I am considering buying some quality chisels. I am willing to spend some money on quality tools but do not want to over buy a larger set then what is really needed.
Please tell me your preferences on manufacturers, sizes, and sets.
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Replies
I love my Lie Nielsen bench chisels (1/4”, 3/8”, 5/8” and 1”). They feel great and work really well. I got a veritas pm-v11 (1/2”) during one their factory seconds sales but much prefer the Lie Nielsen. Just more comfortable to me.
I’ve been seeing ads for Blue Spruce Toolworks new line of chisels. I’d be curious to try one, but won’t spend $100 to satisfy curiosity, esp since I know the LN suit me well.
Narex gets good reviews and usually shows up as “best value” chisels. You might consider them if you’re looking for something high quality but a notch below premium.
Good luck!
Most of the time I use the same 3 chisels. 1/2 or 3/4 (usually they are interchangeable for me and I just grab the sharper one) in is probably used the most, 1 or 1 1/2 is next and 1/8 gets used for detail work. The way you work might be different.
Of the chisels I have only the 1/8 is something I'd call higher quality, it is a Japanese chisel.
I have a pretty complete set of lower quality chisels (Irwin or Stanley) and they serve me ok. I probably will not upgrade the whole set and focus on upgrades for the 3 I most use and let the cheep ones serve when I NEED a specific size.
I have a set of Record Marples that are serving me well.
I have the set from 1 1/4 - 1/4" and I pretty much use them all depending upon the size of my dovetails.
I recently bought a 1/6" 2 cherries chisel for cleaning up corners and such.
I simply flattened the backs (not mirrored, but flat) and I keep them as sharp as I can with my waterstones.
I would suggest buying a small assortment, maybe 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" or 1 and maybe a larger 1 1/2" or 2". The Narex are a good place to start, from everything I've read or seen.
I bought the 8 chisel set from Narex about 5 years ago. Just finished a day and a half cutting dovetails for a cellarette with them. They sharpen well and hold that edge well; on a project like this, I stop midway through and strop them to bring them back. I sharpen to 3000 grit and strop, and they are amazing. I rarely use the 26 and 34mm. I like the handles better than any other chisels I have used.
Amazingly, this time I only ended up with 2 small cuts and no blood on the mahogany.
I keep a set of 4 Irwins for rougher work, plus a set of junkers from HD for really rough stuff. There are also Narex and Japanese mortisers.
Thus, I might be a bit of a chisel junkie.
I got a buddy who calls me Johnny Nine Fingers (there's always nicks, cuts, burns, blisters...). LOL
Luckily, all ten are still firmly in place.... So far!
I inherited chisels from several generations before me... And I can't throw anything like that out! I would wager I own 50 or 60 chisels? My wife purchased a big (mixed) set of used Japanese chisels for me for Christmas last year... I probably use them 90% of the time. But, I also have a few antique chisels, including a couple of nice Fulton pairing style chisels that I really love.
I have a number of older Buck Brothers, Craftsman, Kobalts, etc that I use a for the rough work.
Then, there are a pile of chisels I am just not so sure are worth even sharpening back up... LOL. I really need to go through a couple of boxes of old tools!
Sadly, I still eye new chisels...
For dovetailing and mortising, the chisels I use most are 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2. Trying to pound a chisel wider than 1/2 deep into wood is more effort than a narrower tool. I love the Lie Nielsens. 60 seconds of polishing and they are ready to use, they are a perfect weight and balance, and hold an edge incredibly well. And they are made in the US.
My next chisel would be a vintage 1-1/4 or 1-1/2, a longer and thinner chisel, meant to be pushed and not pounded.
Those 4 chisels do 90 percent of my chisel work.
I own the complete set of Veritas VM-11s and have used every one. I never knew how handy an ⅛" chisel would be until I owned one and now would not be without one. I seldom feel the need for anything wider than an inch but that can depend on the type of work you do and your own working style. Don't forget to allow for savings often given when you buy sets versus individual chisels
PS. While I love my VM11s I can say the set of Narex Richters I bought my son are nearly their equal for a fraction of the cost.
