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Japanese Chisels

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Japanese Chisels

#1

Japanese Chisels

John, NY

>So, here I am at the top of slippery slope number 2...

I have a pretty full set of english bench chisels, some Tyzaks, Mathieson, Crown, Sorby etc. some old and some new. But then I tried a Japanese chisel from Woodcraft and I am quite impressed. I don't think it got any sharper than any of my others but it did seem to stay sharper longer.

So a couple of questions; Don't know who makes the chisels that Woodcraft sells but how do they stack up as far as Japanese chisels go? I know that there are some hardness issues with Arkansas stones, but I can't use water stones because I don't have a permanently heated workshop and in the winter they freeze and crack, am I going to wear out my translucent arkansas?

If I want to really try out a Japanese chisel what type and supplier would you recommend?

Thanks

John

Re: Japanese Chisels

#2

Re: Japanese Chisels *LINK*

Lloyd Robins

>Talk with Joel at Tools for Working Wood. Good chisels and good advice.


http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com

Re: Japanese Chisels

#3

Oh yes you can...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Use waterstones. Shapton stones only get a little water for sharpening (i.e. they don't live in water). You sprtiz the stones with a water bottle let soak in for a minute and go to town sharpening. Rinse off when done and let dry.

I don't know about the Woodcraft chisels but I love my Japanese ones.

Re: Japanese Chisels

#4

Anyone concur

John, NY

>Sorry to doubt the word of a Californian about the damaging effects of 5 degree weather but is there anyone else up here in the frozen North who uses waterstones in a workshop that gets down to ambient winter temperatures when they're not in it?

I do plan to build a light heated box and test it this winter for storing glue and other relatively low cost items but don't know whether I want to risk expensive waterstones in the event of a bulb failure.

Do the Shaptons have too little water applied to them for sub zero temperatures to cause damage?

Re: Japanese Chisels

#5

Jim in Burlington Ont.

Re: Japanese Chisels

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>There's still a easy way to take the sharpening up to the next level using scary sharp. Even though I have a full set of norton water stones I often use the 0.5q paper to polish the back and micro bevel.

Re: Japanese Chisels

#6

Got me curious too...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>No offence taken. It freezes here in my neck of the woods but generally nothing below 20 deg or so and not for a very long in duration. I'd love to here about anybody in a more extreme climate has to say about this.

BTY maybe a little aquarim heater would work better than a light bulb.

Re: Japanese Chisels

#7

Got me curious too...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>No offence taken. It freezes here in my neck of the woods but generally nothing below 20 deg or so and not for a very long in duration. I'd love to here about anybody in a more extreme climate has to say about this.

BTY maybe a little aquarim heater would work better than a light bulb.

Re: Japanese Chisels

#9

Re: Got me curious too...

John, NY

>I used to use an aquarium heater for my cadmium plating and found them a little delicate for the garage/woodshop but then I had to take it out of the plating solution and store when not in use which is invariably when it got dropped, knocked or otherwise broken. Would be a good idea in a waterstone bath tho' where it could remain all of the time. I had also heard that I could put in a little ethylene glycol... not sure I want it all over the place though!

I was going to build an insulated box in which I could put Titebond I which can't stand a freeze/thaw cycle, Titebond II which can withstand 3 or 4 freeze/thaw cycles, Epoxy resin, hardner etc and alchohol based finishes. The box would then be heated internally with a couple of low energy lightbulbs [hopefully, but may have to go to std lightbulbs to get enough heating in deepest winter...

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