For thousands of years, chisels have been essential tools in woodworking. These metal hand tools come with either a straight or beveled edge, and their main functions are to eliminate excess wood, produce intricate wood joints, and carve distinctive designs. In order to create high-quality furniture, it is crucial for professional woodworkers to possess a reliable pair of wood chisels.
However, it is important to note that investing in the wrong type of chisels for the task or opting for a lower-quality product would be a futile expense. Therefore, we conducted practical tests on various models to determine the finest wood chisels available in the market.
Top Chisel Set Brands
1. Narex 853053 Set Of 6
With their consistent reliability, Narex, a cherished chisel maker among woodworkers globally, produces their premium chisels at a unit owned by the company in the Czech Republic.
These chisels can be easily compared to the Stanleys as they are highly recommended by many users, even over the Irwin Marples which are also well-regarded in the woodworking community. Additionally, the set is conveniently packaged in a wooden box.
Narex has gained a reputation for producing consistently good chisels year after year, despite being reasonably priced. These chisels are known to have a long lifespan and withstand frequent resharpening.
The steel used in this set is of good quality and showcases the brand’s signature performance. The fact that this set belongs to the lower end of their products reveals their commitment to providing reliable chisels.
Overall, these are good mid-level chisels that will need some tuning and working before one can use them for fine work. They will cut softwood out of the box but that’s about it. However, they can be sharpened and flattened easily and retain their edge well enough.
In terms of pricing and selection, there is little to criticize about this set, except for the edges, which require some improvement before use. However, it should be noted that most chisels require initial work before they can be used. Overall, this set serves as excellent tools for beginners and can have a long lifespan if used correctly.
When it comes to starter sets or second sets, these are perfect in terms of their price. However, you should be ready to invest a significant amount of time in flattening and sharpening them before being able to use them effectively.
If you are willing to invest effort, you will receive satisfactory outcomes, with the exception of limited areas where the thickness may impede progress. The sharpening stone may not be optimal, but the guide is sufficiently functional and consistently recommended for sharpening purposes.
When purchasing hand tools, the quality of the tools is directly proportional to their price. This set of tools is of exceptional quality and is offered at a reasonable price. Although it is not the most expensive option available, it is positioned towards the higher end of the price range. The chisels, made of hardened steel, are not easy to sharpen, but this is the compromise that allows them to maintain their sharpness for a longer period of time.
For those in search of a high-quality set that will endure a lifetime of usage before being passed down, this option is exceptional.
6. REXBETI 10-pc Premium Wood Chisel Set
This set is perfect for beginners and is great for doing basic home repairs or starting your first woodworking project. Included in the set are two carpenter pencils, a carrying box, a sharpening stone, a honing guide, and six chisels with sizes ranging from 14 inches to 112 inches.
The quality of the six chisels is deemed acceptable, and their size range is adequate, spanning from 6 mm (suitable for accessing narrow spaces, like when creating a tenon) to 30 mm (perfect for tasks such as smoothing the surface of the tenon’s edge).
The blades made of vanadium steel are sharpened at the factory, but we cannot say that they were honed exceptionally well as we discovered a burr on the edge. Luckily, the sharpening stone provided has two different grits – one coarse and one finer – to enhance sharpness.
The chisels’ rubber grip provides comfort when using them by hand, particularly for sturdy carpentry tasks like constructing a shed in the backyard. To enhance durability against repetitive malleting, the toughened plastic handles are equipped with metal striking caps. Additionally, each chisel features a metal striking plate on its underside, indicating their ability to endure strikes from a metallic hammer.
7. Hurricane 4-pc Wood Chisel Set Cr-V Construction
This Hurricane four-piece set is suitable for craftspersons with a limited budget. The durable vanadium steel blades are sharp and heat-treated in sizes ranging from 1/4 inch to 1 inch. Surprisingly, the chisels stay sharp from the moment they are unpackaged. Moreover, the blades have a layer of lacquer that acts as lubrication and preservation.
Despite being a little short, the mallets still fit comfortably in the hand during paring, causing no cracks to the impact-resistant toughened plastic used for the handle, even after a few hits to the hand during use.
It is intended for the nail bag to be used for carrying this chisel set, even though there is no storage case. While not in use, the chisels have four plastic safety caps to protect the blades, but the set does not include a sharpening tool. Considering the very affordable price, these limitations should not be unexpected.
8. GREBSTK Professional Wood Chisel Tool Set
For those ready to attempt fine woodworking, this set of chisels can serve as an excellent starting point. It includes four sizes (1/4 inch, 12 inches, 34 inches, and 1 inch), which may seem small but are suitable for paring tasks. Additionally, each chisel is individually packaged and equipped with a guard, and they are all provided with a zippered carrying bag for protection.
The blade edges of chrome vanadium steel (Cr-V) have a decent polish with a micro-bevel, being highly sharp and lightly lubricated.
By maintaining a balance between the weight of the blade and a lightweight beechwood handle as well as a stainless steel hoop, the chisels achieve an ideal combination of strength and comfort. Despite not being the most durable tools available, this set is still a great value and an excellent choice for those new to the trade.
Buying A Chisel Set: Key Considerations
Chisels Are Like Pencils
Sharpening a chisel is akin to sharpening a pencil, gradually making it shorter but always maintaining its sharpness. By using a reliable honing guide along with a sharpening stone or diamond plate, one can easily achieve an edge that is sharp to slice through the hard end grain of a solid oak beam. This procedure can be repeated numerous times over many years.
When initially purchased, the majority of chisels do not have a sharp edge and are not of great value. It is necessary to sharpen and flatten almost all brands of chisels before they can be utilized. However, there are a few high-end chisels that are exempt from this requirement.
Things To Consider
When considering investing in a modern chisel, there are a few important points to be considered due to the significant advancements in chisels since ancient times.
- Bevel – A good chisel has a clean bevel right down to the base. Not all chisels have bevels necessarily. We will discuss that in a bit.
- Steel Quality – Too hard and it will be a nightmare to sharpen, too soft and it will blunt easily. So it depends on how hard you want to drive it.
- Handle – Tang chisels have a ferrule that goes into the handle, making it more likely to split. Socket chisels are where the handle goes into a socket, making it less likely to fracture but does lose some power in transmission.
- Size – If you are used to the imperial system and your chisels are in metric, there will be a problem. So this is more of a personal preference thing.
Please rephrase the following text while keeping the same meaning, without adding or removing any information: Side notes
When considering a woodworker’s craft, a chisel is deemed as the most optimal tool. Chisels are typically one of the initial tools bestowed upon a woodworker, although an alternative option such as a saw could potentially be more preferable. These versatile hand tools are commonly located on workbenches or kept hidden in the aprons of carpenters or woodworkers.