Over about a year I assembled a set of Stanley #40s from the 1920s. I bought one at a garage sale and loved the feel so I put the time in. Currently working on a set of 720s for paring.
I have a set of 7 Narex Richters purchased about 6 mo ago. It's a little bit of a mixed bag. I very much like the handling and feel of them - all though they are little "flexy" - maybe because there is almost no land. One had a very noticeable defect indentation in the side - a "machine/manufacturing crimp". Returned it, and the replacement had the same only less - so I kept it. The 1-1/2" had a really large oval bulge just behind the edge which took about a half a day to fully remove and finish the polish. That was a royal PITA. One ferrule had to be glued that was loose. I think they're a bit of a "shiny penny" - made to "look so good" at such an attractive price - but buyer beware. They are not to the level of L-N or the antique set of Marples Boxwood handled chisels that I first started using years ago. That said I will keep using them.
The most important thing for chisels is having a good sharpening system, that's what makes the difference.
Bingo. A fancy and super expensive LN or Veritas chisel means nothing if you do not know how to sharpen it.
I have a set of Pfeil chisels that work very well indeed. They are metric not imperial. I believe that will be true of the Narex chisels others have mentioned. My original Irwin Marples (the blue handled ones) are imperial, so if I need exactly, for example, a 1/4 inch chisel I have one. Otherwise, 6 mm is going to get you close.
I have a couple of Narex chisels that are imperial sizes not metric. I like them better than the Pfeils I have and they seem to hold an edge better than the Pfeils that I have.
I received a full set of 1/4" to 2" Narex bevel edge chisels 2 years ago. I was happy with my old refurbished chisels so they sat unsharpened until a few weeks ago. To my dismay the 2" chisel had a visible groove about 1/8" from the tip on the back side. This took a great deal of lapping starting with 120 grit paper on glass. As I proceeded to lap the backs of the remaining chisels all had a hollow in the back that took a great deal of lapping - 150, 220, 320, 400, 600. It was only after several afternoons of working with paper on glass that I was able to go to my water stones - 1000, 4000, 8000. Be sure to dry and wax or oil asap as they flash rust on the edge areas that didn't receive the mirror polish finish. All that being said they are now razor sharp and appear to hold their edge well. They are comfortable to use and they won't roll off the bench as they have flats on the handle.
What type of work you do will determine what chisels you use most.
If this is your first set of "all around usage" type of chisel, I would suggest to set a budget and get a small set (maybe 5) of the most common sizes as other have mentioned.There are so many different types of chisels it's hard to tell someone what they should buy, it is a bit of trial and error. Even quality chisels have their detractors.
I started with some budget Narex and then picked up a Lie Nielsen bench chisel and a Veritas bench in PMV-11. I no longer use the Narexes since the handles do not fit my hand well. I have since picked up a few more Lie Nielsen since I feel they are almost a perfect fit for me. The Veritas is also well used, but being significantly more expensive I decided to stick with Lie Nielsens. Someday I'll fill out the full set.
I would suggest you not do what I did. I bought a 4 piece set set of Hirsch chisels plus 3 more to fill in "gaps". (I had some good cash flow back then) So now I have 7 piece set that I don't use much. I also have a drawer full of odds and ends that I've somehow acquired. Buy a basic set of good chisels, and fill in later if you have a need.
Hi @user-7690045 - my first recommendation is to buy individual chisels rather than a set - as you will find you use certain sizes, far more than others. If you’re dovetailing, you’ll need a 1/8 and maybe a 3/8 or something like that and you probably always need 1 larger size for it’s flat back - maybe a 3/4 or so.
If you’re building larger joinery, you’ll need 1 even larger one.
