Craftsman Lathe Chisels Central

[MZC2]

I've searched the forum for Craftsman Lathe Chisels and found a bunch of posts and pics spread around. I thought a single thread may be useful to post questions, comments, observations or anything else.

From reading the catalogs, it appears that CM usually mentioned the handle length of their lathe chisels. However, when it came to the blade lengths in sets an estimate or average size was given. So it could be helpful to include the handle size when posting.

 

[MZC2]

I picked up this set of 8 Craftsman Professional lathe chisels recently. These chisels have 10" maple handles.

I'm pretty sure this set is listed in the 1948 & 1949 CM Power Tools catalog ('49 catalog entry included below). The handle size is correct and the box is wrapped in artificial leather. 1949 is the last time (that I can find) that the "Professional" set appeared in a catalog. Earlier catalogs (1940 & 1943) list the set as coming in a "Heavy wood box"; there is no mention of faux leather wrapping. But, I could find no other catalogs with wood lathe chisel between 1944 and 1947, so I don't know when the faux leather wrap started.
(Edit 12/1/24: The 1947 Sears Christmas catalog included the Heavy Duty Professional chisels in a artificial leather wrapped box.)

My set has the long-C badge on the box. I have seen other leather boxes on eBay or GJ with the heritage badge though. The inside of the lid also has a unique stylized long-C font. The description of the tools (on the inside of the lid) mentions they are vanadium.

I think my set may be the end of the run for the 10" handles, because it appears to be a mix and match set. In my set the handles have two different stickers. There is an oval sticker that is blue/green/yellow with the long-C underlining "Craftsman Tools" on 2 of the handles. The others all have stickers in the shape of the heritage logo, that are blue/yellow/cream.

There is also a difference in the fonts of the stampings on the blades (pic attached). The stamping on the 3/4" Gouge has the same stylized C as the one that appears on the inside of the box lid. The font is also stylized in the word "Professional" (take note of the S). The 3/4" Gouge has the heritage style logo. However, the 1" Skew also has the heritage style sticker, but the stamping font is different. Lastly, the chisels with the oval sticker all have a font similar to the 1" Skew. All the chisels are stamped "BP U.S.A".

As for the badge on the box: I saw a lathe for sale on FBMP that has the same badge (shape and color scheme).

I picked this set up for $65 and it doesn't look like its ever been used. The chisels are factory sharp and there is no sign that any have been resharpened. There is crazing on the handles and any wear seems to be from being jostled around in the box. The faux leather has some heavy wear in places, but the box did its job and protected the chisels inside.

*There are sets on eBay, in the same style box with the reddish brown handles. The handles (not the blades) are marked "Professional", but look shorter than my handles. Also, some of the boxes with these chisels are labeled "Professional" (Like my box below). These sets all have the final heritage badge and stickers and the boxes are wrapped in faux leather.

 

[MZC2]

Lathe Chisels in 1930s Sears catalogs
(pre-Craftsman)

*The search is limited to on-line resources.

1930 Sears Spring Summer catalog:
Included among the components for the complete workshop system were 2 Chisels (1/2" & 3/4"). There is no indication what type of chisel they were and no manufacturer is listed.


1931 Sears Power Tools catalog:
Five chisels were offered and their sizes were listed.


1932 Sears Power Tools catalog:
Seven chisels were offered. Three of the chisels (1" Gouge, 1/2" Skew & 1/4" Speer Point) were listed as "Heavy duty".


1932 Sears Winter catalog (pg. 916-17)
Lathe chisels were included as part of three complete Driver lathe sets. Two sets each came with 2 chisels and one set came with 3 "crucible steel turning chisels".


(1933 was the first appearance of Craftsman lathe chisels in Sears catalogs.)

 

[MZC2]

Craftsman Lathe Chisels, 1930s

1933-1939: 8-inch Handles, with 4-inch blades
During this period Craftsman (CM) lathe chisels were only sold individually; there was no option to buy a full set. Every ad listed the handle and blade length (8" & 4" respectively). There were 8 chisels listed each year and the size and type remained constant. (See the pics below for types and sizes.)

