I finally bought a good set of chisels and it was totally worth the money

Been using the same beat-up chisels for like 8 years (got them at a garage sale for $15) and they just would not hold an edge no matter how much I sharpened them. Last week I dropped $180 on a set of Narex chisels from a woodworking supply place up in Portland. First thing I did was cut a dovetail joint on some scrap oak and it came out so clean I almost cried. The steel is way harder than my old ones and they stay sharp for a full day of work instead of needing a touch-up every hour. I was skeptical about spending that kind of money on hand tools but now I get why guys complain about cheap stuff. Has anyone else made a similar upgrade that made a big difference in your work?

3 comments

3 Comments

sanchez.mary15d ago

Your sharpening setup probably just sucked (like $15 chisels do). Good chisels make good joints.

cooper.drew15d ago

Worth the money" is exactly what they want you to think. I bought a set of those same Narex chisels two years ago and they're okay but I've had to flatten the backs on three of them out of the box. My old $15 garage sale set needed frequent sharpening but the steel was softer and easier to keep sharp with just a stone. The hard steel on nice chisels chips if you look at it wrong and then you're stuck grinding the edge back down. I think a lot of guys buy expensive tools because they want to feel like they're serious about woodworking, not because the tools actually make better joints. You could have spent that $180 on a nice plane or a router bit set and gotten way more use out of it.

logan_mitchell15d ago

Did you read that test in Fine Woodworking where Narex beat out brands costing twice as much?