Choosing the best wood chisels is not easy! There are a ton of chisel sets on the market today that you can use to get detailed work done and make beautiful wooden art projects. But, it’s important to choose the right set for you so you can get the job done efficiently.
A good set will not only make your work easier, it will also help you create higher quality work that you can be proud of.
For that reason, we’ve put together this quick guide that will help you choose the best chisels for your business or pleasure!
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Stanley 16-150 150 Series Short Blade 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set | Best Overall |  |
| WORKPRO 3-piece Wood Chisel Set | Budget Pick |  |
| STANLEY Sweetheart Chisels Set | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. Stanley 16-150 150 Series Short Blade 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set
Our rating: 9 / 10
Pros:
- A good value
- Smoothly polished
- Slight offset handles
This three piece set of wood chisels offers excellent value for the money. They are smoothed and polished, and have slight offset handles that won’t cut into your palms as you use the tools for extended periods; quite a few chisels that have completely straight handles have this problem.
The handles are also wooden, which helps the tool grip.
2. WORKPRO 3-piece Wood Chisel Set
Our rating: 9 / 10
Pros:
- Full tang blades
- Comes with a handy plane blade which slips in the handle since this is a straight-blade chisel
- Hammer end is removable
Cons:
- Limited blade sizes
- The set doesn’t come with a carrying case
And Scraping.
One of our favorite chisel brands is a line of tools from WORKPro called the RP series.
This chisel set comes with a 1/8 inch, 5/32 inch, and 3/16 inch straight-blade chisel tucked into a black nylon sheath. We like this chisel so much that we awarded it our Editors’ Choice Award for chisels, and we think you should carry a set with you on any good woodworking tool kit.
3. Narex
Our rating: 9 / 10
These strong wood chisels are somewhat heavy but they are very sharp. They are made in Czech Republic.
These Narex wood chisels are made from high quality grade steel in order to improve the wood chisel’s edge retention and durability, Corrosion resistant steel. They are very sharp and durable.
The metal is galvanized, and are filled using a chemical process with molten zinc and nickel, creating a very durable protective shield. These wood chisels have a solid feel and the handle is durable, and comfortable to use.
4. PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 Wood Lathe 8pc HSS Chisel Set
Our rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Well made
- Set comes in a good storage case
- Chisels are high quality
- Well made
- Good quality
- Low price
Cons:
- Possibly not durable enough
- Chisels may bend easily
Wood chisels are an essential tool for anyone who does woodworking, especially carvers. Wood chisels come in all shapes and sizes to be used for various purposes. When used properly, chisels can make great, clean cuts through wood.
The PSI LCHSS8 is an 8-piece hornbeam chisel set which is made up of high-grade tool steel and features precision ground cutting edges. All of the chisels are hand polished, heat treated, and honed to give them a razor sharp edge.
The cutting edges on these chisels are made from quality, high grade HSS (High Speed Steel.) That high grade steel is put through a 1.5-step heat-treating process and a special honing operation to give them a sharp edge before the final polishing operation is done to put the finishing touches on each chisel.
5. IRWIN Chisel Set
Our rating: 8 / 10
This set of chisels is fantastic for woodworking. The chisels are beautifully crafted and are made with quality. They come in a canvas bag. The canvas bag is the quality of a more expensive bag. This particular set is great for the beginner woodworker or someone that only wants the essentials in woodworking.
6. VonHaus 10 pc Premium Chisel Set
Our rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Good quality chisels for professionals
- The wooden storage case and the sharpening stone are nice extras
- Honing guide is also included
- An excellent tool for those seeking a power tool free woodworking experience
- Hardened steel and anti-slip blade footing
- Easy to use
- Ideal for woodworking jobs
- Easy to store
Cons:
- Quality isn’t consistent; some customers received chisels that weren’t shaped properly with jagged edges.
Homeowners, carpenters, and woodworkers of all experience levels can benefit from using one or a few of these chisels for their woodworking projects. The sharpening stone and honing guide are a nice addition to help you hone the chisels, and the wooden storage case is perfect for protecting your chisels.
7. MARKETTY Professional Wood Carving Chisel Set
Our rating: 7 / 10
Pros:
- Features a handy carrying case
- Only weighs a pound
Cons:
- Materials are fairly cheap
- Chisels are hard to adjust
Woodworkers both professional and amateur alike will benefit from the MARKETTY professional wood chisel set. It is a set of 12 professional wood chisels with diverse shapes and sizes that includes an angle chisel, gouge, paring chisel, wide chisel, parting tools, and more.
The chisels are made of high-quality steel, including a tempered blade. This gives you a material that is both strong and flexible. The blades are hardened to keep a sharp edge and still be durable. Rather than being honed on both sides, the chisels in this set have a flat side on the back and a honed side on the front. This keeps the chisels balanced.
This set of wood chisels comes with an organizer case, and each individual chisel has its own slot. This allows the user to keep the chisels at an appropriate angle. The case has a convenient handle and one of those clips for attaching it to a belt loop. This ensures easy transport and safe storage.