From 1933-37, the Power Tools (PT) catalogs all show the chisels as having the long-C CM brand on the blades. I do not know if the chisels were actually branded in this way or if it was just artistic license taken by the graphic artist.

Handle Style: From 1933-35 the PT catalogs all show 3 V-grooves cut into the handles. The 1936 PT cat. shows 2 narrow beads on the handle. The 1937 PT cat. only shows part of the handle and any grooves or beading, if present, can't be seen. Beginning in 1938 the handles are shown with no v-grooves or beads and this style of handle would continue until at least 1960. The 1938 PT cat. shows the handles plain, with no markings but the 1939 PT cat. shows the handles with the long-C CM brand.

Again, I don't know if the appearance in the catalogs matches the actual tools or if its a case of artistic license. If you have examples of any of these chisels then please add them to this thread! Don't forget to include the length of the handles & blades.

 

[MZC2]

Craftsman Lathe Chisels, 1940-60: Overview and Differentiation
10"-Handle vs 8"-Handle Chisels; Box Sets; Carbide Tip Chisels

As the title says, this is going to be an overview of the lathe chisel offerings by CM over two decades. During this period the lathe chisel offerings changed very little. The purpose is to allow the reader to determine which section pertains to their chisels and chisel sets, as opposed to having to read everything.

The information in this post comes mostly from Sears & Craftsman catalogs as well as measurements from a small number of other sources.


Professional Turning Chisels, 10" Handles OR Greater than 16 5/8" Total Length
The Profession turning chisels first appeared in the 1940 CM Power Tools catalog. There were eight chisels available and they could be purchased individually or as a set in a "heavy wood box". The handles were natural maple. Vanadium was also added to the steel. These chisels were later referred to as "Heavy Duty Chisels" in catalogs.

1942-49: The catalogs list the handles as 10" long with an average overall length of 16 3/4"
1940 & 1941: The catalogs do not include the handle length for these chisels. However, their average overall length was *17½". *Chisels with an overall length greater than 17" will be discussed in the Profession Chisels (10" handle) post.

If you have natural maple handles then you have a Professional set. (Photo below)

Go to Profession Chisels, 10" Handles section. (*** LINK *** to be inserted)


8"-Handle Turning Chisels
From 1933-39 all CM lathe chisels had 8"-Handles. CM did not include an average overall length for these chisels.

Beginning in 1940, the catalogs list the chisels as having 8" handles with 4" blades. They are described as having an average overall length of 13". (I know, the math doesn't work, but CM was consistent with this description.) In every ad in which the chisels appear, the ferrules are all even in the box, meaning the handles were all the same length. Measurements obtained from people who own these chisels confirmed the handles are 8" long. The handles were reddish-brown and may be marked "Craftsman Professional". (see pic below)

In 1951, CM began offering 5-chisel sets. These were comprised of 8"-handle chisels. (photo below)

Go to 8"-Handle Chisels section. (*** LINK *** to be inserted)


Carbide-Tipped Turning Chisels:
First appearance was in the 1954 CM Power Tools catalog. They are described as having 4" blades with an average length of 13". The description doesn't mention a box but the picture in the catalogs shows a box. After 1955 these were the only chisels offered as a set. These chisels were offered until at least 1960.


Box Sets, Box Dimensions:
The boxes may or may not be wrapped in artificial leather or fabric. Boxes also may be painted blue. Boxes only had a handle in the inaugural year, 1940.

• Eight Chisel Professional set, with 10"-handles: 2" x 12" x 18"
• Eight Chisel Professional set, with an average overall length of 17½ long: Unknown
• Eight Chisel Standard set, with 8"-handles: 2" x 12" x 14"
• Five Chisel Standard set, with 8"-handles: Unknown (Please, somebody add measurements to this thread!)
• Four Chisel Carbide-Tip set, 4" blades with overall average length of 13" (No handle size given and no description of the box.)

Go to Profession Chisels, 10" Handles section. (*** LINK *** to be inserted)
Go to 8"-Handle Chisels section. (*** LINK *** to be inserted)

 

[airfare24]

Does anybody know what year the Lathe Chisels - 9 28501 were made?