These Editor-Approved Wood Chisels Are Essential for Perfecting Your Next Woodworking Project

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A chisel is one of the most utilitarian and oldest hand tools for woodworking. And a good wood chisel, in particular, has sharp beveled cutting edges, holds those edges well, sharpens easily, and boasts an ergonomic handle built to withstand repeated hammer or mallet strikes.

There are a few common varieties—bench, mortise, and paring chisels—for different projects and purposes, and they come in a range of sizes for everything from lopping off large chunks of material to finer, more intricate finish work.

To help inform our picks for the best wood chisels (and tips on how to correctly use them), I relied on my own past experience and chatted with a few different wood workers to get their takes and recommendations. Quick info on the top five is just below. For more context and aspects to keep in mind as you consider a wood chisel, plus our full reviews of these and other models, keep scrolling.

Read more: The Most Essential Tools For Your First Woodshop, The Best Wood-Carving Tools for Decorative Woodworkers, How to Use a Wood Chisel

The Best Wood Chisels

• Best Overall: Narex Boxed Bench Chisel Set

• Best Budget Set: Buck Brothers 3-Piece Chisel Set

• Best for Beginners: DeWalt Short-Blade Wood Chisel Set

• Best Bench Chisel: Ashley Iles ½-Inch MK2 Bevel-Edged Chisel

• Best Mortise Chisel: Narex Mortise Chisel Set
  

What to Consider

A good rule of thumb is to prioritize quality construction of the parts and steel when shopping for a wood chisel. Look for a smooth surface, a sharp edge from the manufacturer, and avoid any steel with visible pits. Handles are either plastic or wood, and both can work well, so the choice is largely personal preference. Many bench and mortise chisels also have a metal striking cap on the end for hitting with more force.

Type

Bench Chisels

Bench chisels are the most common, suitable for a wide range of projects that involve chopping, shaping, and developing wood. They usually have a primary bevel of about 25 degrees, plus a secondary 30-degree bevel, depending on the blade material. And the handles are burly enough that you can strike them with a hammer or mallet. One of the woodworkers I spoke with, Ty Morrison-Heath, recommended the Narex Boxed Bench Chisel Set (our Best Overall pick). He says it’s “useful for cleaning up a dado, half lap, or rabbet that I cut with a table saw or router and get it flat on the bottom of the groove.”

Mortise Chisels

A mortise chisel has a stronger, more rigid blade for making straight cuts and chopping out material from a mortise. You can really whack a mortise chisel and remove a good amount of wood, and they are built strong enough to cut against the wood grain. Look for a mortise chisel that holds its edge well and is easy to sharpen.

Paring Chisels

You’ll rarely use a mallet on paring chisels, as they are longer and thinner, with blades that flex more. Paring chisels are used for precision work, like shaving minuscule amounts of wood when fitting joints together. Look for a blade that feels long enough but still affords you maximum control during fine cuts. And note that a paring chisel will also help in removing excess material from difficult-to-reach parts of your project.

Blade and Handle Material

The best chisel blades are made from durable, hard steel that allows for precise sharpening and maintains its edge. We look for a non-shrinking alloy steel (professionals look to O1) for those aspects but also because it’s hard enough to withstand strikes without chipping.

The width of chisel you should get depends on the tasks at hand. Smaller widths like ¼- or ½-inch are best for detailed and precise work, while wider blades, like 1- or 2-inch, are better for larger cuts and removing more material. We do recommend keeping a variety of widths on hand so you’re not forced to use the wrong size for different types of cuts and removal.

Handles can be made of anything from hardwood to plastic, built with a tang or socket construction. The handle of a socket-built chisel has a pointed end that fits into the blade, while the blade of a full-tang chisel fits up into the handle.

Full-tang wood chisel handles are often more durable, as the metal blade actually extends through the length of the handle, and they allow for better transfer of force with each strike. However, they can also be heavier and more expensive. Socket-built chisel handles are easier to replace, but they can potentially loosen after extended use, so keep an eye on the connecting segments and they don’t have the durability of a full-tang model.

Use and Safety

The most important thing to start with is to know whether your chisel is built for striking or shaving—i.e. big work or precision work. Chisels for striking are built in a socket construction and have a thicker, stiffer blade. A paring or fine-tuning chisel is more delicate, with a narrower blade and a smaller or nonexistent striking cap and loop. Chisels for striking will be built with a socket construction and have a thicker, stiffer blade.

To stay as safe as possible using the wood chisel, make sure the wood is held firmly in place with clamps or a vice to prevent it from moving. Hold the chisel firmly, and position your hands away from the cutting edge. Use controlled and deliberate movements when you make your cuts, and always cut away from your body and keep your fingers clear of the cutting path. Don’t forget to sharpen and inspect your tools regularly, and check out the full rundown of how to safely use your wood chisels here.

How We Selected

We focused on quality and specific uses when determining the best wood chisels. The wrong tool (or a cheaply made one) won’t just make your life harder and harm your project, it can splinter with impact. And dull or non-uniform bevels can be dangerous, especially with significant force applied. Luckily, you don’t need to spend a ton on a quality wood chisel, so many of our recommendations meet our high-quality standards and are also affordable.

I grew up in a family of woodworkers, and spent plenty of time in my dad’s shop as he built birdhouses, trail signs, and ornate picture frames. For this piece, I used my own experience with decorative woodworking, checked in with my family for their thoughts, and talked to Morrison-Heath, an outdoor marketer and lifelong woodworker who is spending this year building an entire house by himself—along with all of the smaller projects that go with it. The majority of the recommendations come from him, aside from ones where I cite my own experience.

