Pfiel Tools

ArizonaPaPa · #1 01-31-2003, 08:32 AM

I went out yesterday and splurged. I bought some pfeil gouges. they are a little more expensive than some others but i think they are well worth it , its like running a hot knife through butter. When i first started buying tools i had an old timer tell me to buy the best and it would make carving alot more enjoyable. well needless to say i didn't take his advice, and only bought what i could afford. My fingers and hands have been paying for it ever since. so if anyone out there is contemplating buying some new tools............
BUY THE BEST!!!!!!!!

#2 01-31-2003, 08:39 AM

Oh yes do I hear you and do I ever agree. I too like Pheil tools very very much. It's always worth the money to buy higher quality tools. They work better and last longer. You will be pleased with your tools for many many moons. Pam

#3 01-31-2003, 08:59 AM

If you plan on buying more check out
KMS Tools
it's a Canadian company, but will save you a bundle.

Captain_Bandaid · #4 02-01-2003, 05:22 PM

I have been a pfeil fan for several years now. For my money, there is just nothing better. I have 32 pfeil tools and I am always looking for another shape for that special application. Most beginners just won't listen to the voice of experience (I sure didn't) and end up wasting money on cheap tools. I doubt that the steel in the tools is the secret, but rather the grinding and shaping of the tip. I am told that there is one old gentlemen at the pfeil factory that does ALL the grinding. I wonder what they will do when he retires? And if this is true, why doesn't the world of carving know his name so that we can all say thank you for making our craft so much better?

ArizonaPaPa · #5 02-02-2003, 01:02 PM

It is my understanding that swiss steel has something called magnetite (i dont know if i spelled it correctly). I was told that other steels of the world do not have this component and even the germans import swiss steel to make their tools.
well whatever it is i sure am pleased with them so far...

PaPa
Phoenix, Az.

Captain_Bandaid · #6 02-02-2003, 04:29 PM

Swiss Steel: I was not able to find the term magnetite in my metallurgy books but I can guess that steelmaking in Switzerland is very similar to steelmaking in other countries. Elements like chromium, vanadium, manganese, in addition to carbon, help make the steel hard. Purifying the steel before casting it by using special slags, vacuum degassing, etc, helps keep the trash out of it. There was a time when some iron deposits did indeed have high alloy contents and were renouned for their performance. Today, with spectrometers everywhere, one company can analyze a sample and be making the same chemistry within hours.

#7 02-02-2003, 05:10 PM

Cap't.
We could learn a lot from you.

ArizonaPaPa · #8 02-02-2003, 05:42 PM

I guess the salesman was feeding me a bunch of .........

lorax · #9 02-03-2003, 05:28 AM

I have four Pfeil tools and they are starting to grow on me. They fabulous when carving basswood or butternut, but yesterday I was making a hickory cross, and was reminded that the narrow bevel is not so good for hard wood. I would suggest you choose your wood according to the tools you have to wolrk it, resharpening can become a tiresome task. I must admit that my beloved Two Cherries tools are more difficult to use in soft wood than the Pfeil, the bevel is a little more aggressive. So I guess the 'ideal' tool set includes tools with both bevels--the right tool for the right job.

Callynne · #10 02-03-2003, 07:16 AM

Â* Â* I don't know a thing about metals, I just know that the blades that came with my little German made Proxxon reciprocating carver continue to slice through wood like a knife through butter also. Â*
Â* Â* I really do agree with the 'buy good quality' tools, it's advice I took from here just starting out and like so much of the advice given here, it was the best! Â*Callynne