Wood Chisel Set

[kenny67’]

Hello, the topic I joined this forum to ask about: I need some help buying a wood chisel set and sharpening stone. I have no experience with wood carving but I'd like to play around with it and apart from that I just want to have some good wood chisels on hand for whatever may come up. So over the past week or two I've been shopping online and it's kind of gotten me confused to see the wealth of alternatives available across such a vast price range. In all honesty, it’s not entirely clear to me the difference between two different 12 piece sets where one costs $600 and the other $35.

I guess it's obviously got to be the material used and the craftmanship of the maker. So can anyone enlighten me first on the materials used to make a good wood chisel? Particularly the metal? What kind of metal is a good wood chisel made with? And how about the best, high end wood chisels? I assume it's a got to be a pretty hard metal that can hold a sharp edge, right?

Also, roughtly how much should I anticipate spending for a good wood chisel set? Something decent, not necessarily what a high end cabinet maker would require, but a good set with a versatile range of blades? And maybe some specific suggestions? Some pros and cons?

I'm very grateful for any and all feedback and advice, thank you!

 

[GrayFlattop]

Carving? Sorry, I can’t help you there. Beyond one job I did on a house many years ago, my chisel using world is limited to casework and joinery.

If you’re just starting and want to get your feet wet, get yourself one or two good quality chisels, 80’s or earlier Stanley, or Buck, or just about any European make. This is a starting point - not necessarily the end point.

Sharpening, start with a double-sided sharpening stone and a hard Arkansas stone. If you can properly sharpen an old, used chisel into something useful, that will take practice. Books have been filled with sharpening techniques, and you could spend thousands on sharpening equipment. It can be a bit of a rabbit hole, so start easy. Publications like Fine Woodworking can be a great resource. Once you figure it out, it becomes easier to maintain an edge. For the most part, the chisels you buy are not actually sharp out of the box, but some improvement with stones will get you most of the way there.

Get (or make) a comfortable wood mallet, a few sharpened chisels a few pieces of wood and have at it. Make sure that your workpiece is securely clamped and be certain that you don’t drive your sharp chisel into one of your fingers. That hurts. You learn.

If you do all that, and still have an interest, by all means, expand from their spending time and money as you wish. If you found the whole experience frustrating, well, chalk it up to the learning process.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Try the local Woodworker’s Guild, I joined last month. Part of the benefits is that they want to pass along their knowledge. I guess in one simple word they will mentor you. They have classes in most everything that a wood worker may enjoy. Carving, turning, restoration, finishing etc.
You have access to their library, news letters, retail discounts and other benefits.

 

[cgrutt]

Are you carving art. building furniture or just general carpentry? The key to sharpening a carpenter/cabinet chisel is to make the back as flat as possible before cutting the bevel. Lee Valley Tools and Woodcraft Supply are good sources to look. Woodcraft sells a small Pfeil starter set for about $100 if you want to start with something nice that you can expand later. That set is made for carving not cabinet making. Good luck!

 

[Zewnten]

Paul Sellers has lots of great introductory videos on wood working and what to look for in the tooling. That said my carving set I started out with was the carbon steel set sold by HF and a couple of diamond stones picked up cheap from amazon. Worked fine.

 

[RTM]

Are you carving art. building furniture or just general carpentry? The key to sharpening a carpenter/cabinet chisel is to make the back as flat as possible before cutting the bevel. Lee Valley Tools and Woodcraft Supply are good sources to look. Woodcraft sells a small Pfeil starter set for about $100 if you want to start with something nice that you can expand later. That set is made for carving not cabinet making. Good luck!

This is an important question, carving chisels and general woodworking chisels are two different things.

I got a CL deal on a bunch of Pfeil carving chisels, and kept adding to them thru CL, FBMP, eBay etc.

I started with a single Pfeil, bought at Woodcraft, after showing the sales guy what I wanted to do, and we played with 3-4 til I got the affect I wanted. I was hooked.

For my chisels, I bought a Lee Valley yellow handled set to replace a 4 piece Craftsman set, and now grab every decent chisel and gouge I find at garage and estate sales.

Narex makes some decent ones in many shapes.

I have over one hundred of each type, most sharp and ready to go. The carving set has some tough shapes I’m still trying to figure out how to sharpen and use.

