Re: Upgrading chisels
William Duffield, on the Cohansey
>What does working at Woodcraft have to do with the issue? Woodcraft carries Japanese chisels, Barr chisels, Marples Blue Chips, Lie-Nielsens, Pfeils, and some other brands and patterns as well. I haven't even seen any Lie-Nielsen chisels in the New Castle store since I started working there, nor have I sold any. There is no way I would attempt to demonstrate the use of a Japanese chisel right off the shelf, because I know that any difference between my preferences and those of the customer for setting the ring or honing the edge might make the chisel unclean or somehoworother unsuitable for sale. I also know that there is something about Japanese chisels and about many users of Japanese chisels that doesn't have anything to do with their performance in cabinetmaking, and that to me seems to be totally beyond any attempt at rational analysis. OTOH, the design, materials and manufacturing choices made by TLN translate directly and logically into superior performance in their use for joining fine hardwoods into fine furniture.
I would be unconcerned about the effects of taking a L-N or even a Marples for that matter, off the shelf, showing a customer how to quickly hone the edge, chop a dovetail with it, and put it back on the shelf, undamaged. I might have to rehone the Marples after the demo, but that is almost a non-issue.
The issue I have is only that the heavy, rough iron ring puts additional weight and an obviously comfortable shape at the top of the handle that would not be necessary if a superior wood, allowing a more ergonomic shape, were used for the handles.
Note that Thomas strongly advises choosing the hophornbeam handles, as opposed to the rosewood, if you are planning to hit the handles with a hammer. The plastic handles of the Marples, in spite of their other disadvantages, are also almost indestructible.