I finally stopped using cheap chisels after a master carpenter called me out

This old timer named Dave at a job site in Tacoma watched me trying to square up a mortise with a wobbly edge and just said 'son, that tool is fighting you more than the wood.' I thought spending $40 on a set was fine, but he handed me his old Narex chisel for one cut and I felt the difference in my hand. Next paycheck I got a three-piece set of Narex chisels for around $90, and it took maybe a week to get used to the weight. Now I can pare end grain without splitting it, which used to take me three tries. Has anyone else had a old timer change their whole tool setup with just a single comment?

3 comments

3 Comments

paulw531mo ago

My grandpa did the same thing to me with a fishing rod when I was maybe 14. He watched me casting with this old fiberglass rod I bought at a garage sale and just said "you're fighting the flex, not using it." Handed me his old St. Croix and I hooked a bass on the third cast. That moment stuck with me because it taught me that cheap tools cost you more in frustration than they save in money. It's the same with kitchen knives or even a good shovel - once you feel the difference, you start noticing that pattern everywhere in life, where spending a little more upfront saves you time and bad results later.

mark_ward1mo ago

That same thing happened to me with a spokeshave an old timer handed me after watching me fight with a cheap one for ten minutes. Narex chisels are solid, but also look into sharpening them right out of the box because the factory edge is never as good as what you can get on a 1000/6000 stone. Once you feel how a properly set bevel cuts, you'll never go back to fighting the tool.

blairc901mo ago

Totally agree @mark_ward, that factory edge thing is a trap I fell into too. Once you get the hang of a 1000/6000 stone, it's like a whole new tool.