 

[gahrajmahal]

By “wood chisel” I default to straight edged chisels of varying widths. That definition I’d say just buy a set and get started. I was misusing an old Stanley 1” wide chisel at my sons house. I was removing a tile shower pan and I needed to clean up the old thin set and grout. The Stanley was handy so I used it to chisel the mortar away. After a day of misusing this tool I expected lt to be chipped and dull, but no. It still had a good sharp edge that I then used to carve some sections from the wood moldings I had to redo. This chisel I sharpen on the belt sander and even though I’d grab my “good set” of English chisels if I was setting a door lock, I could have easily accomplished the task with that old Stanley.

What I’m saying is, don’t over think this. Buy what you can afford now and step up once you have more experience.

 

[AEAdam]

Ok. Couple things I think will help.

1) there are different types of carving. Read up. There is sculptural and relief carving. Lettering is a Subsection of relief in my opinion. You have to pick one. The tools you’ll need will be different depending on what you chose.

2) the material you intend to carve matters. If you are carving harder woods (not hard woods, there’s a difference), cheap gouges won’t hold up. For starting out, use wood like bass wood regardless.

3) for carving, the edge shapes can be complicated. They aren’t typically simple bevels. It can be good to buy used pro grade tools just to see how the edge shapes should be.

4) woodworkers get wrapped around the axle on steels and makers, myself included. There are 2 things you need to know. One, steel has grain not unlike wood, and fine grained steels take an edge better. They can be made sharp. Some cheap steels wont take a fine edge. Second is how well the steel holds its edge. You need the former to start out. You don’t need the latter. Also, it’s typically the case that the better a steel holds its edge, the harder that tool is to sharpen.

5) for sharpening, you may need as much skill, education, and investment in supplies as you put into carving. One stone absolutely won’t do it.

6) Specifics. Decent carving tools include Pfeil, Henry Taylor, 2 Cherries or Hirsch. I’d stay away from the flex cut, spring steel tools. You could probably buy really cheap chisels from someplace like harbor freight, but you will probably need to reshape the edges and sharpen frequently. For sharpening, you’ll need flat stones, a collection of slip stones in varying grits and leather hones and strops. A piece of shoe leather works well. You do not need a grinder or power strop or anything motorized. Those things will destroy your tools as a newbie. Lee Valley is a good place to start looking.

 

[neophyte]

Sharpening wood chisels takes more than one sharpening stone.
For general sharpening, a courser stone, and a “finishing stone” are at least required.
Then maybe stropping paste and a strop depending on the grade of the finishing stone.
A sharpening guide would also be helpful if you gave no sharpening experience.

As for woodworking chisels, it mainly comes down to maker.
Ignore the steel for the moment.
The steel may have importance, but simply reading manufacturer descriptions isn’t going to help.
Narex mentioned above is reliable for the steel alloy or alloys they use, (I’m not sure whether they use more than one alloy, or simply vary the heat treating process), but Narex makes more than one line of chisels. The Narex “Richter” chisels are the better line. The cheaper Narex chisels were sort of badly finished years ago when I tried them.
Lie Nielsen makes decent chisels, but the chisels are almost $100 each nowadays.
The Stanley Chisels that are made in England have always had a decent reputation as far as edge holding ability. The “Sweetheart” line are the better chisels with wood handles, and cost about $25-$30 each when bought in sets. There are also the less expensive translucent plastic and rubber handled chisels if you want more of a “toolbox” wood chisel. (Make sure the chisels are from the UK).
Chisels from Hirsch/Two Cherries are both from the same manufacturer, and are reliable as far a steel and edge retention, and offer both wood and plastic handle options.
MHG, also from Germany, are also considered reliable.
Stubai from Austria are also considered reliable, although hard to find in the USA, except a few sets sold thru Amazon.
Ashley Iles from the UK is also reliable.
Lee Valley and the PM-V11 chisels are well regarded, but somewhat expensive.
Bahco used to make decent chisels, but I have no clue about current status. Maybe if the sets are cheap.
I would avoid Japanese chisels. Traditional designs have annoying ergonomics, and require a certain learning curve.

