If you work with wood, then you should have the best wood chisels. These indispensable tools can make your job easier. It also allows you to be more artistic and creative.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, woodworkers earned $15.17 per hour in 2018. Even if you do not plan to be a professional woodworker, you can save a lot of money by doing wood projects yourself. Plus, working with wood is also enjoyable.
If you do have plans of earning money from woodworking, then you can consider buying the best wood chisels as an investment to a future job that pays a median wage of $31,550 annually.
How to Select the Best Wood Chisels
You should have your own kit of wood chisels in different sizes. To start, we recommend the following sizes: 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, 3/16 inch, 5/16 inch, 7/16 inch, and 9/16 inch.
These chisels will allow you to make cuts in different sizes, and these will fit most of your needs. That means that you can probably create and complete any woodworking projects with these chisels.
Types of wood chisels
Aside from the sizes, you should also have different types of wood chisels. There are three main types: bench chisels, paring chisels, and mortise chisels.
Bench chisels are multipurpose tools. They are named such because you often use them that it makes no sense to place them in the storage, so they are always on the bench.
Bench chisels can fit into joints easily. Mortice chisels are used for heavy chopping while paring types are for more delicate work. Paring chisels have thinner steel. So you should never strike them with a mallet.
Wood chisel handles
There are two main types of handles that you see on the best wood chisels. The socket chisel is cone shaped and fits into the metal socket of the chisel. Meanwhile, the tang chisel has a tapered point that the manufacturer drives into the handle.
Between these two, the socket chisel is more popular because they are more durable. Socket chisels are also more resistant to a heavy beating without the fear of splitting the wood.
Also, when it comes to handles, you have a choice between plastic or wooden handles. Wood handles give your chisels a more polished look. It also serves to balance the chisel when you’re working with it.
On the other hand, plastic-handled chisels are more affordable and might be the right choice for beginners. A good compromise would be rubber handles, which also gives you a better grip.
How sharp should your chisel bevels be?
When you buy a new set of wood chisels, they will come to you reasonably sharp. However, you might still want to sharpen them some more to ensure good results on wood.
When it comes to sharpening your chisels, you should strike a balance between durability and sharpness. You can get the edges to be very sharp at a very steep angle, but that means the bevel will not have enough metal, and it might break off easily.
If you want a durable wood chisel that is extra sharp, you can also add a micro bevel to the beveled edge.
A Beginner in Woodworking? Here’s What You Should Know About Buying the Best Wood Chisels
Even if you are still starting out, you should have a couple of the best wood chisels out there. Bench chisels are excellent choices because you can do a lot with them. Buying sets of wood chisels could also help you get the most often used sizes. What’s more, they look uniform and sometimes come in a box, allowing you to store these tools without any hassle.
That said, you should probably start with the following sizes: 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, and 1 inch. You do not have to spend too much on these chisel sets.
Next up: Buy paring chisel
Once you are okay with your new set of tools, you should consider getting paring wood chisels. These help you create smoother joints without having to sharpen bevel edge chisels too much.
After you get your paring chisels, you can make do with your wood chisels. There are other specialty chisels that you can buy, but these are not required. It only makes sense to buy them once the need to use these tools arise.
As such, unless it’s necessary, you can put buying gouges, fishtail chisels, corner chisels, skew chisels, or dovetail chisels on the back burner.
The Best Wood Chisels: How We Chose
To come up with these recommendations for the best wood chisels, we searched and looked into dozens of listings on Amazon. We then chose only highly rated products to include.
The Best Wood Chisels You Can Buy in 2019
Whether you are an expert woodworker or are just starting work on a particular woodwork project, the best wood chisels can help you produce an excellent product. Here are some of the products that you should check out.
Narex premium 8-piece set
If the idea of helping a small business appeals to you, then you should buy the Narex Premium 8-Piece Set. It comes from a small manufacturer in the Czech Republic. But if that’s not enough reason, maybe the fine craftsmanship and product durability can convince you.
There are six chisels included in the set, ranging from a narrow 0.25-inch edge to a broad 1.25-inch blade. They’ve made the blades of fine-grained tempered chrome-manganese steel. They then harden the blades to RC 59.
What it all means
The Rockwell C scale displays with RC and a number. It gives you an idea of how durable a particular metal is. Most chisels sold in the United States have an RC 58 to RC 62 hardness. That makes that the Narex Premium chisels at par with the rest.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer claims that the chrome-manganese steel used in these chisels ensures that the metal is hard and sharp enough for your needs. It is not stainless because increasing the chromium content in the alloy would compromise the metal’s edge-taking ability.
The bevels on these chisels are at a 25-degree angle, so they are sharp and durable. You will also love the European Hornbeam wooden handles on this set. These handles make the chisels look more elegant while ensuring that they are strong enough to withstand the mallet without splitting.
Reviews and ratings
The Narex Premium 8-Piece Set has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon. Verified buyers are in awe of how sharp these wood chisels are, and they like it that it stays that way for a long time. It also performs well, and they produce an exceptional edge. They also like the large handles.
