Replies

1. 
   SoCalDon | Jun 06, 2003 05:25pm | #1

   If they are the blue polypropylene handled set, they are good for getting your feet wet in the art of sharpening chisels. The backs will have to be flattened and then they can be sharpened using your own preferred method. There are certainly better chisels out there in terms of edge durability but overall they are not a bad deal for the price. FWW did a chisel review a few years back so check their archives, I don't think they rated the Marples blue poorly.

1. 
   Dalewood | Jun 06, 2003 05:33pm | #2

   Yes these were the blue handled chisels but I am not sure if the handles are poly as they were in a package. They appeared to be wood but nowdays who knows..... Thanks for the info.

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Jun 07, 2003 08:45am | #6

   Dalewood

      If the handles are blue, they are most likely the poly. Great starter set for $5 apiece. I still have my first set of Marples I bought back in the early 80's I think. Kind of short now, but still servicable. I have other chisels since then, but that original set is still "hanging tough".

   Go for it...

   sarge..jt

2. 
   BertJ | Jun 06, 2003 06:53pm | #3

   Dalewood,

   I have the set and use them daily. They work very well if sharpened properly. Check out various sharpening techniques as previously mentioned. FWW had a great article on sharpening within the past year, and I recommend this method. (Final honing is done using diamond paste--fantastic for really sharp edge!)

   BJ

3. 
   billyg83440 | Jun 06, 2003 06:53pm | #4

   I picked up a set of Marples chisels, though not the blue handled ones, a couple years ago. Mine have red & yellow plastic handles. They work real well, hold an edge pretty good. I understand there are better chisels out there, but every review I've seen rates them pretty good. They were certainly a big step up from the Stanely set I'd gotten as a gift from Walmart.

   I looked at their website once. It talks there about the quality steel they use, how to sharpen, how they're made, how they temper the steel, the gaurantee, ect.. If you're having doubts, look at their site and see if it sells you on them.

   Forget that, their site is shut down. They're now owned by Irwin tool company, and their site is just a title page so far. Too bad, had lots of good info at their old site.

   At $5 ea. you don't have a lot to lose either way.

4. 
   Alan | Jun 07, 2003 03:29am | #5

   Dalewood,

   I too have a set (of six) of the Marples chisels with the yellow and red plastic handles.  I got them ten or more years ago; and since then I've found no need for a better set.  They take a reasonably good edge and hold it for a reasonable amount of time.

   I recently found a set (six--again) of Hirsch chisels.  It became obvious, after not too long, that the Hirsch chisels are better than the Marples.  The Marples, however, are perfectly good tools.  I didn't need the Hirsch set; the Marples set were good enough for all my purposes.

   Alan

5. 
   Ricky_Yu | Jun 07, 2003 09:45am | #7

   I have seven of the "Blue Chips" as they are called ranging from 1/8" to 1". They're not the best, but you get pretty good value. It will take a good amount of practice and patience to hone them as they are rougher around the edges (literally) than higher price sets. If I had to buy a set knowing what I know now, I would probably go with Hirsch like Alan did. But as a starter set, you could do a lot worse. Besides, I've seen Mike Dunbar use them in a magazine article, so they can't be too bad.

6. 
   alanplanesaw | Jun 08, 2003 07:00am | #8

   I would agree with whoever said they will be a great starter set and a set to learn to how to sharpen.

   I started with a blue Marples set of chisels.  Later, sold them to my son and bought a set of Ashley Isles and Sorby chisels.  Love 'em.

   Alan - planesaw

7. 
   gpasewicz | Jun 09, 2003 05:46pm | #9

   I don't own any, but.....the other day the local tv news ran a story about a casket maker retiring after decades of making wooden caskets.   In the video he was clearly using a Marples Blue Chip.  So I figured if they're good enough for a guy who's been in the business for longer than I've been alive, they're probably good enough for an amateur like me. 

   They're on my wish list.

8. 
   ChuckBuhler | Jun 12, 2003 12:49am | #10

   I have a set, and like them.  They hold an edge fairly well, and the handles fit my hand a lot better then my old Stanley cheapies.  Had a little trouble flatening the back of a couple of them when they were new, but that's something you only do once.  At $5 ea, you can't really go wrong.

9. 
   10fingers | Jun 12, 2003 09:20am | #11

   Hello Dalewood,

   My wife gave me two Stanley Goldenburg chisels made in france a few years ago.  I really like them.  They hold an edge better than my blue marples.   I have put Japanese chisels on my wishlist for xmas.   My brother went to Japan this spring.  I asked him to get me some chisels while there.   He thought they didn't look as good as American ones and didn't get any.  What can you expect of a geologist that had his oak cabinets in his kitchen painted white.

   Chuck

10. 
    erich | Jun 12, 2003 05:21pm | #12

    Hi Dalewood,

         I have two of these and they've been okay.  The FWW review of chisels that was mentioned did actually rate them as the worst in terms of holding an edge.  I've found this to be pretty true, but it does get you into the habit of sharpening often which will make you better at sharpening.  I guess you could say they're a good value, as I said I don't particularly dislike mine, but I can tell you that as soon as I get around to saving a bit of cashola I'm going to up-grade.  The Two-Cherries set seemed to rate better and is still not terribly expensive.  That's what I've got my eye on.  I always advocate spending what you can on the better product, so if you can afford it, maybe go for a better chisel now instead of later.  Good luck whichever way you go.

                      Erich

11. 
    BarryO | Jun 12, 2003 10:26pm | #13

    I have a set and agree with the consensus here -- great for the price, can be sharpened to 'scarey sharp' level, but the backs (on the wider sizes especially) are not flat, and you need to do a bit a work the first time sharpening them to get the back side flat.