Boxed Bench Chisel Set

These fine-grained, tempered steel blades take an edge easily and hold it beautifully for a long time, even with consistent use. Morrison-Heath appreciates the accurately ground bevel angles, though they may need an initial adjustment sharpening. And they do require final sharpening before first use.

This six-piece set has chisels from 6 to 26 millimeters in width (we used inches in our specs for consistency), which is an excellent range for a variety of projects. And like most chisels on this list, these have a 25-degree bevel. The high-quality beechwood handle has a great hand feel.

The blades are securely seated and have steel ferrules that help the chisels withstand extensive strikes without splitting. We also love the attractive storage box that doesn’t just keep these organized but protects the blades and keeps them tucked away on your workbench.

3-Piece Chisel Set

A good set of chisels doesn’t have to cost hundreds, and like we said above, you don’t need a whole lot of sizes to get started. Morrison-Heath’s favorite size (and style) blades are ½-inch and 1-inch bench chisels. And this affordable set does one better, including a ½-inch, a ¾-inch, and a 1-inch with stocky handles and an embedded metal end cap that allows you to use either a mallet or hammer for striking.

Once you get more in-depth with projects and precision, you’ll probably want some smaller chisels. But these are a great starting point at a good price and sharpen easily with impressive edge retention.

Short-Blade Wood Chisel Set

For anyone new to using a chisel, our woodworkers recommend a set with blades ranging from ¼- to a full inch. And this four-piece kit hits all the marks.

Like our budget-friendly option, this chisel set is affordable, durable, and made with high-quality materials, like a hardened tempered carbon-steel blade and a tough-as-nails strike cap that can stand up to extended mallet use. We also appreciate the handle, with its ergonomic shape and rubber portions that help prevent cramping and lend grip, respectively.

These chisels were built to withstand extended usage without losing an edge, though they take some fine-tuning out of the box to finesse the back and remove minor bowing. We’d love to see this set come with a carry case or sheath. But for this price and material quality, we’re fine figuring out alternative storage.

½-inch MK2 Bevel-Edged Chisel

This speciality tool maker out of England is a multi-generational family affair. Its tools are high-end enough to satisfy the needs of experienced woodworkers but not astronomically out of reach for hobbyists.

Woodworkers love these chisels for everything from dovetails to paring to cleaning up tenons, and the side bevels easily fit into tight corners that would otherwise be hard to remove material from, which helps me not have to go back and forth between parts of the project.

The handles are made from a tough bubinga wood (akin to rosewood) with a bolster and tang attaching it to the blade. The handles are shaped with a bell-and-scoop design so I’ve always been able to get a close grip to the blade without slipping, and the blade itself holds an edge better than the more mass-produced blades.

For this solo chisel, we recommend the ½-inch size for its versatility, but Ashley Iles tools come in a range for whatever your project calls for.

Mortise Chisel Set

Purpose-built for levering waste material from a mortise, this four-piece set includes chisels ranging from 4 to 12 millimeters in width. The’re incredibly durable and have the same steel ferrules and tang as Narex’s bench chisel set above, allowing them to withstand heavy use over a long period of time.

The full length of each chisel is 12 inches, and the handle design encourages a natural grip without needing to be too tight thanks to the scooped base. These absorb blows without reverberation through your hand from the impact-absorption of the beechwood, and allow for a straight, strong chop with precision. We were impressed with how well-tuned and sharp these came from the manufacturer, though like with most chisels, we recommend doing your own honing for maximum results.

Premium 5-Piece Chisel Set

Narex is one of the best brands if you want a quality chisel at a reasonable price, and its line of paring chisels is no exception.

Built from the brand’s chrome-magnesium steel and paired with tough beechwood handles, these sleek paring chisels can help create perfectly honed joinery with a precise fit. While a paring chisel is less common than a bench chisel, these longer, more flexible tools are ideal for shaving down wood for the final touches.

The 9.5-inch length of these blades might seem excessive, but the handle design and blade length allows for a low cutting angle and more precise cuts. They are easy to control and allow a high level of accuracy with multiple angles, and the blade lasts a long time between sharpening.

The Best Wood Chisels — FAQs

What basic chisel sizes are good for people just starting out in woodworking? What are the best add-ons?

For people just starting out, we recommend a three-piece bench chisel set. “I find myself reaching for my ½-inch chisel most frequently,” says Morrison-Heath. “I find it’s a nice compromise between speed and precision for removing material.” A good starter set includes three chisels between ¼- and 1-inch wide, and you can always supplement with additional paring or mortise chisels for specific projects.

Most chisels seem like they come in a set. How do you choose the size range or just decide to go for just one chisel?

“A basic set is a great way to get started, as you’ll always have the correct size on hand,” says Morrison-Heath. We suggest choosing a versatile size range, but don’t feel like you need to purchase the 10-unit set, as there are probably a few in-between sizes you won’t end up using. Some woodworkers prefer buying single chisels so they can choose specific sizes. So if you find over time that there’s one you size you’d like but don’t have in your set, you can do the same to add to your arsenal.

Morrison-heath also recommends getting one extra large chisel for “abuse purposes,” like cutting through wood that may have metal in it and scraping hardened glue from wood after glue ups.

What are some tips for taking care of your woodworking chisels?

Keep your woodworking chisels away from other tools. They are essentially knives, so any incidental contact with the tip can mar or dull them. Morrison-Heath sharpens his on a whetstone when they stop cutting with the precision he needs, and he also saves his set just for use on wood (no other materials), so the chisels remain sharp and precise.

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