A wood chisel is a hand tool with a blade and a handle that is used to cut, carve or shape wood.
Chisels are best suited for fine woodwork like finishing work, carving wood patterns, and repairing, etc. They find their applications in industries, carpentry workshops, and in-home decor & repairing, etc.
A Chisel has a metal or a metal alloy made blade, fitted with a handle made of wood or polypropylene material. Chisels are used to scrap extra wood material from a wood work-piece by applying the force on the chisel.
They come in many varieties depending on the intended use. Where small-sized hand chisels are used for fine crafting or finishing work, bigger tools are useful in removing bigger portions from a wood-piece to create different shapes or patterns.
There are many types of chisels available in the market and to choose the best suitable for your intended use is not easy.
To help you find out the best, we have shortlisted the 10 best wood chisels available in the market with their features.
We have also provided here a wood chisel buying guide to help you know the factors while buying a chisel.
Table of Contents
- Top 10 Best Wood Chisels of 2020 (Reviews)
- 1. Stanley 16-150 3-Piece Wood Chisels
- 2. VonHaus 10-Piece Premium Wood Chisels
- 3. WORKPRO 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set
- 4. Stanley 16-791 4-Piece Wood Chisels
- 5. Stanley 16-401 Bailey Chisel Set, 5-Piece
- 6. Narex 4-Piece Wood Chisels
- 7. DEWALT 3-Piece Side Strike Wood Chisels
- 8. Irwin Tools 6-Piece Marples Wood Chisels
- 9. DEWALT DWHT16063 4-Piece Wood Chisels
- 10. GREBSTK Professional Wood Chisel Tool Sets
- Buying Guide - How To Choose The Best Wood Chisels
- Final Words
Top 10 Best Wood Chisels of 2020 (Reviews)
Chisel Model | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Stanley 16-150 | $ |
 | VonHaus 10-Piece | $$ |
 | WORKPRO 3-Piece | $ |
 | Stanley 16-791 | $$$ |
 | Stanley 16-401 | $$$ |
 | Narex 4-Piece | $$ |
 | DEWALT 3-Piece | $ |
 | Irwin Tools 6-Piece | $$$ |
 | DEWALT DWHT16063 | $$ |
 | GREBSTK Professional | $ |
Best Overall
1. Stanley 16-150 3-Piece Wood Chisels
Stanley 16-150 is a good option for those looking for a low priced chisel set. The set contains ½”, ¾” and 1” chisels.
Blade of the chisel is made up of carbon steel. The heat-tempering of blades makes them strong and longer-lasting.
It is possible to sharpen the blade full length as the blades are hardened uniformly across the length. You may need to sharpen the edges more frequently so this feature comes handy.
To protect them from rusting, blades are coated with Lacquer.
The handle of Stanley 16-150 is made up of polypropylene which prevents it from any kind of deformation. The full-size handles can absorb shocks and can easily bear the hammering
Pros
Cons
Runner-Up
2. VonHaus 10-Piece Premium Wood Chisels
It is a premium chisel set that any passionate wood craftsmen would love to have in their toolboxes. With the price being on the favorable side, this chisel set makes it a good choice even for the domestic wood-crafting activities.
This chisel set comprises different chisel sizes viz. 1/4", 1/2", 13/16", 1", 1-¼”, 1-½”.
The chisel blades have great strength. Thanks to the heat-treated chrome vanadium steel used in making the blades. It additionally ensures the durability of the blades’ edge.
Rubberized and ergonomically designed handles facilitate a very easy grip making it really comfortable while chiseling. Additionally, the metal strike cap provided at the end of the handle helps to bear the shock of the hammer.
Besides the chisels, it also includes a honing guide and the sharpening stone. And the duo makes the whole set very user-friendly.
Carving an accurate bevel is made quite simple through the guide.The result is pretty similar to the ones you get with the best wood carving dremel bits. Plus, with the sharpening stone, you can sharpen your blades as and when needed.
The outer case adds to the quality and aesthetics of the product.
Pros
Cons
Best Budget Pick
3. WORKPRO 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set
One of the most durable additions to this list is the WORKPRO 3-piece Wood Chisel Set.
Due to its heat-treated chrome-vanadium blades and ergonomic bi-material handles along with the steel butt which can withstand the force of hammer and mallet very easily, it is extremely sturdy and robust.
This set constitutes of chisels of 3 most frequently used sizes that are ½”, ¾” and 1”.
The good quality bevel edge makes it an appropriate choice for working on soft, hard as well as laminated wood.
The blades are sharp, hard and of good quality for a much better wood crafting experience. These strong blades can even be used on mortise, rough surface, tough corners, and glue.
Additionally, good quality grip of the handle and hard strike cap prevent slipping and disturbances while crafting wood.
