A chisel doesn’t look like the most complicated tool in the world but it can wind up being one of the most versatile choices in your arsenal. Chisels can sculpt, cut, and scrape metal, wood, and even stone.
Having a few chisels in your toolbox will wind up benefiting you before you know it. Before you start taking on DIY projects, check out the reasons why you should definitely have a chisel or two available.
Bench Chisel
There are hammered and non-hammered chisels, so let’s focus on the former. Any type of chisel you need to hammer requires a tougher, thicker blade so that it doesn’t bend or break under the force.
This one has a flat head handle that is meant to be hit by mallets and hammers. They’re shorter than bevel-edge chisels (more later), fitted with a socket or tang. Great for trimming, pairing, chopping, and even joinery when it comes to furniture work.
Bevel-Edged
This is one of the stronger hammer chisels you’ll find. It’s also the perfect middle ground because it isn’t too short or long. As the name suggests, it has an angled or beveled side combined with a straight edge.
You can use the edges to work in corners and dovetail joints. Those are typically areas where you can’t really find much room and a bevel-edged chisel can go a long way toward making life easier.
Mortise Chisel
As the name suggests, you need a mortise chisel to cut deep mortise joints. The blade on a mortise chisel is heavier and actually thicker than it is wide. The blade is made up of forged bolsters that keep it from bending when you hammer it.
The hoops, made of steel or hardwood, hold up to heavy striking and pressure. They last a long time and hold up to heavy-duty use, great for levering waste woodwork or chopping out joints.
Firmer Chisel
As the name suggests, the firmer chisel has a handle that is made of something hard like steel so that it can be used for heavy-duty applications. It also happens that this is one of the oldest chisel models out there because of its practicality.
The blade has a rectangular cross-section and a slight bevel, around 20 degrees or so. Because of how they are shaped, they are optimal for creating very sharp, almost perfect 90-degree corners. Handles are typically made of hardened plastic or hardwood so you can consistently strike it with a mallet or hammer.
Butt Chisel
This one stands out not only for the name but for the really short blade. This one comes as an offshoot of bench and firmer chisels since it has straight and beveled cutting edges to work with, making it one of the more versatile chisels you’ll use.
As the name suggests, this chisel is ideal for installing not only butts but hinges for carpentry. Because of the short design, they’re also pretty great at working in tough-to-reach areas on a variety of workpieces.
Bolster Chisel
You might also see this one referred to as a brick chisel. This one is capable of cutting very straight lines into stone, metal, and brick. If you’ve ever tried to cut a straight line, you know how tough that can be without this chisel.
The handle is flat and the blade edge is bevelled to make it really strong. It’s strong enough to cut through hard materials with even a little strong from a mallet or hammer, making it perfect for just about any material that you are going to come across.