Where’d The Handle Go

We’re trained to think that a woodworking chisel needs a wood or even a plastic handle. The question is why? One reason is that a good handle will give you finer control of the chisel, but if you don’t need fine control and you’re going to whack the hell out of it with a hammer, why not forgo the handle altogether? At least that’s the theory behind these carpenter’s chisels from Lee Valley.

Even though the chisels are designed to be used and abused, they’re well constructed. Each chisel is forged from one piece of chrome-vanadium steel. The blade is hardened to Rc57-61 so they’ll keep a fine edge, and the shank is kept softer so you can whack them with a hammer and not get shards of metal flying everywhere. So go ahead and pound on, twist, or pry with these chisels.

Made in France, the chisels come in 3/4″, 1″, 1-1/4″, and 1-1/2″ sizes. The full set of four chisels will run you $60, while individually they’ll run you anywhere from $14 to $23, depending on the size.

Carpenter’s Chisels [Lee Valley]

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