: With $300, I'd take a wire wheel and clean up my Marples, and then
: use water stones to sharpen them scary sharp.... And then I'd go
: buy a mortising machine. You won't be sorry if you do. Though
: after that, you will be forever inclined to do mortise and tenon
: joinery....

Well I have long been using water stones, and I am still using them for these chisels. Normally a little rust wouldn't bother me, but these rusted from tip to stern completely, and it's too much trouble to get it all off. They are the blue handled Marples and I am not real fond of the handles. As for the morticing machine, I have often thought of getting one, but I would prefer hand-morticing just for the enjoyment of the work itself, and always end up backing away from the mortice machine. Likely if one ever shows up locally I will get one, but not ready to pay to ship one here. My drill press is too cheap to support buying the add-on for it.

By the way, I am ordering some of this new spray-on diamond honing liquid at 0.25 microns. It's supposed to just be sprayed on to a lapping plate for final mirror honing- well beyond my 8,000 grit water stone and green chromium oxide charged strop. We shall see. Sharpening is kind of a hobby for me. I am sure the 0.25 micron is overkill but it will be interesting to see what happens.