Few years ago, it was easier to say the best brands of chisels. Then, the most recommended options were Stanley or any chisel manufactured in Sheffield (UK). But today things have changed. While some brands have tended to mass production, sacrificing the quality and durability of their tools, others are working in 100% handmade products. In addition, the typology of chisels has been very diversified. Today, we present a small buying guide to recognize the best brands for woodworking.
Best chisels for woodworking:
Veritas
As we saw in the previous post, Veritas is also one of the best brands of hand planes. They have a steel patented PM-V11, one of the hardest and most innovative on the market (Rc61-63). They make it in their own workshops and allow cutting precision with little effort. In addition, it has a small bevel at the tip that prevents unwanted chipping.
The handle’s chisel is made entirely of maple wood. Thanks to this process, it avoids possible deformations or contractions arising from heat or humidity. According to our experience, we can say that it is one of those that offer better ergonomics.
Price approx. of Veritas chisel: 60 €
Lie-Nielsen
Like Veritas, the American brand Lie-Nielsen offers excellent hand planes and woodworking chiselss. In the case of Lie-Nielsen, the design of its chisels is based on the old Stanley series 750. It is known by its system of joining blade and handle known as socket. Unlike the other brands, the handle is smaller than the blade.
The sheets of the Lie-Nielsen chisels are cryogenically hardened, allowing a hardness of 60-62 Rockwell. Its edges are square, parallel to the main axis, offering maximum balance even in the hardest jobs. Also, this allows distributing the force of the blow along the entire bevel.
The handle of these chisels is made of hardwood wood, one of the hardest woods that is born in Maine (United States).
Price approx. of Lie-Nielsen chisel: 70 €
Ashley Iles
The Ashley Iles brand, is the only who made the chisels in the United Kingdom entirely by handmade. Although this means producing slower and smaller quantities than other brands, the Ashley Iles chisels are impressive. It emphasizes its lightness and balance, even in the most hand works.
The chisel Mk2 is one of the best of the brand. Thanks to the hand forged, the bevel resists without problems the blows and it is easy to sharpen. The blade has a hardness of 59 to 61 Rockwell, but the forging gives it outstanding torsional resistance.
The Ashley Iles chisel handle is made of bubinga wood, which gives it great beauty.
Price approx. of Ashley Iles chisel: € 28
Blue Spruce
The Blue Spruce brand is a combination between western and eastern chisels tradition. It is based in Oregon (United States), found the perfect balance between blade and handle. This allows them to be joined in a single piece, preventing them from separating before a temperature change.
Thanks to the long handle, it is possible to work with greater looseness and firmness. The flat blade, on the other hand, assures us a long tool life and an accurately transmission of the strength.
The handle is made of acrylic coated maple wood.
Price approx. of Blue Spruce chisel: 120 €
Japanise chisels
Another type of chisels is the Japanese. Therefore, although they are one of the best types of chisels, we prefer to dedicate an exclusive post. In the next few days we will see the best brands of Japanese chisels.
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