Woodworking can be an all consuming hobby. You need to think about the kind of wood you are using and the tools you will need to get the best result. An essential tool is the wood chisel. This buyers guide covers the different types of chisel so that you can pick the right tool for the job.
My Top 3 Wood Chisels
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirschen 1101000 6-Piece Chisel Set in Wood Box |
$169.30
$159.01 | Buy Now | |
| VonHaus 10 pc Premium Craftsman Woodworking Wood Chisel Set with Honing Guide, Sharpening Stone and... | Buy Now | ||
| IRWIN Marples Chisel Set with Wallet, 3-Piece (1768781), Blue |
$42.36
$26.99 | Buy Now |
Knowing exactly which wood working tool to use takes experience. Knowing which wood carving tool is best is something you can learn before you start.
This is the best chisel buying guide that will give you everything you need to make the right choice when buying the best chisel for your woodworking projects.
The 7 Best Chisels For Woodworking In 2024
Check out my top picks below!
1. Kirschen 6-pc Chisel Set
This 6-pc Chisel Set by Kirschen may be quite expensive but the quality that you get more than makes up for the price. Coming in a beautiful wooden box, each of the six chisels is expertly crafted. Each chisel is made with strong, powerful German steel. Each is also equipped with a comfortable hornbeam handle.
The bevels were set and did not require sharpening. Each was polished bright and needed only a small amount of honing.
Overall, this chisel set is well worth your hard-earned dollars.
Pros:
- Comes with a durable wooden box
- Sharp and usable out of the box
- Comfortable with an ergonomic design
- Made with strong German steel
Cons:
- Quite pricey
2. VonHaus 10-pc Premium Chisel Set
The VonHaus Premium Chisel Set is the perfect choice for both beginners and experts alike. This 10-pc set comes with a wide variety of different sizes ranging between 1 x ¼” and 1 x 2”. A honing guide and an aluminum oxide sharpening stone are also included. The entire set comes in a professional-looking wooden storage box.
Each of the included chisels is well-balanced and comfortable to hold. The ergonomic handles are made with strong rubber to give you a strong level of grip. The blades, themselves, are made with high-quality steel for an expert finish.
Pros:
- Comes with a wide variety of different sizes
- Ready to use out of the box
- Each chisel in the set is well-balanced
Cons:
- Some chisels need to be sharpened before use
3. IRWIN Marples Chisel Set
The IRWIN Marples Chisel Set is an excellent choice for any woodworker looking for quality over quantity. Although this set only comes with three chisels, each of them is crafted with exceptional quality. Each also comes in different sizes and is made with strong, durable materials.
IRWIN also includes a durable folding carrying wallet. Despite being an extra addition, this wallet is crafted with the same degree of excellence as the chisels themselves.
Overall, the IRWIN Marples Chisel Set is an excellent choice for both amateurs and experts alike.
Pros:
- Comes with a folding carrying wallet
- Comes with a nice variety of sizes
- Made with quality materials
- Durable and ergonomic
Cons:
- Some chisels need to be sharpened before use
4. GREBSTK Professional Wood Chisel Tool Set
This high-quality Wood Chisel Tool Set by GREBSTK is well worth the price. Each of the chisels comes with a strong, protective safety cap. A stylish carrying bag is also included for easy storage.
Each of the chisels is made with strong steel and comes with a handle that is both comfortable and equally as durable. Some of the chisels, however, needed to be sharpened before they could be put to good use. It isn’t much of a problem as the quality makes up for it at this price point. Still, it is something to be aware of.
Pros:
- Comes with a stylish carrying bag
- Durable and made with high-grade vanadium steel
- Comes with protective safety caps for each chisel
Cons:
- Need to be sharpened before use
- Not the best choice for advanced woodworking
5. Narex 4-pc Wood Chisel Set
The Narex is a nice looking set of wood chisels. The chisel blades are made from fine-grained chrome-manganese steel that has been hardened to Rc 59. The blades include seated heavy steel tangs and are ground at a 25 degree bevel.
The European Beech handles are comfortable and ergonomically designed to easily fit in your hand. Each handle has two ferrules for mallet work.
Pros:
- Narex chisels are razor sharp and usually don’t need a mallet for smaller jobs
- European Beech handles are comfortable to hold
- Durable, sturdy with a good balance
Cons:
- Its hard not to like these chisels
6. Hurricane 4-pc Wood Chisel Set
This Hurricane 4-pc Wood Chisel Set is perfect for beginners. Each of the chisels comes in different sizes with the largest coming in at 1” wide. Each is made with drop forged chrome-vanadium steel and heat-treated for better edge retention. The handles are ergonomically designed and comfortable to hold over a long period of time.
Unfortunately, this chisel set isn’t the best choice for advanced woodworking projects. However, for beginners and simple projects, the Hurricane is a perfect choice.
Pros:
- Comes in a variety of different sizes
- Ergonomically designed
- Durable with a sharp edge out of the box
Cons:
- Not the best choice for advanced woodworking projects
- Doesn’t come in a storage box or bag
7. Olympia Tools Wood Chisel Set
The Olympia Tools Wood Chisel Set is a versatile set of woodworking tools. Each of the chisels is made with hardened and tempered alloy steel with an ergonomic PVC handle. Just by holding one in my hands, I was able to tell that these where quite the durable set of chisels.