 

[Davefr]

Hello, the topic I joined this forum to ask about: I need some help buying a wood chisel set and sharpening stone. I have no experience with wood carving but I'd like to play around with it and apart from that I just want to have some good wood chisels on hand for whatever may come up. So over the past week or two I've been shopping online and it's kind of gotten me confused to see the wealth of alternatives available across such a vast price range. In all honesty, it’s not entirely clear to me the difference between two different 12 piece sets where one costs $600 and the other $35.

I guess it's obviously got to be the material used and the craftmanship of the maker. So can anyone enlighten me first on the materials used to make a good wood chisel? Particularly the metal? What kind of metal is a good wood chisel made with? And how about the best, high end wood chisels? I assume it's a got to be a pretty hard metal that can hold a sharp edge, right?

Also, roughtly how much should I anticipate spending for a good wood chisel set? Something decent, not necessarily what a high end cabinet maker would require, but a good set with a versatile range of blades? And maybe some specific suggestions? Some pros and cons?

I'm very grateful for any and all feedback and advice, thank you!

I would start out with a basic 4 pc set of Buck Bros or Stanley Sweetheart chisels and learn how to sharpen them properly. You'll be limited by your initial skill set and sharpening skills vs the chisel. Once your committed you can upgrade and the sky's the limit. Some of the best woodworking chisel are hand made in Japan from exotic steels by master blacksmiths and the price reflect it.

 

[milkovich]

Cheaper chisels work just as good as better chisels except they don't hold an edge as long (though they are easier to sharpen). Some super cheap chisels are so soft though that they can't be made razor sharp. The other thing you're paying for besides harder steel, is balance in the hand. Ergonomics do matter if you're going to spend time with them. A well balanced and sharp chisel is going to be safer than a wonky, dull one. I have a few old chisels like stanley 750s and they're good but they're a pain to find because of the collectors, but currently, stanley black and decker sells "made in england" chisels under Irwin/Marples, Dewalt, and Stanley sweetheart brands (they also have made in china versions so watch out). I have some of the wood handle made in england ones and they hold an edge reasonably well. The newer "made in USA" buck bros. chisels by Great Neck aren't very good at all but I can get them sharp, they're probably about as mediocre as the chinese Irwin ones. As was mentioned, the Narex brand is very well regarded, but I haven't used any of those yet. I think you can't go wrong with any European made ones if you're buying new. With regard to sharpening, I have a "fine" diamond stone and a 10k synthetic whetstone, then I hit the bevel on a buffer and they're sharper than any razor, a leather strop with compound would work if you don't have a buffer set up but I'm lazy and the buffer is right there. The big thing is to keep it simple, as you're going to sharpen them more often than you think (especially the cheaper ones lol). One other note, some cheaper ones are clear coated so they don't flash rust in the package and you have to hit them with paint remover or something to get the clear off. Another note, I probably use my favorite 1/2" chisel more than all the rest combined. You can probably get by with 2 or 3 really good sizes like 3/8, 1/2, and 1".

 

[pfaustus]

I can't say much about the various new chisels on the market. But damn near everybody started with the plastic handled Stanley, Fuller, or Buck Brothers at the hardware store. The trick is to learn to sharpen them. As a result, this is the best advice you have received:

"Sharpening, start with a double-sided sharpening stone and a hard Arkansas stone. "

The $5 Harbor freight double sided stone isn't as nice as a norton, but it will work. And if you find yourself having trouble getting a good edge, 9 times out of 10 it is because you didn't spend enough time at the coarse side to really raise a burr. Go back to the beginning and start again.

 

[Wamsutta]

I'm not even a woodworker and I know about the two cherries.

 

[neophyte]

I'm not even a woodworker and I know about the two cherries.

A note with the Two Cherries/Hirsch chisels.
The chisels come with a lacquer coating of some kind that will need to be stripped with paint stripper.
You don’t need to strip the handles, but the blades definitely need the coating removed to make it easier to properly sharpen the chisels.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

The Swedes don't make chisels any more. But if you can find any in garage sales grab them. Some of them are the finest you can ever buy. They ended up under the Bahco name. Bahco got bought out by Snap-On for their wrenches/pliers. I use my Buck Bro chisels if I might hit a nail. Old Stanley chisels were good, '50s , '60s sort of old.