Pros
Cons
Most Flexible
4. Stanley 16-791 4-Piece Wood Chisels
Stanley which is known for its excellence in quality of manufacturing tools has this set of wood chisels for craft lovers. The set includes one tool each of ¼”, ½”, ¾”, and 1”.
The blades are made of chrome steel that provides strength and also helps them retain their sharpness for a long time.
The long & thin blades provide greater flexibility and accessibility to hard-to-access wooden surfaces. The tapered and narrow bevels’ sides add to the ease, particularly while working on curves, corners, and other tricky surfaces.
This is very helpful in working on jobs needing high precision and in preventing damages & rejections.
Moreover, the hornbeam handles are designed to provide maximum striking effectiveness. Also, they allow for a very comfortable grip. The handle end has a sizable area for effective and accurate hammering.
The leather roll outer pack makes it very easy to hold & carry even while moving outward.
Pros
Cons
Precise
5. Stanley 16-401 Bailey Chisel Set, 5-Piece
Another masterpiece from the house of Stanley is the 5 piece Stanley 16-401 Bailey Chisel Set. With its unique stained beech handles and an improved brass ferrule, it becomes a perfectly right choice for the professional woodcrafters.
This set includes tools of various sizes viz. ¼”, ½”, ¾”, 1” and 1¼”. Its blades are quite appealing due to the enhanced blade finish along with the new and improved grinding centers.
Moreover, the pre-sharpened blades allow you quick access without stressing much about sharpening the blades before using them. These high-quality lacquered blades are safe to use and corrosion-resistant.
Though this 5 piece set would cost you a high amount per piece, yet the quality that it will offer you might make it a good choice for you.
A disadvantage of going with them is the frequent sharpening that these chisels demand. But overall they would be a good option as far as better quality is concerned.
Pros
Cons
Rough & Tough
6. Narex 4-Piece Wood Chisels
The 4-Piece Narex wood chisels are a very good option to go with, especially for the experienced woodworkers due to their well-tempered blades.
These astonishing wood chisels come with the high quality fine-grained chrome-manganese steel blades that provide nicely seated heavy steel tangs and a 25o bevel, making them ideal for high-quality wood crafting.
The set includes tools of ¼”, ½”, 13/16” and 1-1/32”. Its special European Beech lacquered & two ferruled long handles make it sturdy, durable, and very safe to use.
Though the wood chisels offer you very good quality yet you won’t get storage case due to its low cost.
On top of that, the convenience that it would be providing you would be a lot better than what is claimed by the manufacturer.
Some other important features that this set offers you are Rc 59 hardened steel, well-edged blades, and safe-to-use tangs.
Pros
Cons
Strong & Durable
7. DEWALT 3-Piece Side Strike Wood Chisels
If you're a newbie, then you may already have a beginner-friendly table saw lying around from this giant brand. The classic DEWALT 3-Piece Side Strike Wood Chisels is another good-to-go option for demolition and scraping-off wood due to its cutting sharp edge. It consists of hard & tempered carbon-chrome steel blades for higher durability.
This 3-Piece set comprises blades of size ¾”, 1” and 1¼”. The hard strike cap protects it from the blows of hammer and mallet quite easily.
The carbon-chrome steel blade provides edge retention and the curved bi-material handle adds on to the convenience by providing a much better grip.
As the name suggests, DEWALT Side Strike is very suitable for striking and scraping off wood easily. Moreover, the serrated cutting edge makes it highly user-friendly.
The overall quality is very good and the cost is quite reasonable. This one can be considered as one of the best chisels for woodworking projects.
Pros
Cons
Good Sharpness
8. Irwin Tools 6-Piece Marples Wood Chisels
Irwin Tools 6 piece Marples chisels come in 6 sizes viz. ¼”, 3/8", ½”, 5/8", and 1".
Hard carbon hardened steel blade makes it durable and gives it the sharpness needed for big wood projects as well as for the smaller craft work-pieces. Each blade is provided with a cover for protection.
The improved sharpening process has ensured blade sharpness to last longer.
Besides, the easy to grip handle provides good control and comfort while chiseling for a long period.
A wooden case makes the set easy to store and handle. In addition, it comes with a sharpening kit.
Pros
Cons
Best for Domestic Usage
9. DEWALT DWHT16063 4-Piece Wood Chisels
Another high-quality wood chisel set by DEWALT is the 4-piece DWHT16063. It is a hard and durable chisel set with tempered carbon-chrome steel that offers better edge retention.
It comes with hard and tough strike cap that provides long-lasting consistency even after a constant mallet hitting. The bi-material handles are ergonomically designed for more convenience and safety.
The set includes frequently used blade sizes of ¼”, ½”, ¾” and 1” for better usability.
These blades are lacquered to provide better protection. Moreover, the blades are tip style and sharp for extra precision.
