Record Marples chisel set from 1987

This, hopefully will be the start of me getting into writing this blog again. It's been a long time coming, and hopefully there will be something here that you can enjoy.

I posted an image of what I was working on, on Twitter yesterday,

and one guy spotted that Rosewood handled Marples chisel in the photograph

The Marples chisel sitting next to my Calvert Stevens CS88 plane

So I thought I would grab the box, take some pics and tell you a little about them.

In 1987 I used to go to a hardware store in Cradley Heath called H.Case or H.Case and sons. 
They were one of the best tool hardware stores for miles around. Always busy, a huge shop and quite helpful guys when you wanted to know something... and i used to ask questions, like why don't they do this in a Nine set? They did in a 3 set and a 6 set, But why not a 9 set ?

Anyhow, they had their own catalogue every few months, or season, or year.
It was great to see what they had got in stock, or were waiting to come in. And I fell in love with these chisels. Why wouldn't you, brass ferrules, fine taper on the sides of the bevel edge chisels and then those Rosewood handles by one of the best British tool makers. When everyone else was going full-on plastic handles, Boxwood, these really stood out.

I've kept this box in the best condition that I could for 32 years.

The Marples logo

The view inside... and it's not very different from when I first bought them.
There are a couple of plastic edge protectors in my toolbox drawer

Well, these nine Rosewood handled chisels by Marples were the start of their 'back to quality' tools.

These were not cheap, high end was the direction to aim.
I'd got a pretty good job and wanted some fabulous chisels to use and show off to the older guys in the joinery shop.

I put a deposit down and waited for them to come in. The one thing that disappointed me, was that they only came in a 3 box or a six box, they didn't make a boxed set of nine. I told the guy behind the counter to ring them up and say we want a nine- set. Obviously it didn't happen.

So I had the six set and the three extra. The set consisted of;
 6mm  (1/4")
 9mm  (3/8")
13mm  (1/2")
19mm  (3/4")
25mm  (1")
32mm  (1"1/4)

The three extra were;
 3mm  (1/8")
15mm  (5/8")
36mm  (1"1/2)

*add prices to list later*

Well, they didn't stay at work, too many people were interested in them and I didn't want to risk one or all of them stolen. So they stayed at home in my workshop.
Then after a while, maybe a couple of years or so, I noticed that the ferrules were splitting. I'd  sort of forgot about them and carried on using my old Ward & Payne, & Marples etc.

Fast forward to now.. Over the last few years have I been replacing the ferrules. I'd found someone selling exactly the same sizes, but slightly thicker gauge brass.
In removing them, I'd noticed that every split was where they had been dimpled with a machine. So on the new ones I didn't dimple the ferrule. Obviously in creating the dimple it was case hardening the brass and creating a weak spot. 
Now they look wonderful again.

The SIX set and the extras to make my Nine Set..

Just what the Rosewood looks like

The three odd balls 

All the details

So there you go, I hope you enjoyed the information and seeing the images. That's what life seems to be about nowadays.. images. 

Anyhow, catch you soon.

All the best
Jamie