I have a few different ones, all the best quality brands and I love the Japanese ones the most. The next consideration is sharpening - how good are you at that so far? PMV-11 from Veritas is easy to sharpen and holds the edge longer than my A2 chisels so I do also love those.
All the best! Layne
I second the Pfeil chisels. I have a set of 4 Pfeil butt chisels and I tend to reach for them more than any others. Only caution for whatever you buy is that most are manufactured to metric standards and sold as imperial. They are not exact on the widths. A little is lost in translation.
No matter the size and quality of the chisel, being sharp is most important. Depending on how much you are going to use them and the type of wood you will work with, inexpensive chisels can serve you well. But you will learn as time goes by that the more expensive chisels ,LN for instance will last longer between sharpening. However no matter which direction you take get yourself a couple of “Beater” chisels. Ones you don’t care if you damage them. I find myself reaching for that beater chisel a lot. Having worked with most of the chisels out there I learned the most important is not the chisel but how sharp they are. Don’t be afraid to spend on a good sharpening system. It will make all the difference. Good luck.
Just watched a new video from Lee Valley on chisels. Check it out. It gives a lot of pointers on questions regarding chisels, their use and selection. Obviously it's biased towards Lee Valley but the points are relevant to chisel selection.
https://youtu.be/GKAOO9UnPSg
Agree with Bob. I have and use 3 sets, each for a different level of work. The old set of 4 Craftsman I've had for 30 years gets the crude, rough stuff where I might damage a better chisel.
Then the 4 Marples for the less critical work.
For the critical work I use a set of 8 of Narex's better chisels, augmented with one of their heavy mortisers. I keep these razor sharp and take great care not to damage the edges. Very happy with these.
A couple of Stanley 740's and a Japanese mortiser also get some use.
I suppose I spend too much time deciding which 'grade' to use for a particular purpose. I also spend a lot of time sharpening when I'm on a project that requires a lot of chisel work or plane work - in my opinion, sharpening is th emost important component.
I have three vintage chisels made in Germany and Switzerland that I picked up from a garage sale for $5. I flattened the backs and I always keep them sharp and well loved. The sizes are 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4". You really do not need more than that and, although really nice, the high end Veritas and Lie Nielsen chisels are a waste of money in my opinion. Although I would love to have them if someone were offering...
I highly recommend that you do not waste your money on a full set of chisels.
I have used a lot of different chisels over the years from marples to veritas. the IBC brand are very good. but I prefer the veritas pvm-11. these chisels hold an edge better than all the rest. the narex have been the biggest disappointment. after squaring up 1 through mortise with narex chisel (red oak) it was very dull and started to curl the sharp end ever so slightly. I prefer the pvm-11 butt chisel for fine work(easier to balance). buy just 1 of these and give it a try before you purchase a whole set. just a reminder... you get what you pay for!
Narex offers at least 3 lines of chisels and they are clearly of different qualities, but many posters here fail to differentiate between them. I purchased a set of Richters for my son after reading many reviews for them and must say I was impressed. They came in beautiful condition with flat backs, I don't say that lightly, and ready to go with very little prep. Once sharpened they hold an edge nearly as long as my Veritas VM-11s. The Narex mid grade chisel line, for years earned many best buy awards in head to head comparisons, but will require significantly more prep work to reach their capabilities and the edge won't last as long but gives reasonable service given the price. The low end Narex well as you said you get what you pay for and this sounds like what you may have purchased.
I assume the Narex chisels I was gifted were their mid grade offering. They were from Lee Valley and are what they call their Classic Bevel Edge Chisel - made to Lee Valley's specifications. I wouldn't imagine Lee Valley would sell an inferior product. As I stated above, they required a lot of prep work and so far I've only been working with Ash, but they seem to preform well. Now that I have used them more they are not as comfortable as my old Stanleys. The ferrule and knob on top are sometimes bothersome for me.
I can speak for the "premium" or middle grade line (they have larger round handles with no hoops, and lower side bevel heights). The chisels MikeH3 is talking about are the lowest tier Narex.
