What name chisels ??

[mikeg]

That was my guess. I'm glad you confirmed it though because I bought my 12 year old son a small set of Ramelson tools at the show in Morrisville, VT last month. They were the small sizes and I told him that they're sharp and not to use too much force since he could bend them or slip and really hurt himself. I forgot to tell him that one of them was bent, the 5/64' bent paring tool. Well, after he'd used it a while he noticed it was bent and tried to bend it back. He snapped the tip off. : We're going to try to grind it down so he can use it but I wanted to be sure that it wasn't Ramelson that was tempering just the tip.

thanks,
mikeg

[Kenny_S]

That is ok Ed, No problem in naming a tool you don't care for. It would be a sad world if everyone agreed on and had the same tool, Eh? If taken care of Flexcut will last as long as any other tool. But then I have a set of Flexcut and like the spring steel. However My Buck Brothers, whiich are tempered all the way leave a lot to desire and have I have to work at them more to keep them sharp. Ramlsen same, The Stubai are great tools, but I found them a little over priced. been thinking on sending to Rick at Littleshavers. I know one needs rebeveld due to loaning out to a friend(well So called friend).

But hey, if we all were the same. BORING. Regards and respect to you all.

There's nothing wrong with FlexCut's. LIke you say different strokes for different folks. That's kind of why I was a little hesitant to say anything. Understand your hesitance with the other tools. It can be intimidating to start messing with bevels and all (not to mention time consuming). I'm kind of weird, I enjoy sharpening and shaping. Why else would I make a 1' detail knife out of a full sized straight razor? I'm not even sure why I did it; masochism??

Flexcut tools are fine for what they are designed and sharpened/honed to do. Carve soft wood like basswood.

I too prefer 'full steel' tools as I often carve harder woods and need to have a shorter bevel than the flexcuts offer. I have several Ramelson gouges and they work great for me. I haven't tried the Stubai tools yet because of their, for me, prohibitive cost and the fact that I like to 'buy American'.

I like the Ramelson's a lot also, have 20 to 25 of them, in fact I just ordered a full size 3/32' #5 (common post office hurry up) for a relief carving project I'm planning to start. I'm just a tool junky (sucker, buy at least one of everything). The foreign tools are good tools, but no better than the Ramelsons. Well, let me modify that - the Stubai deep veiners are the best veiners I've got. Just the design of them, extra deep and curved perfectly for drilling, and use as a shallow gouge if turned on their side.

I use LAMP brand chisels and gouges. I seldom see anyone mention them. So, I'm inclined to think that they are not often used. I have always been happy with Lamp. They are made in Germany but are marketed here by Wood Carvers Supply. Over a period of 6 or 7 years I have collected a pretty good number of them, and use them all, some more than others, of course.

Jerry