Lee Valley for new chisels, fleamarkets for old in need of rehab. Avoid deep rusted ones.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Very little experience here but one thing I learned from my woodworker friend is that good chisels do not come with metal end caps. I was under the impression the metal end caps were important for hammering so you dont break the handle.

Apparently on a good wood chisel with good steel and properly sharpened, it's supposed to slice into the wood with ease, without needing to wack the back of it with a 2 pound mini sledge.

I think this is common knowledge for wood workers but I was surprised to learn this.

That said the only "wood chisel" I have is a 1/2" plastic handle Kobolt Chinese Special from Lowes with a metal end cap, that I specifically got to do handyman work on fake particle board doors / drawers / "furniture". And I do hammer the backside of it as needed. Come to think of it, I never sharpened it and I do have a few hundred dollars worth of high end diamond stones for sharpening so I will do that soon.

 

[AEAdam]

Very little experience here but one thing I learned from my woodworker friend is that good chisels do not come with metal end caps. I was under the impression the metal end caps were important for hammering so you dont break the handle.

Apparently on a good wood chisel with good steel and properly sharpened, it's supposed to slice into the wood with ease, without needing to wack the back of it with a 2 pound mini sledge.

I think this is common knowledge for wood workers but I was surprised to learn this.

That said the only "wood chisel" I have is a 1/2" plastic handle Kobolt Chinese Special from Lowes with a metal end cap, that I specifically got to do handyman work on fake particle board doors / drawers / "furniture". And I do hammer the backside of it as needed. Come to think of it, I never sharpened it and I do have a few hundred dollars worth of high end diamond stones for sharpening so I will do that soon.

I think the OP is asking about carving tools not wood chisels.

I was a pro cabinetmaker, restored chisels, and ended up making my own. Now as a weekend carpenter, I wouldn’t dare use my cabinetmakers chisels for hinge and lock mortises.

I bought vintage Stanley #60 chisels with the translucent yellow handles and, yes, the steel **** cap. They are kinda short for some jobs and thick, but the steel is more than acceptable. For carpentry, I hone with Diasharp diamond plates and I’ve been happy with this set up.

I agree cabinetmakers chisels don’t typically have striking caps, but their presence doesn’t instantly mean “**** chisel here”.

As I’ve written before I’m a big fan of dead blow hammers and drive my Stanley chisels with Trusty Cook slimline dead blow hammers. The momentum minus the shock, I believe, helps retain the chisels’ edges longer.

So if there are any brother or sister carpenters out there, I can’t vouch for new, but the old S#60s have good steel and can be had for as little as $2each.



I think I have 3 full sets of these 1/4” - 2”. I don’t think I ever paid more than $5 per and get this. These are ubiquitous homeowner grade tools. Many many had never been sharpened. Just used until they were dull and put away. So there is no grinding damage or some sizes ground down to nubs. I guess those are out there, but I had no trouble finding dirty, rusty, but mechanically pristine chisels. I have a black handled one that might be from the 1940s in similar shape.

Stanley 750s were nicer chisels, but they are collectibles, often in bad shape and expensive.

 

[kenny67’]

I finally was able to sit down and read through all the replies and WOW what a wealth of information! It's going to take a few more reads and alot of research to even begin to get a handle on this. The main thing I've learned from reading all the replies so far is just how vast my ignorance is. It would seem there is no limit to what I don't know. But it looks like I've stumbled across a great community here! I'm very impressed with the depth of knowledge and expertise and very grateful to you all for taking the time to share it.

Are you carving art. building furniture or just general carpentry?

The recent task that had me thinking about wood chisels was alteration/remodeling a lap desk that turned into a rebuild (due to mistakes I made and was forced to correct). I'm not sure what category that falls into... Not carving art or building furniture... general, basic woodworking I guess, where I needed some good, sharp chisels of various sizes and shapes that could handle tight spaces and odd angles.

As someone pointed out, in my opening post I did mention wood carving, a curious interest I might like to explore. But mostly, I need a good set of wood chisels on hand for whatever may arise involving wood. Mostly maintenance and repair, I expect. Some restoration, remodeling, etc.. I'm also thinking I'd like to invest in tools of a caliber that will allow for future growth and development, wherever curiosity and interest may lead. Even if I never get there it would be nice to know the option exists. I'd much rather that than to get down the road and find my options are limited.

