# Chisel Recommendation



## landondeh (Nov 30, 2015)

Hi folks,

A few years ago I got some Irwin Marples chisels with the goal of learning how to properly use and maintain them without ruining expensive tools. They are properly beveled, sharpened, and constantly becoming dull. Are they a really soft steel? 

I'm looking to purchase some nicer chisels (I don't necessarily need a large set.) I'm also hoping to keep the cost down (of course.) I work primarily in hardwoods, so I need something that will hold an edge better than these Irwins will. I've looked at vintage American, European, and Japanese versions on ebay as well as a few new brands, but don't really have anything to base a judgement on. Thanks for any thoughts you have on the subject.


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

I have collected W. Butcher cast steel tools for many years. No exotic material, just quality forged tooling. Keep your eyes pealed for them. Quite good, and not expensive.
Bill


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## NickB (Sep 24, 2013)

I've been extremely happy with my Narex chisel set. They're kind of "middle of the road" on price, but they're finished well and take a nice edge. I don't have experience with any very high end chisels, but the edge lasts _way_ longer than cheap chisels I've used.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I have all kind of chisels from expensive German carving chisels to Harbor Freight chisels. As far as workability I see very little difference in them. In fact the only chisel I can notice being better is a homemade chisel made from a jointer knife. I think if your chisels are dulling quickly you either are not getting them properly sharp or you have them ground to a too long an angle for the work you are doing. The harder the wood the shorter angle needed. What may be happening is you are leaving a burr of metal on the edge and it's pushing into the edge.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

". . . constantly becoming dull." Even in soft wood, I can feel the edges dulling in my very best (Pfeil) wood carving gouges in about 30 minutes steady work. By hand is far more noticable that mallet work.
That's the way steel is, no matter who made it.

I get along just fine with carving gouges & skews at 20 degrees, total included bevel. If I did some nice furniture in attractive hard woods with complex joints, I'd go 25.

Otherwise I use bevel angles of 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 28, 30 and 40 degrees. Didn't start carving that way but this is how it has turned out!


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> I have all kind of chisels from expensive German carving chisels to Harbor Freight chisels. As far as workability I see very little difference in them. In fact the only chisel I can notice being better is a homemade chisel made from a jointer knife. I think if your chisels are dulling quickly you either are not getting them properly sharp or you have them ground to a too long an angle for the work you are doing. *The harder the wood the shorter angle needed. *What may be happening is you are leaving a burr of metal on the edge and it's pushing into the edge.


Love me some HF chisels... 

Takes mere minutes to make them whatever angle I wish and nearly flawless. :yes:


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

landondeh said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> A few years ago I got some Irwin Marples chisels with the goal of learning how to properly use and maintain them without ruining expensive tools. They are properly beveled, sharpened, and constantly becoming dull. Are they a really soft steel?
> 
> I'm looking to purchase some nicer chisels (I don't necessarily need a large set.) I'm also hoping to keep the cost down (of course.) I work primarily in hardwoods, so I need something that will hold an edge better than these Irwins will. I've looked at vintage American, European, and Japanese versions on ebay as well as a few new brands, but don't really have anything to base a judgement on. Thanks for any thoughts you have on the subject.


You need to use a secondary bevel on those and most chisels. The primary bevel is about 22 degrees. If you sharpen at that angle, the edge will fold quickly. Use a secondary bevel at 30 for softwoods and 35 for hardwoods. You only need the secondary bevel to be minimum, maybe 1/16"or less, only a few strokes on a fine stone. This is the "secret" to awesome performing chisels. It's so easy, too. 

Other types and brands will not make much difference if you don't use the proper sharpening bevels. There are a few manufacturers, new and old, that use a harder steel than most every other maker. That's not necessarily good. Harder steel is more difficult to sharpen and it's more brittle. Harder steel chisels are for paring work, not chopping work. Lie Nielsen makes a harder paring chisel which will allow using the lower primary angle of 22.


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## landondeh (Nov 30, 2015)

Thanks for all of the replies. I'll have to experiment around with different primary angles. I have been using a secondary bevel on my chisels for about six months now (ever since I noticed how much that helped on my smoothing plane blade.) 

I suppose I assumed there was an advantage/point to better quality steel and/or expensive chisels other than bragging rights.


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## jacko9 (Dec 29, 2012)

I have a set of Japanese Bench chisels and a variety of heavy duty mortising chisels. I did purchase a set of the Narex Mortise chisels but after sharpening them on my water stones I found the edge to be too soft for mortising and dovetail work in white oak. The Lee Valley site indicates that the Narex are hardened to RcH 59. Most of my Japanese forged chisels have hard steel forge welded to softer steel with the cutting edge steel being heat treated to RcH 63. I also have a few of the Veritas PM-V11 chisels and block plane irons that are also heat treated to a higher level and all of the latter hold an edge a long time. While heat treatment is not the complete measure of a tough durable edge, it is a good indicator to start with. Some manufactures harden their steels to a high hardness level but, the edges chip rather easily. If I were going to buy a new set of chisels today I would look at the Veritas PM-V11 Butt and Bench chisels or the Blue Steel Chisels sold at Japan Woodworker.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

If you don't like to maintain steel, switch to ceramic. No planer mill in my region uses steel edges any more. I even use ceramic edged in my kitchen for peeling veg.
Steel wears down. I hate to be the one to break the news. Steel does not have the molecular structure to stay "pointy" for very long.

The basic issue is to have enough steel behind the edge to support it in service. Kitchen cleavers, wood working chisels, fine carving tools, all the same. Buy some, try some.


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