Each of the differently sized chisels come together to give you a versatile range of woodworking tools for any project you’re working on.
Pros:
- Comes in a set of 3 chisels
- Come sharp right out of the box
- Are able to hold an edge for a decent amount of time
Cons:
- Small size makes a bad choice for big hands
- Not great for hard wood or knotty planks
Buying Guide: Tips For Finding The Best Woodworking Chisel
A chisel is not a tool to be underestimated. Working through a difficult woodworking project, the last thing you want is for all your hard work to be ruined because of a bad chisel. Basically, that means that buying the right chisel is as important as buying the right kind of wood.
Finding the best chisel, however, can be harder than it seems. There are many different kinds of chisels out there. The good news? With a few tips, it’s easy to separate the bad from the good.
Quality And Cost
The secret to knowing if a chisel is worth using starts with the material that it’s made from. Most good chisels are crafted using high quality steel and strong wood or rubber for the handles. Likewise, the price will usually reflect these qualities, but not always.
Size
Chisels come in many sizes. Knowing which of these different sizes will work best in your project is just as key as material quality when choosing the best chisel. It does no good to buy a high-quality chisel that you can only use for a quarter of your woodworking projects.
Use
Speaking of projects, what you plan to use your chisel for is also important. Some chisels do best when paired with a strong mallet, while others will do best by hand or with a machine. Knowing how you plan to use a chisel goes a long way in being able to buy one that you won’t regret.
What are the uses of Chisel?
There are as many different ways to use a chisel as there are actual chisels. They can be used in a wide variety of projects. They can be used to cut or carve many kinds of hard materials such as stone, wood, or even metal.
It’s also common for many woodworkers to combine their use of a chisel with a hammer for added utility or power.
What are the main types of Wood Chisels?
There are a quite a few different types of wood chisels. They are:
- Beveled Edge Bench (Example) – The most common style of chisel. Beveled Edge bench chisels are basic and a great all-rounder chisel.
- Heavy Duty Beveled Edge – Like the regular Beveled Edge, the Heavy Duty is also a basic type of chisel. The difference is in its higher level of strength.
- Mortise (Example) – Unlike other chisels, a Mortise chisel is a tool with a strong niche. It makes for a great choice when working with cabinets.
- Sash Mortise (Example)– Like its cousin, the Sash Mortise is a niche tool best used for cutting shallow mortises.
- Paring (Example)– Thin and sharp at the end, Paring chisels are perfect for delicate work.
- Japanese Bench (Example)– Opposite the Paring, Japanese Bench’s are thick with a sharp edge. These are perfect for making clean cuts through soft wood.
How do I choose a Chisel?
Picking the right choice of chisel out of all these types may seem complicated. Luckily, for most woodworking projects, a basic standard Beveled Edge Bench Chisel is all that is needed. A large amount of versatility that such a chisel provides is more than enough for any beginner woodworker.
What is the best steel for Chisels?
The steel that a chisel is made from is an important aspect. But, it’s an aspect that is highly variable. There is no perfect one-size-fits-all type of steel. What may work the best for one chisel, can easily become a hindrance in that chisel’s next project.
Despite this, there are some types of steel that you can never go wrong with. High-quality tempered steel or powerful German steel, for example, are choices that are hard to find fault with.
What kind of hammer do you use for a Wood Chisel?
Many woodworkers find a hammer or mallet to be a vital partner to their chisel. This is for good reason, too. A good hammer can do wonders at improving the efficiency of your chisel’s power.
However, it’s important to take into account the chisel that you are using before you decide to pair it with a hammer. A chisel with a wooden handle, for example, will work best with a hammer that is also made of plastic or wood.
Sure, it’s possible to use a metal hammer. The handle on your chisel, however, will be the one suffering the consequences. Use metal on wood, and you can expect your chisel’s handle to quickly fall apart.
How do you sharpen a Wood Chisel?
Unlike many other knives, sharpening a chisel is a pretty simple process. The exact specifics vary chisel-to-chisel, but the overall process is generally the same.
Aside from the edges, make sure to flatten the back. Although not something you will need to do more than once, flattening or “lapping” the back is an important aspect of chisel sharpening. It’s also an important aspect that is easily forgotten about.
Finally, make sure to occasionally dip the chisel in water to prevent overheating. Letting the metal become bluish through overheating can ruin the temper of the blade.
Woodworking: More Complex Than You Think
Woodworking can be a complex hobby. It’s easy to get completely engrossed in it and start buying every piece of equipment that you see. At the same time, however, it’s just as easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need less than you actually do.
Either way, chisel buying isn’t something to take lightly. A woodworker on the go, for example, would do best with the IRWIN Marples Chisel Set. Likewise, a beginner may be better off going with the Hurricane 4-pc Wood Chisel Set instead.
Last update on 2024-12-06 at 00:17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