8. STANLEY Sweetheart Chisels Set
Our rating: 7 / 10
Pros:
- One of the most affordable sets of chisels
- Comfortable handle
- Stanley chisels are well-known for their quality performance
The Stanley 4-piece chisel set is one of the most affordable chisels you can find. However, don’t let the low price fool you. Chisels are a tool that I believe should last a very long time and these definitely will.
The Stanley 16-791 comes with a straight gouge, spoon chisel, skew chisel, and parting tool. They are made to be comfortable to use all day long.
I really love the fact that these chisels are made out of carbon steel. Carbon steel is very sharp, holds an edge (even the spoon chisel,) and is much easier to sharpen than stainless steel.
9. DEWALT DWHT16063 Short Blade Wood Chisel 4piece set
Our rating: 7 / 10
Pros:
- A great set at a very reasonable price
- One of the easiest brands to find replacement blades for
- Affordable
- No special care required
Cons:
- Don’t be tricked by their “short” design, they’re actually longer than your average chisel
- Not the highest level of quality
A great all-around wood chisel would be the short blade wood chisels from DEWALT. They’re made to be easy to replace after use. Even the black plastic case that comes with the chisels has a spot to hold your old blades until you can toss them.
They’re 6-inches in length and are not recommended for heavier-duty woodworking.
10. Stanley 16-401 Bailey Chisel Set
Our rating: 7 / 10
Pros:
- Well-made
- Well-balanced
- Comfortable non-slip handles
- High-grade carbon steel that takes a sharp edge
- Very hard wood in a compact size with no rounding on the corners
Cons:
- Blades tend to rust quickly
- It is not the best set to start with
This 5-piece set includes a 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4” and 1” chisel. The handle on the 3/8” 5/8” and 3/4” chisels is 3.25” and on the 1” chisel it is 4”. Stanley’s chisels are made from high-grade carbon steel and are incredibly tough.
They are pre-sharpened for immediate use. The chisels are very sharp, and if they are not, you can sharpen them your way. The backs are flat and smooth as you’d expect from carbon steel. If you’re looking to use these for fine woodworking, you may find them a bit too crude.
The Stanley chisels set comes in a rugged plastic case with each chisel fitting its respective slot. Each chisel has its size printed on one face and Stanley on the other. The case is pretty useful.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the best quality wood chisels?
You can’t go wrong with brands like Stanley or Woodline. Either one has a great reputation and is made with durable metal. Stanley 030050 is one of the most highly rated and affordable among the two.
It’s hard to find a reliable quality wood chisel in a cheaper price. The ones we’ve reviewed above are the exception. Their steel is good quality, which makes them able to last longer. Additionally, they come with some of the best customer service. If anything is wrong with your product, you can contact them and they’ll swiftly resolve the problem.
Whether you’re a newbie or a professional, you need at least a chisel to build furniture for your home or for your business.
Are Marples chisels any good?
These chisels are numbered for ease and convenience. This is for both the user and the person selling them. So if you see the number mark …4, …5, …6, …7, etc. it’s an indication of how thick the blade is. As a general guideline, the higher the number, the thicker the edge is on the chisel, and vice versa.
What size chisels should I buy?
Most wood chisels come in a range of sizes. A typical range to look for is from 3/16 to 1 inch or from 5/64 to 11/32. That’s a pretty wide range and it’s going to depend on what you want to use the chisels for. For fine woodworking, go with the fine range or the smallest end. For heavier work, go with the larger sizes. By the way, if you’re buying just one wood chisel I would buy the 5/64 inch size.
What is the best steel for wood chisels?
Chisels are generally made out of steel. High carbon steel, better known as 1060 steel, is the best kind of steel to have in chisels. Because of the high carbon content, the steel is harder, which means chisels made of 1060 steel will be less prone to bending.
Because of its high carbon content, the steel in a 1060 steel must be hardened. But the 1060 can be hardened only so much, because the high carbon content also makes steel very brittle. In order to prevent this breakage, the steel needs to be tempered. In tempering, the steel goes from a hardened state to a heat-treated state. The temperature of the steel is then slowly increased, while being loaded in order to restore as much elasticity to the steel as possible.
The tempering process also makes 1060 steel very flexible. This means it can be used for a wide range of uses.
Conclusion
Are they absolutely necessary to be an excellent woodworker? Probably not. But they are fun to have, fun to use, and can make your time spent in your shop that much better.
As a woodworker, I�ve always found myself wanting to have more chisels on hand too. And while it might be a bit of a niche item, I can personally tell you it is nice to have a few chisels on hand to tackle the occasional small detail that pops up.
In this article, we will talk about the basics of chisel use, wood chisel types, and give you some information on the 5 best wood chisels I could find.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Stanley 16-150 150 Series Short Blade 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set | Best Overall | |
| WORKPRO 3-piece Wood Chisel Set | Budget Pick | |
| STANLEY Sweetheart Chisels Set | Upgrade Pick | |