He is correct they take a little work to get the backs flat, but its a one time chore. My impression is edge retention is not real great. My old blue handled Irwin Marples seem to have as good or better edge retention.
I watched Cosman's review of Richter vs. Woodcraft. Useful even though he is biased toward Woodcraft.
If I had to do over and wanted one set of chisels, I would go with the Lie Nielsens and be done with it.
I have a complete set of Veritas PMV-11 chisels. I love them. They are comfortable (for me) hold a keen sharp edge that lasts.
I am also a big fan of the Narex Richter chisels. Almost as nice as the Veritas, but at a substancially lower cost. These days the challenge is finding them in stock!
From the packaging to the contents of the kit itself, the VonHaus 6 pc Craftsman Woodworking Wood Chisel Set offers up quality and class. And I really like the packaging and very comfortable.
My entire shop is in storage, including chisels, so when I decided to make a small workbench and start doing some hand work I needed to get some chisels. My Christmas presents from my family were Narex chisels, because of the value and I liked the ones I had used previously. I have both the basic set (6mm. 12mm, 20mm, 26mm), the Premium (3mm, 8mm) and a set of the mortise chisels (9mm, 10mm, 12mm). They did require some work to flatten and sharpen but now they all have mirror like backs and edges, and I find them easy to work with.
In storage I have a set of chisels from my late Dad. They are from the 1960's, from Japan, and the brand was Olympia. I needed to fill out the set and found the Lee Valley Bevel Edge chisels, which are virtually identical. The only difference I can see is the name on the handle.
I have four chisels I keep at my bench and use regularly 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", 1". Seems to be enough for me. At times I wish I had a 3/8" but not so much that I've done anything about it. I could argue that having both a 3/4" and 1" are redundant and I could get by with either of these two.
Since I made this initial post, I bought the 3/8" chisel. I find it very handy size for dovetail work. As such, if I were going to get a really minimal set, I would get 1/4", 3/8", and 3/4". I find I reach more for my 3/4" chisel than my 1" chisel. I have others sizes but really the three sizes I use the most are 1/4", 3/8", and 3/4". As for the brand, there are lots of options to choose from and good reviews out there. I wouldn't stress trying to find the "best". If you get one that is rated as "good" you will be happy I'm sure.
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I have an eclectic pile of old chisels. Some cheap box store and some a but finer inherited from my grandfather. All see use.
I find that they all need a touch on a stone after a project, but it suits my style to have a lot of choices in size and a lot of chisels. This means if one is not cutting well I will grab the nearest equivalent off the rack and put the old one in the 'to be sharpened when I get round to it' pile. Every now and then I will have a happy hour sharpening. Can be therapeutic when it is not getting in the way of doing other things.
I just bought a set of Ashley Ilses and they were razor sharp out of the box. I literally was able to shave my arm smooth right from the packaging. They look and feel great. I couldn’t recommend more.
No matter what you buy, you'll have to sharpen them sooner rather than later if you actually use them.
If you have a sharpening philosophy, and a system, that prioritizes woodworking and not tool-tuning-as-a-hobby, then within reason you can use any decent chisel and not be hamstrung in any way. You don't have to spend a fortune.
If your personality runs to blaming edges that won't last forever for your inability to complete a woodworking project, or for some kind of imagined "inefficiency" then by all means spend generously to remove the temptation.
I have 4 sets of chisels, a Stanley beater set, a vintage set of Marples Blue Chips, (my go to, hangs on the wall in arms reach), a vintage set of Japanese Damascus, bought years ago when they were reasonable for dove tails and furniture work and a boxed set of 10 Boxwood Freud, honed at 17 degrees for soft woods.
The Marples are semi beaters, I keep rust free and well honed. Have had them for over 40 years starting with a new set of 5 and filling out a set of 10 and picking up spares at flea markets when they were cheap, $2-5 each.
