# A step up from my no-name chisels



## Sailor (Jun 17, 2009)

I can't tell you much about chisels, I am still using my "Lowe's" chisels, both of them. On the sparpening side of it, I got myself a Worksharp 3000 and it makes really quick work of sharpening them. Your definately not sharpening more than you are using them. Good review though, I am in the market for a set of chisels that are a step up from the big box ones.


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## Rileysdad (Jun 4, 2009)

Here's what I know about chisels. There are 2 differences between good chisels and not so good chisels: 1) the quality of the machining and 2) the durability of the steel. You can usually get a cheaper chisel into the right shape if you're willing to spend 20 minutes with it. If the steel is soft, you'll have to sharpen it more often.

If you work with hand tools, sharpening is part of the deal. Get a system that works for you and set up a dedicated sharpening station. When a tool dulls, take a couple of minutes to hone it.

I use the Lie Nielsen sharpening system. 2 waterstones and a jig. Check it out on You Tube.


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## eruby (Oct 21, 2010)

I have a set of their bench chisels. Mine needed a lot of attention before I considered them "sharp" The biggest problem was the amount of work it took to flatten the back of the chisels, they all had a convex grind on the back. I gave up trying to do this by hand and got a WS3000 and a bunch of the lower grit sandpaper 80 or 100grit. It still took a while but at least I only had to do that once. The bevels don't take nearly as long to sharpen and hone.


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Regarding the length, these are Butt chisels, so by definition they are meant to be short. Shorter than standard bench chisels anyway.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm with eruby. I've got bigbox store cheap chisels that I bang away on & fine quality chisels that I pare with. Both requried serious attention on the backs. Luckily, you only have to do a major flatenning once but it can be a chore. I've found that once they're sharpened, it only takes a few passes on some high grit paper & a quick pass on the strop to get them back into action. I'm kind of a chisel snob but to be honest, I use cheap chisels more than I do expensive ones. These should serve you well. For a deep mortise chisel, however, you'll probably want to step it up a bit. I've scored some wonderful ones on Ebay before on the cheap.


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## lanwater (May 14, 2010)

I got woodriver 8 pack chisels few months ago and they were almost useable out of the box.
Worksharp 3000 did the trick.


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## RandyMorter (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks - that worksharp looks cool, but it seems pricey for what it is. I suppose it's worth it if you can't sharpen things on your own (like me) but I'll have to at least wait until I get a drill press!

Rileysdad - is this the Lie Nielsen system use?

swirt - thanks for the info. I wasn't aware of the differences (as you can tell!). If you don't mind, why would you use one type over the other (or, can you point me to a good online reference on chisels?)


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

I have this set and am very happy. They are designed for paring. using them to trim and shave, not to chop mortises, stc. That's why they are short and the handles are rounded. They are great for that type of work, and while there are better ones out there- there's nothing nearly as good for this price!


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## cliffton (Dec 18, 2009)

I don't have these but I have a Narex set, so they are a "cheap" brand and after a bit of time with the diamond paste they cut everything I can throw at them with minimal effort. Oh and using a rubber mallet is a bad idea, It absorbs allot of the energy in your swing, the two best mallets I have found so far are a "plastic" mallet, I don't know what it is but its a very hard dead blow mallet. and the other is a rawhide mallet, both work fantastic for chiseling.


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## rob2 (Nov 27, 2007)

Get a round urethane mallet or a wooden one or as cliffton says a rawhide. The rubber mallet is borderline dangerous. But don't use the mallet on these. Jim is exactly right, they are Butt Chisels for hand paring and dared handy. Get em really sharp and they will serve you well. Consider the narex (highland woodworking) for bench chisels. they are an amazing buy. Decent quality set for $60.


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

A while back one of the blogs that I read posted a really nice comparison of the chisel types, but I can't find it again. Wikipedia has a bit, but it is not great
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisel

As Jim mentioned, Butt chisels are generally shorter both in handle and in steel. Usually they are bevel edged (for dovetailing) and are generally intended for use by hand only, or with only relatively light mallet taps. There are of course exceptions. Many modern butt chisels have metal striking caps on the end of the handle so they can still be whacked pretty good. The old Stanley Everlasts were butt chisels with metal striking surface and through tangs that made them very durable for mallet use even though there wasn't much room to place your hand.