Thank you again, you've given me plenty to digest.

 

[AEAdam]

As someone pointed out, in my opening post I did mention wood carving, a curious interest I might like to explore. But mostly, I need a good set of wood chisels on hand for whatever may arise involving wood. Mostly maintenance and repair, I expect.

Recommend those Stanley’s I posted about above. Buy them on eBay. Chief advantages are good enough quality, cheap. You may find one chisel is enough. Lee Valley sells a modern version. I would not recommend buying what is available in your local hardware store or home center.

I'm also thinking I'd like to invest in tools of a caliber that will allow for future growth and development, wherever curiosity and interest may lead. Even if I never get there it would be nice to know the option exists. I'd much rather that than to get down the road and find my options are limited.

For future growth and development, the chisels won’t get you there. Doesn’t matter what brand you buy, new or used. The investment we make regarding our hand tools is learning to sharpen them. It’s a skill we all must learn and also stuff we must buy. Most of us spent way more on sharpening than any single set of chisels.

You can sharpening using sand paper on glass for pretty cheap. As effective as that is, it’s got its down sides. Some pros I know use a belt sander and the edge they get is good enough. There are many effective ways, each having advantages and disadvantages.

I’m currently using diasharp diamond plates (the 3 finest grits available) then finishing with a Spyderco uf (ultra fine) stone. In the pic above, the 1/4” chisels back is polished flat to near mirror quality with these “stones”. It also appears to be dull from the white line at the edge. Both of those chisels are probably 50+ years old, and purchased for a few bucks. The money is in the sharpening gear.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I agree with the Stanley #60 being pretty good, the Buck Bro clones certainly not.

Not often mentioned is chisel balance, the thinner blades of the Swedish chisel are a joy to use. Heavy American and English blades are not. The Lee Valley PM VII chisel have the finest available steel but are bit heavy. They are also designed around fine waterstones.

The the steel on old Marples is pretty good in my experience. Their plastic?? handles literally stink. They are worth the effort of turning new handles for them.

 

[AEAdam]

One more thing about chisels after years and years of using them.

Once you learn to sharpen, you can develop muscle memory and that process can be pretty quick. Like a minute or two. It’s not tool maintenance you do between projects or seasonally like changing the oil in your lawn mower. Its something you do while you are working.

When I’m cutting dovetails for example, that job could be several hours depending on what I’m building. I’m sharpening every 20-30 minutes. I almost don’t want super hard chisels (like Hirsch). It’s just a quick touch up.

Polishing a chisel’s edge helps retain sharpness longer. If you keep sharpening, it never really gets ragged. You shouldn’t need to grind a chisel frequently.

 

[Hakeem]

I’ve been using the same no-name chisels professionally for a few years now and they have been good enough for my general carpentry tasks. I sharpen them with a few strokes against 2000grit sandpaper glued to a piece of tile and they get sharp enough to shave hair. I’m sure they dull quicker than better chisels but I don’t want to take anything decent into the field. Not to say my methods can’t be improved upon, but I’m mostly cutting soft construction lumber and Mdf so I don’t need top notch stuff.

All this to say - buy SOMETHING and get to work. Don’t get paralyzed trying to buy the perfect set of chisels and sharpening them in the perfect way. get something, see how you like it, and upgrade later on if need be.

 

[lardy1]

Has anyone used these?

Amazon.com

I'm tempted to buy a single to try the brand.

 

[RTM]

Has anyone used these?

Amazon.com

I'm tempted to buy a single to try the brand.

No, but some of their knives are made in China. Did not find COO on the Amazon page. Please let us know how they are.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Hello, the topic I joined this forum to ask about: I need some help buying a wood chisel set and sharpening stone. I have no experience with wood carving but I'd like to play around with it and apart from that I just want to have some good wood chisels on hand for whatever may come up. So over the past week or two I've been shopping online and it's kind of gotten me confused to see the wealth of alternatives available across such a vast price range. In all honesty, it’s not entirely clear to me the difference between two different 12 piece sets where one costs $600 and the other $35.

