try a few Japanese tools for quite some time but only recently I decided to buy one. I chose to go with one of the most popular types of Japanese saws, the ryoba, which has teeth on both sides of the blade, one filed for crosscut and the other to rip along the grain (see photo above).

The other very popular Japanese saw is the dozuki, similar to the western backsaw, and is mostly used to cut fine joinery like dovetails. This is the saw to use when you want the finest cut.

But why Japanese saws? Are they different to the western saws?

The main difference is that Japanese saws have their teeth filed in such a way that they cut on the pull stroke, which makes it possible for the blade to be much thiner than on a western saw. This is because as you pull the saw to make the cut the blade is under tension, while on a western saw, the blade is compressed as you push it along the wood, thus the need for a thick blade.

The thinner blade means that it is possible to have a very thin kerf and together with the very clean cut that these saws leave, even on end grain, they are very popular in fine woodworking.

On a quality dozuki saw, the blade can be just .25mm thick with a saw kerf of .4mm. Yes, than thin!!

My experience with this saw has been great, I find it easy to control due to the long handle (nearly as long as the blade) and it produces a very clean and smooth cut. Even on end grain pine, it only takes a couple of swipes with a block plane to leave the surface ready for finishing.

Next to try are the Japanese chisels, but more about that on a future post.