Best Wood Chisels for Smooth Woodworking Experience

With a decent wood chisel, you can make your carpentry practice easy and smooth without investing a lot of money. If you’re buying wood chisels for the first time though, it can be a daunting undertaking. Because there are so many different wood chisels on the market, you can end up buying the wrong one for your specific needs. To assist you, we conducted thorough research and compiled a list of important elements to consider before purchasing a wood chisel.

What type of wood chisel should you buy?

Paring chisel

The paring chisel is exactly what it sounds like: a fine-toothed chisel with a long blade for fine detail work.

Dovetail Chisel

Dovetail chisels are specialized, yet necessary, chisels for completing dovetail joints in your chisel work. Consider a paring chisel with beveled edges that extend all the way to the steel’s center.

Corner Chisel

Corner chisels are V-shaped chisels with a stubby blade and a large handle that are suitable for chiseling straight edges or doing significant first-draft work. The corner chisel is dependable and requires minimal ability to achieve the desired effect.

Chisel for Carving

The carving chisel is used for precise detail work with a smaller span than the paring chisel.

Mortise Chisel

The mortise chisel serves a more specialized purpose, which is to create deep mortise holes.

Which factors impact the purchase of wood chisels?

Handle

The handle of your wood chisel is critical to the tool’s usage as well as its long-term durability. Rubber handles are typically easier on your hands, allowing you to work for longer periods of time without feeling the aching in your hands, but they are not as sturdy as metal handles. Wooden chisel handles, on the other hand, have a lot more “classical” aspect to them that we can’t help but adore.

Size

Smaller wood chisels will allow you to get into tighter areas, making them preferable for more delicate or precise projects. On the other hand, larger wood chisels are ideal for working with broad areas because they allow you to complete the task in less time.

What unique features of wood chisels are worth considering?

Ferrules and Bolsters

A chisel’s bolsters and ferrules are key elements. Look for chisels with bolsters that are about the same diameter as the bottom of the handle, as they are both designed to provide support. This prevents the blade tang from being forced further into the handle and splitting it during usage.

Ferrules surrounding the bottom of the handles provide additional support for the handles and blade during levering activities and prevent the handles from breaking.

Blade

In recent years, a growing number of tool steel alloys have been produced for edge tools, making it difficult to identify between them. Many chisels are now manufactured of high-strength steel (HSS) and chrome vanadium alloys. These are significantly harder than the widely used high carbon steel and are less prone to the difficulties that come with it, such as losing temper and becoming brittle if the blade gets too hot during honing. Because chrome vanadium alloy steel is less prone to metal fatigue than other steels, it’s the best choice for chisels designed to be pounded with a mallet.

The shape of the Corners

Before choosing a wood chisel set, be sure to look over the edge form details. There are a variety of edge shapes available, including narrow beveled edges, plain beveled edges, and more.

What steel types are used in the construction of wood chisels?

The type of steel used in your chisel affects its longevity, the time between sharpening, price, weight, discoloration or corrosion, and, yes, its capacity to influence wood.

The heaviest chisels are made of tempered steel, although they lose their edge faster than other steels. Chisels made of tempered steel will last a long time.

The lightweight and most costly of the common chisel steel alloys are chrome and vanadium steel alloys. Alloy-based steel chisels require periodic sharpening, but in the hands of a skilled chiseler, they offer the best results. The one main disadvantage is that alloy-based steels have a short lifespan, as they discolor, distort, and occasionally shatter.

Carbon chrome steel chisels cost more than tempered steel chisels but less than alloy-based chisels.

Wood Chisel FAQ

Q: What is the best way to sharpen my wood chisel?

A: Some wood chisels come with a sharpening stone that you can use to sharpen the chisel by simply working it back and forth against it. If not, you can purchase a sharpening stone to keep your chisel in prime shape.

Q: Are wood chisels backed by a warranty?

A: Yes! The majority of the wood chisels come with a one-to-two-year warranty.