I guess it's obviously got to be the material used and the craftmanship of the maker. So can anyone enlighten me first on the materials used to make a good wood chisel? Particularly the metal? What kind of metal is a good wood chisel made with? And how about the best, high end wood chisels? I assume it's a got to be a pretty hard metal that can hold a sharp edge, right?

Also, roughtly how much should I anticipate spending for a good wood chisel set? Something decent, not necessarily what a high end cabinet maker would require, but a good set with a versatile range of blades? And maybe some specific suggestions? Some pros and cons?

I'm very grateful for any and all feedback and advice, thank you!

The secret to good chisels is learning to sharpen them.
You can spend a buttload of money on some kind of fancy ones but if you don't know how to sharpen one you just have another dull tool.
I suggest you buy a $50 set at Home Despot or some place and watch some Youtube videos on sharpening them.
Learn which sharpening stones to use, etc.
Then, if your carving hobby turns into a life long thing you can buy a really good set somewhere.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

If one were interested in having some of these metal buttcap wood chisels in their mobile toolkit for sporadic use, but didn't have specific sizes in mind and didn't want a full set, what sizes are most important?

If you could only pack ONE, which size would it be? I'm in that boat for my really small handyman kit, can't justify more than one.

Now suppose you could pack TWO, which two sizes would they be, and it might be different than your answer for one, because maybe the pairings change your uses?

I went with 1/2" for my kit at the moment with the idea that if I wanted a 1/2" wide groove, it's perfect. If I want a 1" wide groove, I can use it twice, side to side. If I want 1 1/2" I can use it three times side to side. If I want anything bigger than 1/2" that wasn't in 1/2" increments, I could eyeball it carefully and do fractional chisel movements, that overlap with the previous one.

I haven't added a second chisel, but if I were going to carry two, I might switch it to being a 1/4" and a 3/4" with the idea that I could hit any size in 1/4" increments pretty easily with multiple parallel movements without going too crazy (like using the 3/4" twice to hit 1.5" rather than using the 1/4" six times)

I'm open to 1/2" being a dumb idea for the one chisel concept, that's just where I landed and am curious what you guys would do. The only time I ever had to use it was to fix messed up door lock mechanisms on particleboard wood crappy interior residential doors. And I probably could have just used a flat head screwdriver and a utility knife.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

What do you guys recommend for protecting the tip of a single wood chisel in a portable tool kit?

 

[cgrutt]

What do you guys recommend for protecting the tip of a single wood chisel in a portable tool kit?

What about a leather sheath? Need to be careful about excess moisture and rust though. Keep chisel oiled and/or wax inside of sheath.

 

[Ultradog MN]

@gahrajmahal mentioned using a wood chisel for doing ceramic tile work.
I built bathrooms for many years and used wood chisels a LOT for tile setting.
They were a throw-away tool and
I would buy a new set of cheap chisels for almost every job I did.
If someone here wants a bunch of abused chisels for the price of a USPS flat rate box let me know.
These are only here because I never collected them together to throw them out.
I could dig up more of these if I looked.

 

[kenny67’]

OK, hello and Happy 2025! I'm here to report I finally made a decision and bought a set of wood chisels called Winckelsteel:

I've only had a little time with them and I have until Jan 31 to return them if I want to, so I wanted to ask this knowledgeable community for any feedback you may have on this choice. They seem like good quality tools to me, but I recognize my ignorance and would like to hear any thoughts you may have.

The only concern I have is the denim storage bag and the way the chisels were situated in it when I received them. The denim bag is designed with 12 pouches -- 6 on each side facing opposite each other:

When they arrived, each chisel was placed with the blade end inserted in the pouch, like so:

and the tip of each chisel had a plastic protective cover on it:

So the first issue I immediately encountered was when I removed a chisel from its pouch, more often than not, the protective plastic piece would come off and remain in the pouch, generally all the way in there and I found it very tedious and difficult to get a finger in there and get the damn thing out of there. So off the bat I was annoyed by this issue. Not a particularly practical way to do things and my question is, am I meant to keep the chisels stored in the bag in this manner??? Apart from the plastic pieces getting stuck in the pouch, this also made it virtually impossible to discern which chisel was which as all the blades are concealed in the pouches. So if I'm after one particular chisel I'd have to remove them one by one until I find the one I'm after. Also a very impractical system.

