Part one of TFWW's tour of Ashley Iles workshop in Lincolnshire UK

[@daw162]

An excellent demonstration of craftsman skill, combined hand and power tool assist. I make my own chisels, but one of the only recent sets that I can think of that felt like they were made with skill and without regard to easy heat treatment (like A2 or V11) were the iles chisels. And unlike the few other O1 chisels floating around, they were not lacking in hardness. Very crisp, and the best performing of the western chisels I've seen in actual work. And half the cost of a lot of dilettante chisels because there isn't some enormous capital expenditure in exchange for removing the skilled labor.

[@barkebaat]

In my unsolicited opinion the machine at 2:46 should be called a 'flouncy hammer'. Great video.

[@MrZOMBIE170]

only the best

[@stevebeck2734]

Another great collection of antique machinery. They need to update so as to satisfy demands. No wonder the Brits are so far behind.

[@daw162]

Who makes chisels equal to them right now? And carving tools? I'd imagine they know what they're doing upgrading or not as moving to a different method of production with cheesy air hardening steel (A2 or V11) would yield gross tools - no professional carver would touch them - and spending a million or two on a bunch of CNC stuff would probably be ruinous. On the bench chisels, they could effectively end up doubling prices to Lie Nielsen or LV's V11 chisels to make a product that is in my experience (in actual side by side use) less balanced and does not hold an edge any better.

[@MrZOMBIE170]

Ashley Iles makes better chisels and carving tools then any American maker does for a much lower price