You cannot beat the old Sheffield Marples Blue Chip chisels, the blue plastic handles are comfortable, indestructible and clean up nicely with a bit of sanding. The old Sheffield steel hones easily and holds and edge reasonably well.
You can still buy a 4or 5 piece set in near NOS condition for around $100 and beater sets for $50 or less on eBay.
Starter sets ¼,1/2, ¾, and 1inch. The 5 piece includes 3/8. That is all you need for a starter. You can add as needed for $10-25 each. I use my 1 and ½ inch most. A 2 inch is handy, mine an old Sheffield, I think 1.5 in was the widest Blue Chip.
I could live with just the Marples Blue chip. If starting out again, I would buy vintage Marples Blue chip, they are still a great value.
Learning to sharpen is part of woodworking, if you can’t sharpen, which chisels you buy does not matter. Hone on Diamonds, finish on 8-16k water stone and strop on CBN, Diamonds or any good Metal Polish on leather.
Ok.... Firing squad: to your positions.... Y'all are either going to hang me or shoot me but,
The best set of chisels I've come across are actually the wood handled Windsor Design chisels from Harbor Freight. https://www.harborfreight.com/wood-chisel-set-6-pc-56364.html
Go ahead and say what you want about how real craftsmen would never settle for a 6pc set of anything for $10 because they must be absolute trash. You're wrong!
They might take a bit of work to set up straight out of the box (mine didn't take much at all) but, they hold their edge, they're fairly easy to sharpen and hone, and the sizes are very versatile. Never discount anything just because of the price or because "Harbor Freight"... These chisels are, by far, a hidden gem from the most unexpected source. (Plus, I can always replace them for $10 should anything happen to them.)
I believe you. I've found a few things at HF that I think are good quality. I've heard the same about the chisel set that shows up at Aldi every now and then.
I have some tar in the garage, Amazon will deliver the feathers Tuesday.
I have some old stanley's from when they were the best I could afford. They work fine, will take a decent edge and served me well for many years. They are still my beater set for rough work. I also have Lie Nielsen and love them. They are far superior IMO in all ways as far as comfort and edge retention. I think they will also take a keener edge. Both will get the job done. The Lie Nielsen required almost no tuning, the Stanley required a fair amount.
I have two sets of Narex, the budget and the Richters. There is a world of difference. The Richters are thin and perfect for dovetails. They came with flat backs and they hold edges. They are fine bevel edge chisels, built for fine dovetail work, not for pounding out mortises. I have a set of L-N mortise chisels for that. The budget Narex are good budget models, but not the best for dovetails. I also like my Sorby butt chisels. Starting out, I'd buy a 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or 5/8 and a 3/4. Either Narex Richter or, if you've got the change in your jeans, L-Ns.
I have both sets, too. I liked the first Narex style but not as much as the Richters.
I like my Narex Richters, but sometimes I just grab an old putty knife that I keep sharpened to a razor's edge. Short, light, and not used enough to fret about the steel composition.
I'm curious about the idea of lapping chisels to make ovals on the backs disappear. If the oval doesn't extend to the cutting edge -- I've never seen such a thing -- what difference does the oval make? Sounds like compulsive lapping to me. The only thing that matters on a chisel blade is the edge. BTW, I'm not compulsive about ovals but I am compulsive about chisels. In bench chisels I have sets of Narex, Richter, Sorby and L-N. Then there are the mortise and paring sets. Keep them sharp and they all work well. "Sharpening" a chisel should be limited to an 8k grit stone and leather strop. Anything more just says you aren't sharpening often enough or you dropped it on a concrete floor, edge first.
I have used Frank Mittermeier for carving gouges and have had much success.
Mary May for sharping.
https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-shop-carving-away-mary-may/
https://www.marymaycarving.com/carvingschool/
Here is a little project we did back in the 90's
I have a set of Stanley sweethearts, current version. They are good chisels and narrow for tight joints but they aren’t really for pounding and the handles slip out from time to time, which can be irritating in the middle of a joint.
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