So tool quality aside, I am not at all enamoured with the storage case and find myself looking instead at other chisel sets that come with a nice storage case or box. I'm also wondering if I could just get a nice box for these chisels and use the denim bag for other tools?

So that is my primary question today: what advice does anyone have about a practical storage system for these tools? Am I meant to keep the tips covered with the plastic covers as a matter of course? Because at least one of them is already broken. Is there a storage case I could obtain for them? Are these chisels worth doing that? In other words, are the chisels themselves a high enough quality to warrant making the effort to get a practical case for storing them? Or should I return these and get a set that already comes with a nice case?

Advice, suggestions and any feedback most appreciated!

Kenny

 

[rlitman]

Can you sew? It shouldn't be difficult to sew a clear PEVA shower curtain to a canvas backing to make what you're looking for. That's how many file rolls work.

 

[RTM]

I consider the plastic covers to be a shipping cover, pull them out once and remove them. If the roll is designed correctly the blades should not bottom out in the pocket so it's just a matter of sliding them in carefully. For chisels not in a roll, I do leave the covers on my travel set.

Regarding pulling them out to look at the tip shape, you will learn over time what the different numbers mean. I don't know the brand Wincklelsteel but here is the one for Pfeil. There are slight differences between brands, especially on odd body shapes like back bent, but the cutting edge should be pretty close to this chart.

Pfeil Tools Chart

We are pleased to be the exclusive United States distributor of “Swiss Made” tools. For over 31 years we have offered our customers carving tools that we believe are the finest in the world. These tools are made with a dedication to quality unsurpassed in today’s high-tech world. Each highly...

www.woodcraft.com

Putting them in your case in order, like all #8 together should help with remembering shapes, and then the width is also stamped on the handle.

There are some nice cases designed for tip up exposure of the blades, but you gotta make sure you don't carelessly reach over them.
.

 

[kenny67’]

Can you sew? It shouldn't be difficult to sew a clear PEVA shower curtain to a canvas backing to make what you're looking for. That's how many file rolls work.

not well enough to do any kind of a decent job implementing your suggestion, I'm afraid. But thank you for the suggestion just the same.

There are some nice cases designed for tip up exposure of the blades, but you gotta make sure you don't carelessly reach over them

Thank you for the knowledgeable insights. That number system I'll need to look into it more thoroughly. At first glance I believe my brain began to twitch. I'll also need to do some researching to see what's out there in the case dept.

I wonder if I could turn the chisels around and store them with the handle end in the pouches. Is there any issue with that idea I should be aware of?

 

[RoninB4]

Not a professional woodworker here, more of a metal worker that occasionally does woodworking. Lot of good advice in the posts, particularly the emphasis on learning to sharpen. I've got some cheap chisels and some moderately expensive ones and only use the more expensive ones for finer detailed work. Since most of my furniture making usually only calls for 16 sets of mortise/tenon the chisel doesn't go dull like those that need a razor edge all day long. Besides the priority of sharpening, your techniques for using a chisel is important. Using the chisel improperly can/will result in chipped edges/corners and finding yourself using too much muscle and prying instead of cleanly cutting the way a chisel is supposed to work.

To the OP: I tried to look up your set but failed to determine what type of steel is used. I'd say keep them and use them if they feel comfortable to use. The type of steel is less important to you right now. I'd also suggest getting a couple of inexpensive chisels to practice sharpening before attempting it on the ones you just purchased. The difference between cutting on softer woods and hardwoods is considerable. The advice of two sided oil stones is good (avoid the water stones for now) and keep a light film of oil on the stone or it will clog the pores (shiny or gray spots) and become more difficult to sharpen the edge. Avoid the expensive Japanese chisels for now, you'll learn why later through reading. Holding the workpiece so you don't gash yourself is worth learning if you don't have a big box of bandages. Good luck, hope you enjoy the journey.

 

[RoninB4]

I wonder if I could turn the chisels around and store them with the handle end in the pouches. Is there any issue with that idea I should be aware of?

-Other than exposed sharp edges waiting to bite you no. The tool roll I have allows this and that's what I do. You do have to be careful rolling it up so the edges aren't clashing into each other or cutting into the canvas.