If your bench is high, butt chisels can make chiseling more comfortable.


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## Vintagetoni (Jan 10, 2011)

Google 'scary sharp' for a way to sharpen fairly easily without buying a bunch of stones, etc.


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## RandyMorter (Jan 13, 2011)

Wow - great information. I thank all of you!

I'll look into getting the narex. I've also read about the marples and others. It seems like everyone has different opinions! The bottom line seems to be that learning to sharpen them properly makes any of the decent sets a valuable tool.

Thanks for setting me straight on not using a mallet on this set, and for the mallet I'm using.

What about the wood mallets I see ( Carpenter's Mallet )? I think the round ones would be hard to use for me due to the accuracy I think that would be necessary. Am I wrong - do the round ones require some practice or does the material help if you don't strike it dead center?


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

The round mallets can actually be easier to use for light chiseling. The roundness makes it easier to connect solidly. They are probably used more often by carvers than joiners. A traditional wooden mallet can drive them harder for heavier chopping but must be hit more accurately to keep the mallet from giving a glancing blow and tipping the chisel.

Making a traditional wooden mallet is a pretty easy shop project Visit the mallet projects here for inspiration.

I don't find rubber mallets to be as bad as some make them out to be. They are tool friendly, and inexpensive. You can get a white rubber (doesn't leave black marks all over) at the big box for around $5. There is a bit of a myth that they waste energy, but from a physics point of view, a bounce transfers more momentum than a stop (dead blow) so what they waste in heating up the rubber as it bends, often is made up for with more complete transfer. If you are doing super heavy chopping …like in timber framing, the bounce may become a bit of a hazard, but for most applications they can do fine until you make your own.


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## RandyMorter (Jan 13, 2011)

swirt -

Great info - thanks!

I don't know why I didn't even consider making a wooden mallet. Duh!

I probably have what you're talking about - it's a white rubber of some sort. I don't use it very hard anyway, just creating mortises for very small hinges on jewelry boxes so far, and no plans for anything heavier duty.

I guess my next thing to do is to get a set of bench chisels. It seems like there's always something to spend money on! Just like my other hobby - playing guitar and recording songs!


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Honestly, unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket, use what you've got. Use them for as much as you can, until you start doing things that they really don't do well, then look for bench chisels or whatever. The point being that by that time you will probably have a much better idea of what you want/need than you do now. If most of what you are going is creating small hinge mortises, then you probably have the perfect set of chisels for that job sitting in front of you already.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Really it's all about getting the edge sharp. A truly sharp tool will glide through the work. A good quality chisel will not get a rolled edge from a couple of 1/6" mortices; even in purpleheart. Maybe the chisel got up against another tool or something. It's easy to happen.


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## PhillNLeBlanc (Oct 1, 2017)

time to stop dropping names and start shaping wood. This chisel came to me in a bucket of beaters that the garage-sale seller "threw in" to clinch the deal: 









it was in pretty bad shape-rusty - dulled and chipped - handle split in two - get the picture? I cleaned all of them up because I enjoy bringing neglected tools back to life. I own Bergs and Swans and Marples (old of course) - so I know what a good chisel feels like. And I know how to sharpen my tools. And I know what a sharp chisel feels like. So when this no-name chisel was sharp and clean and pretty:








that didn't make it any less of a "beater in a bucket of beaters" until I sliced into a 2×4 and watched a paper-thin ribbon of wood curl up like smoke from a fire. Musta played with that 2×4 and that chisel for half an hour - slicing across grain, chamfering, rocking through an internal knot, beveling end grain (you know what I'm talking about!) 








This is a damn good chisel. If someone asks what kind it is-I'll tell them it's one of good ones - the kind that do what you expect a good chisel to do. It's not about the name, it's about the wood.


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