> On Aug 23, 2022, at 08:53 , Thomas Conroy via groups.io
 wrote:
> 
> There is a gradient of hardness from Buck Cast Steel to Swan/Douglass. I
prefer the easily-sharpened end of the spectrum (Buck CS) to the horrible-to-
sharpen end (Swan),

There must be a lot of variability for a given maker. My favorite chisel, hands
down, is a Swan 1-1/4" bevel-edge socket chisel. It's easy to sharpen on
oilstones, and holds an edge nicely for paring or chopping. It also has what I
suspect is an original handle with leather washer on it, and is just
comfortable.

I've heard great things about Herring Bros, and have a NOS Herring that was
ground with low bevel (<20˚, I think). Maybe once it's ground back another 1/8"
or so it'll hold an edge, but it remains a disappointment.

W. Butcher, P. Law, and Wm. Ash are also favorites of mine, in the cast steel
tang chisel category.

> I agree in bewilderment over the choice of the 750 to be copied by Lie-
Nielson, and the consequent fad for them among other makers and users. They
aren't that good; no disgrace on the bench, but not that good. Even more, the
Lie-Nielson copy puzzles me because of its weird balance and excessive weight.
They copied the profile of the 750, but exaggerated the taper in thickness in a
way that increases the weight substantially and throws it all back toward the
hand.nMy instinct is that this would be hard to control and tiring if used all
day, but I have no real evidence about that.

Before discovering the porch in  2009, I started buying L-N
chisels, because the were being touted by handtool guys in magazines. A decade
and more later, I still have and use them, but they've become annoying: the
balance is weird and chunky, as you say, and A2 steel is a fad I regret after
switching to oilstones. The handles also fall out regularly, since they shrank
when I moved to the desecrated side of the state, and the sockets are so perfect
that there's no bite of rusty, lumpy metal to hold the wood in. A bit scary if
you're holding it above your foot.

On the plus side, the L-N chisels really do have flat backs, and I'm not
concerned about damaging them or bashing the snot out of the handles, unlike my
nice vintage paring chisels with the thin, flexible blades.

Adam (spending more time with old r*dios than old chisels lately, in Benton City
WA)