However, some reviewers complain about the printing on these chisels. The print for the size and the logo come right off after cleaning the tools. Others note that it has a sticky and hardened coating that might not come off quickly.
Tacklife 4-piece wood chisel set
The Tacklife four-piece wood chisel set has four different-sized chisels that you can use for a variety of projects. It can be used for woodworking, planing, and carving. You can also use it on stones, bones, wax, or candles.
Each chisel in the set has a rubber handle that makes it very comfortable to work with and to hold. The handle has a steel butt that protects it from heavy pounding.
The blades use heat-treated chrome vanadium steel. Manufacturers commonly use this material in steel tools because of its RC41-55 hardness. In short, you get a robust and durable blade that is also rust-resistant.
Leather covers protect the beveled edge so that you can leave them safely lying around your work area. The manufacturer offers a two-year warranty for these chisels. The Tacklife four-piece wood chisel set gets an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon.
Verified customers like the value for money that they get with these chisels. Others are saying that it is a good product for a fun wood project. Beginners and those who do small woodworking projects will love this set.
VonHaus 10-piece premium craftsman woodworking chisel wet
The VonHaus 10-piece premium craftsman chisel set has chrome vanadium steel alloy blades. Unlike other chisels we have recommended so far, this set has narrow side bevels.
It comes with a wooden storage case that allows you to store your tools quickly. The elegant wooden case has enough space for the honing guide and sharpening stone that also comes with the package. You have everything you need to start chiseling away!
This set has 10 of the best wood chisels you would ever use, starting from the narrowest 0.25-inch to the 2-inch blades. It comes with a rubberized grip that features metal caps. The strike cap protects the chisel when you pound it with a hammer or a mallet.
The VonHaus 10-piece chisel set garners an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 from around 300 reviewers on Amazon.
WORKPRO 3-piece wood chisel set
The WORKPRO 3-piece wood chisel set is yet another brand that uses chrome vanadium for its blades. These blades are heat-treated for edge retention. Furthermore, they are robust and durable.
This set comes with three wood chisels in difference sizes: 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, and 1 inch. The kit comes with a blade guard that makes it safe to leave the tools lying around.
You can use these chisels for working with soft, hard, and laminated wood. The handle uses a rubber material with a steel butt that protects it from heavy pounding. Further, you can buy with confidence as the manufacture covers this with a one-year guarantee.
This product has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon.
Gunpla premium wood chisel set
The Gunpla premium wood chisel set is ideal for both beginners and professional woodworkers. It has chisels in different sizes ranging from 0.25 inch to 1 inch. These are the sizes that you will be working with on most woodworking projects.
This set of chisels allows you to work on any wood with ease. Each of these chisels has an impact-resistant polypropylene handle. It does not deform easily.
Each has a high carbon steel blade with beveled edges. The manufacturer also includes a protective cover for each sharp end. They also offer a 90-day money back guarantee.
The Gunpla premium chisel set receives an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon.
Gidabrand professional wood chisel set
The Gidabrand professional wood chisel set comes with a hard waxed canvas tools roll that can accommodate all four chisels included in this set. This tool roll has double stitching, as well as solid brass rivets and grommets. It’s elegant-looking and very functional.
This set has four professional chisels included. If you are ever in need of upgrading your tools or if you are looking for new ones that will last a long time, then you should choose these. This product is also a good kit for beginners.
The chrome vanadium steel blade in each chisel is durable and super sharp. You also get lacquered hardwood handles, which not only look good but also have an ergonomic design for a secure and comfortable grip. What’s more, the handles are lightweight, giving you full control of the chisel.
This set comes with a money-back guarantee so you can buy with confidence. The Gidabrand Professional Wood Chisel Set with Tools Roll Bag gets an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Amazon.
KSEIBI 312130 premium wood chisel set
The KSEIBI 312130 Premium Wood Chisel Set uses chrome manganese for its blades. This material means that these chisels have stronger and more durable blades compared to most of the other chisels we recommend here.
These blades have bevel edges, which makes them ideal if you have to trim into tight or angled corners. They are also the perfect choice for dovetail work. You can use them to work with all types of wood.
The chisels you see here have a comfortable polypropylene handle. This set has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon.
Narex Premium 5-piece paring chisels set
If you are ready for more intricate woodwork designs, then you would want to get the Narex premium 5-piece paring chisel set. This set has five paring chisels with fine-grained chrome manganese blades.
These chisels have hard European Hornbeam handles, as well. This Narex Premium product gets an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 on Amazon.
Buy the Best Wood Chisels Today
As you have probably realized while reading through this article, there are several options if you are looking for the best wood chisels. All of these recommended products are well-loved by reviewers. Plus, each one has the best materials and gives you value for your money.
A majority of these chisels have highly durable chrome vanadium steel blades. If you need something stronger than that, you can choose between the KSEIBI 312130 premium wood chisel set and the Narex premium eight-piece set, both of which have chrome manganese steel blades. However, the Narex chisels have an edge because of their wooden handles.
Which one of these will you buy? Share with us in the comments.
