IRWIN Marples Chisel Set for Woodworking, 6-Piece (M444SB6N), Blue

I did a lot of research on chisels before I decided to choose these. I really liked the value for money that you get with these, especially at Amazon prices, but I kept getting put off by 'experts' that claimed they were no good. A lot of people recommended Narex instead, but a lot of those same people complained that the QC done by Narex was inconsistent at best. It didn't really look like you could pick a winner at this price range. I decided to pull the trigger on a set despite the negative remarks from some of the experts, and overall I'm really happy that I did. I'll preface this with the fact that I'm using these for fine joinery and that I have high expectations for end results. Initial impressions: Out of the box these are good looking chisels. There are plenty of machine marks on the steel, but overall everything looks clean and flat. The cutting edges out of the box leave something to be desired. Do not expect these to be honed when you get them. Don't even expect them to make good cuts out of the box. They are mediocre at best, and about as sharp as I can get them with 220 grit sandpaper. Honing impressions: these were dead-flat out of the box, which is seriously impressive for the price. Honing the back 3/4" or so on each to flat and smooth took no longer than about 15 minutes total. Sharpening impressions: These sharpen well, far better than I expected given the overall bad reputation that these have in the online woodworking communities. Using 400, 600, 1500, and finally 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper brings these up to 'pretty sharp'. I can pare end grain cleanly with them at this point. Adding 2 final polishing stages with green then red polishing compound impregnated on a piece of balsa gets them to 'absurdly sharp' to the point that I'm afraid of leaving them out on the benchtop. A mirror polish finish is definitely possible with these and a bit of effort. Edge retention: These chisels do their job really well through each project for me. I usually sharpen everything up at the end of a project so that they're ready for the next use. I haven't found a need to sharpen these mid-project just yet. Maybe a quick run on some polishing compound here and there for touch-up, but definitely no need to go back to the beginning. Handles: This is my biggest con for these chisels. The handles are fairly small in diameter and not very long. What this means is that my large hands have a hard time holding these for paring or body-weight chopping for an extended period. They're not socket chisels, so you're stuck with what they come with. The material of the handles is a durable plastic. I have no doubt they'll hold up to being driven by a wooden joiners mallet or a rubber hammer. Using these with a steel hammer is asking too much in my opinion, and you really shouldn't be doing that to your chisels anyways. Overall: I'm happy with them for a good set to get started in hand-cut joinery. For the price I don't think that you could find much better. My intention is now to slowly upgrade the most-used chisels from this set to some socket chisels, but those are running around $30/each. I don't imagine that I'll need to upgrade inside a year. I would suggest these for anyone interested in fine woodworking, but are working on a budget. I wouldn't suggest them for carpentry though, I've seen what those guys do to tools, they should stick to the through-tang Stanely's. The one key note that I would take impress is that no matter the brand you will need to hone and sharpen your chisels out of the box, these are no exception, but if you're willing to spend a bit of time and effort on them these can be fantastic chisels.

After doing some research into this set and reading reviews this 6 Piece Set of Woodworking Tools are what I landed on to buy. Being Made by Irwin they were of course of superior quality leaving nothing to desire in a product that will give you years of use if properly maintained. With sizes in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 and 1 inche, this makes for the perfect starter set. Accompanying the 6 Wood Chisels were 6 appropriately sized sheaths for each blade and a nicely made wood case. After conduction my reseach this particular set was chosen for the following reasons: - Irwins reputation for quality of their tools. - Makes for the ideal "Starter Set" with the range of sizes. - Shape of the handles, which I learned was huge as they must be comfortable to use for long periods or be able to use a mallet on. - The quality and materials used being Solid Forged High Carbon Steel that has been hardened to 58-HRC for durability and blade retention. - Protective blade covers matched to each piece. - Warranty - Wood Case The recipient of this Chisel Set absolutely loved them immediately putting them to use. She has only had positive things to say about them. They have been used for long periods being comfortable while used as they kept their edge requiring little if no sharpening. She has used these on many projects both little and small with stunning results while being consistent with both her style and the finished piece. Being priced in the middle of the pack the balance of cost and quality is perfect. This is a 5 out of 5 Stars product that has nothing more to desire. I hit the nail on the head with this gift choice. I most definitely put this in my "HIGHLY RECOMMEND" Category.

Irwin's wood chisels for D.I.Y. These are not $90/chisel. They need honing. Great for weekend woodwork. But, not what I'd purchase for a production shop. These require nylon or wood mallet. I've purchased other sizes in this series.

This is a great set of chisels for the price. Well sharpened out of the box, and hold an edge reasonably well. You could buy these fully intending for them to be your beginner set and planning to buy a $$$ set of swiss or german or japanese chisels...and if you never did it would be totally ok, since these are made of quality steel and can take a beating if you are the type of person who drops their edged tools on the concrete floor. If you know an aspiring woodworker or boat builder, I know they would be overjoyed to get a set like this for a gift. I had to buy my own, but I like to pretend they were a gift.

Très belle ensemble,des ciseaux a bois de qualité, beaux coffret, je suis très satisfait de mon achat, Merci.

Needs sharpening.

Requires some honing but after that work great.

Good quality, great price. Can’t go wrong

No where in the add did it mention made in China, knowing that, I would never have purchased this item. Not a happy camper, Quality is just not there.