The oxovanadium(IV), Cr(III), Ni(II), Co(II), and Cu(II) chelates of some bisketimino Schiff-base ligands (H2L) obtained by condensation of 4-butyryl-3-methyl-1-phenyl-(or-1,3-diphenyl)-2-pyrazolin-5-ones with thiourea were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses and thermogravimetric analyses, molar conductivities, magnetic susceptibility measurements, mass, infrared, and electronic spectroscopies. Ligand field parameters, such as splitting energy, Racah parameter, spin-orbit coupling constant, and covalency parameter of the Cr(III), Ni(II), and Co(II) chelates were calculated by band-fitting methods. Based on these studies, tetragonally distorted octahedral environment around OV(IV) and Cu(II) and octahedral Cr(III), Ni(II), and Co(II) have been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]