This set is perfectly suitable for domestic purposes due to their heavy-duty and user-friendly design.
The overall quality of each chisel is good and the product is worthwhile especially if you want it as a hobbyist and require very finely detailed woodwork.
Pros
Cons
Easy To Control
10. GREBSTK Professional Wood Chisel Tool Sets
With very good quality and professional features, the GREBSTK Professional Wood Chisel Tool Set is also one of the best wood chisels available in the market.
The blades of these wood chisels are made of chrome-vanadium stainless steel for long-lasting good quality.
Moreover, the blades are rust-free, sharp, hard and quality-wise very good, making them a good choice for beginners as well as professional woodworkers. The beech handle provides extra convenience and durability.
Besides, the handle is tightened using a stainless steel loop for the safety and sturdiness of the chisel. The chisel is lightweight, easy-to-use and consists of a sharp bevel edge for better control.
The set consists of chisels of size ¼”, ½”, ¾” and 1” which are used much more frequently than others.
Pros
Cons
Buying Guide - How To Choose The Best Wood Chisels
We hope that short-listing the 10 best lathe chisels would have helped you in making up your mind to decide the chisel that suits your needs.
To further simplify it for you we are providing some important factors that you must consider before finally going ahead with the purchase.
Here are those basic yet very important features shared to help you to select the most suitable chisel set for you.
1. Chisel Blade
This, of course, is one of the most important features to consider while choosing best wood chisel sets. No matter how favorable other factors are, this single factor can make you smile or frown after you finally get the product.
You should critically look for some of the qualities of a chisel blade. First and foremost is its sharpness.
A sharper blade would provide you the most satisfying experience for your craftsmanship. You can choose between the pre-sharpened or to-be-sharpened-by-self blades.
Another quality of the chisel blade is its strength and durability.
The blade should be able to hold its edge even on prolonged use. Look for lacquering as it protects blades from getting rusted.
A long and thin blade gives great flexibility while working on surfaces that are hard-to-access. If you are for the precision & accuracy and also want to avoid damage and rejections, you should select a tapered & narrow beveled blade. These blades facilitate in achieving high precision thus preventing damages to your work-piece.
So, based on your intended use you can select the chisel offering that blade type.
2. Chisel Handle
It is funny even to imagine a chisel without a handle! A handle in a chisel is there to help us handle the blade…!! The better the handle the better we can handle or control the chisel.
From a material point of view, handles are made of either wood or polypropylene.
Wooden handles are better as they help in shifting the weight towards the center of the chisel thus help in effective transferring of the force applied through your palm or the hammer.
Besides, wooden handles are more durable provided your job does not require too much hammering.
However, if you still prefer wooden hammer because of its other qualities you should opt for the chisels having metal base plate at the end of the handle. This will protect chisel from the shocks of hammering.
Plastic handles are the inferior alternative to their wooden counterpart as they are less durable. However, they can bear the blow caused by hammering better than the wooden handle.
3. Chisel Size
Depending on the kind of your work you can select the overall size of the chisel.
A long chisel is useful while dealing with bigger products. It also is more useful in a spacious work area.
If you are working on small projects requiring more minute and tiny details, the small chisels are pretty handy. They provide the kind of control needed to create those finer impressions with precision.
4. Other Factors
These are not the major factors but can be considered when the quality of the blade and handle of two or more chisels sets is similar.
Some sellers are offering strong and beautiful wooden cases. Some others have a leather roll that makes their set easy to carry outdoors also.
While a pouch packing cannot be your preferred choice, given all other factors to be similar having a chisel set without a packing case would be the last in your priority.
Some other factors can help wood craftsmen to be more accurate. Honing guide is one such feature that guides you through the angles and curves to provide a more precise output.
Another additional feature that is worth mentioning here is the sharpening stone. Good sharpening stone can save your time and efforts at a little extra cost.
Though the cheaper alternative i.e. sandpaper does the same job for you. Well, the choice is yours!
Don't forget to pick the right type of wood for carving as that can impact your outcome immensely. For that, we check out this detailed guide.
Final Words
So hopefully, no more confusion. Rather than going through too many chisels, you only have to select from the shortlisted ones.
After going through the guide you would have reduced the choices further down. Many of the readers might have finalized on the one chisel set that fulfills their needs.
For a few who are still not able to firm up their mind, we recommend Stanley 16-150 3-Piece Wood Chisels because of its durability, affordability and lifetime warranty along with plenty of other useful features.
As a second choice, you can go for VonHaus 10-Piece Wood Chisels. This chisel set offers high strength at the best cost per piece.
For those who wish to prefer the most pocket-friendly chisel set, WORKPRO 3-piece Wood Chisel Set would be our recommendations for them.
Finally, we hope that this article could help you decide on the best wood chisels that you need.
In case you also need a compact and lightweight CNC router, check here.
