Those high-end chisels I bought ended up being a total waste

I dropped $200 on a set of Japanese chisels thinking they'd be a game changer for my trim work. Turns out my old Stanley chisels hold an edge just as well after a good sharpening on a $15 stone. Has anyone else found that fancy tools don't always beat the basics?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea_knight2d ago

Whoa hold up, I gotta disagree with you there. I've been using a set of midrange Japanese chisels for years and they blow my old Stanleys out of the water once you get them sharp right. The steel is just harder and holds that razor edge way longer between touch ups on the stone. Maybe you got a dud set or didn't spend enough time getting the factory edge off them. A lot of people skip the initial flattening and polishing on a waterstone and then blame the tool. Once you get that bevel perfect, you can pare end grain like butter with a good Japanese chisel.

anthony_wells2d ago

Oh man, here we go again with the waterstone cult. You sound like my buddy Dave who spends more time flattening his stones than actually cutting wood. I get it, Japanese steel is nice, but I can sharpen a Stanley chisel on a bucket lid with some sandpaper and have it shaving hairs in five minutes flat. Your fancy midrange set probably cost me a whole week of lumber money, and I bet you still gotta baby them around knots. Can you even tap one with a mallet on a stubborn mortise without flaking out a chunk of edge?