Fitz vs. Chris: 1/2" Chisel Comparison

From left: Pfeil (aka Swiss Made), Veritas PMV-11, Narex Richter, Ashley Isles Mk2 Bench, Lie-Nielsen Bevel-edge , Stanley Sweetheart and Blue Spruce Dovetail 1/2" chisels.

First, Some Important Statistics

Pfeil: 3.8 ou., 9-1/2" long. $48.99 (Woodcraft)
Veritas: 4.2 ou., 9-7/8" long. $95.90 (Lee Valley)
Narex: 4.3 ou., 10-3/8" long. $46.19 (Amazon)
Ashley Iles: 4.4 ou., 9-1/2" long. $43.95 (Tools for Working Wood)
Lie-Nielsen: 3.5 ou., 9-1/4" long, $95 (Lie-Nielsen)
Stanley: 2.9 ou., 9" long, $98.99 for 4-piece set (Amazon; not available as single tool)
Blue Spruce: 2.7 ou., 8-5/8"long, $99.99 (Blue Spruce)

Fitz: I used each of the chisels above, freshly sharpened up to #8,000 grit, to chop the pin waste in 12 tail sockets in cherry Shaker trays. Before diving into my thoughts, however, I must first admit a bias. I’ve been using Lie-Nielsen socket chisels since my first dovetails, so of course those are my favorite. It’s difficult to overcome two decades of familiarity; I’m awfully loyal. All of the others (except the LN) were bought new for this test. (But I weighed and measured Kale’s brand-new LN; mine weighs 0.2 ou. less and is more than 1/4" shorter.)

And with that out of the way, out of the chisels above, the other two I’d be reasonably happy to have in my chest are the Blue Spruce and the Stanley. That’s not much of a surprise given their handle shapes and overall lengths, both of which are similar to the Lie-Nielsen.

Chris: I like the chisels you picked, but I also really like the Pfeil/Swiss Made chisel, especially the double-tapered handle on this particular version of the tool.

Fitz: And out of the Stanley and Blue Spruce, I prefer the Blue Spruce fresh out of the packaging; it is the only chisel I’ve ever used that came truly wicked sharp and ready to use, without first having to touch it up. I do not think I could have improved on the original cutting edge. (So for any beginners who are willing to drop $99.99 on a chisel: Use this one, and you will know what sharp can do. And you’ll have an excellent sharpening target for which to aim.) However, it has coved sides above the lands, which makes it a little more difficult to hold by the blade than those with a flat bevel atop the lands.

Chris: I agree that it’s quite a nice touch by Blue Spruce to set up the tool all the way for you. Also, the rest of the tool matches the excellent set-up – it’s like a piece of jewelry.

Fitz: In the long-term, though, I prefer the Stanley because it, like the Lie-Nielsen, is a socket chisel. You can rap the handle against the bench and it will pop out – handy when you need to work in a tight spot. (I do that all the time when making Dutch tools chests – to secure it back in place, spray the handle base with sticky hair spray, then knock it on end on the bench.) Plus it’s lightweight and well-balanced. But the Stanley needed a fair amount of work on the back to make it flat before we were able to sharpen it and put it to use, and the lands (the narrow flats on the sides) were sharp.

Chris: People, please don’t glue the handle into the socket. It’s just not necessary. I’ve seen so many “tricks” in magazines and in videos for gluing the handle in with high-tech adhesive. My only ding on the Stanley is you have to buy a set of chisels. (Or if someone could point us to a retailer who sells individual chisels, that would be appreciated.) I tested these Stanley Sweetheart chisels when they came out years ago. I’m glad they’re still on the market. The whole set of four Stanley chisels can be had for the same price as one Blue Spruce. As to the lands, weren’t they all sharp?

Fitz: The lands were in fact overly sharp on all but the Narex Richter, so I took a few swipes down all the edges with #280-grit Abranet. (Except on the LN – I eased the edges on that one years ago.) I’ve sliced my fingers open enough on sharp lands over the years; I’ve finally learned to check them all before drawing blood!

I like the short handle and swelling at the base of the LN, Stanley and Blue Spruce, as I find those smaller handles fit comfortably in my hand, and I have something against which to push my thumb for added pressure when needed.

Chris: The swelling right above the socket is great for paring. Before I bought my Lie-Nielsens, I was using the Irwins, which were like holding a blue plastic hot dog. Once I picked up a Lie-Nielsen, I was sold on the handle shape.