pat360•14d ago

Just realized I was wrong about those cheap chisels from Harbor Freight

For years I swore you had to spend at least $50 on a chisel to get one that would hold an edge. I'd tell apprentices not to even bother with the cheap sets. Then about 6 months ago I picked up a 4-pack of the yellow handled ones for like $12 on a whim because I needed a beater for demo work around the job site in Dayton. First couple uses I was still skeptical, they felt soft on the stone. But after I spent 20 minutes really flattening the backs and getting a good edge on them, they surprised me. They don't hold as long as my Lie-Nielsens obviously, but for quick paring and cleanup work they're totally fine. I keep one in my truck for emergency fixes now. Has anyone else had luck with budget tools after putting in the time to sharpen them right?

2 comments

2 Comments

susan_nguyen14d ago

Honestly the part about "feeling soft on the stone" is something I totally get. A lot of people just give up on cheap chisels after one bad sharpening session but they don't realize the factory backs are usually way out of flat. Once you fix that and get a good burr going the steel can actually get tricky sharp but it just loses that edge faster than high end stuff. For me that's fine for 90% of the work I do. I use a set of old Buck Brothers chisels I found at a flea market for five bucks and after flattening the backs they cut poplar and pine like butter. The trick is just knowing that cheap steel needs more frequent touch ups on the stone but you can keep them working just as well with a little regular maintenance.

ivangrant14d ago

Funny you mention Buck Brothers... I actually read a blog post from some old timer in Ohio who swore by them after he flattened the backs real good. He said the steel is actually decent, just the factory finish is terrible. I tried it with a set I found at an estate sale for like six bucks and he was right. After an hour on the stones they cut almost as nice as my vintage Stanleys. The edge life is shorter but for general carpentry it doesnt matter much to me. People get too hung up on brand names when the real work is in the sharpening.