 

[hefnerconstructionlc]

Maybe just paint the top of the handle after a while you remember what color is what for each chisel then you can store them in the pouch with the sharp edge in.

 

[AEAdam]

Wow. Unclear if you were buying straight chisels or carving tools. These look like Chinese copies of Pfeil. You bought a set and your complaint is the tool roll? Which you obviously don’t know how to use.

step 1. Buy a book on carving. Choosing tools and learning to sharpen should be the first chapter.
step 2. Find a woodworking forum, not garagejournal
step 3. Go look at the pictures on the website you bought these from where they show pictures of how a carving tool roll works. Hint: The pockets are for the handles. There's literally no practical way to put a carving tool into something to protect it that won’t get cut up or corrode the edge. I know it looks a little crazy but this is how we store carving tools.

Advice: whatever you decide to do in life, do it the best you can and set a high bar for yourself. Don’t half *** stuff. Take my advice above and up your game!

Suggestion: The tools you bought are for low relief furniture type carving. Not high relief sculpture. I’d find a book on classical carving like furniture or picture frames or lettering, regardless of your initial interest. Match the advice you get, exercises in the book, with the tools you have. If you wanted to carve animals for example, something really 3d, you’ll need different (bigger and deeper) gouges.

What you bought is a good start if the steel is ok. Should be good enough to learn on. Be sure to practice on something like basswood or Lyme? I wouldn’t touch those tools to anything else. And don’t use a mallet until you know what you are doing and how to sharpen.

There are some basic techniques for low relief carving. The 2 skills all carvers really need are:
1) drawing
2) edge shaping and honing. None of my gouges have flat backs for example. They are all knife edged cross sections. That can take some time to perfect.

 

[neophyte]

Good books on wood carving.

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There are other books on woodcarving, but Chris Pye books were was what woodcraft carried years ago, and they always seemed good.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Hello, the topic I joined this forum to ask about: I need some help buying a wood chisel set and sharpening stone. I have no experience with wood carving but I'd like to play around with it and apart from that I just want to have some good wood chisels on hand for whatever may come up. So over the past week or two I've been shopping online and it's kind of gotten me confused to see the wealth of alternatives available across such a vast price range. In all honesty, it’s not entirely clear to me the difference between two different 12 piece sets where one costs $600 and the other $35.

I guess it's obviously got to be the material used and the craftmanship of the maker. So can anyone enlighten me first on the materials used to make a good wood chisel? Particularly the metal? What kind of metal is a good wood chisel made with? And how about the best, high end wood chisels? I assume it's a got to be a pretty hard metal that can hold a sharp edge, right?

Also, roughtly how much should I anticipate spending for a good wood chisel set? Something decent, not necessarily what a high end cabinet maker would require, but a good set with a versatile range of blades? And maybe some specific suggestions? Some pros and cons?

I'm very grateful for any and all feedback and advice, thank you!

So it's not clear to me that you ever chose a set of chisels. Have you? If so, what did you get? Also, did you have success in sharpening?


Finally, if you happen to live near the middle of Ohio, let me know. I have some carving tools you can try, I have lots of sharpening stuff you can try....

In general, the difference between an expensive set and a cheap set will be things such as ergonomics and steel quality. My experience says that you can do a lot of woodworking with cheap chisels. I'm not talking carving. I'm just talking like cutting dovetails and such. One of the biggest differences ignoring ergonomics is going to be how often you have to stop and sharpen your tools. You can lose a lot of time stopping to sharpen your chisels. But you'll want to do it often so that it's fast. It is much easier to maintain an edge and to keep an edge sharp then it is to resharpen it after it is dull

If you're just looking to dip your toe in the water and you want to carve, consider chip carving. An investment for entry is not great so you can get decent tools and start ship carving very easily

So I'll repeat what I said in the beginning. If you live near the middle of Ohio, I can hook you up. You can try some things without spending any money and get some experience. Also note I have gotten done much carving but I do have some carving tools because I intended to

I have done chip carving.

 

[Tynee]

Another storage option is a 3D printed tray that sits in a drawer, if you're into that sort of thing or know someone who is. It would allow you to print a modular system that exactly fits your chisels, and can be expanded as you add on.