That expensive Japanese chisel I thought was overhyped...

I picked up a $150 chisel set from a specialty shop in Portland after resisting for over a year. Figured my $30 hardware store set was fine... until I tried to pare end grain on a walnut table leg. The cheap one chattered and splintered, the Japanese one sliced through like butter after just a quick strop. I actually tested them side by side on the same piece of mahogany, and the difference in surface finish was night and day. Now I get why the old guys in the shop swear by them, even if the price stings a bit. Anyone else have a tool they were dead set against until they actually used it?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas16519d ago

It's funny how that works with pretty much anything, not just tools. I noticed the same thing with kitchen knives after using a cheap block set for years, one decent blade changes everything and you can't go back. The real cost is just the stubbornness of thinking there's no difference until you actually feel it for yourself.

the_nathan19d ago

Read a woodworking blog post a while back that said something like "cheap tools make you work harder, good tools make you work smarter." Totally applies here. I had the same realization with a set of Narex chisels after fighting with a beat up Buck Bros set for years. The difference in edge retention alone was enough to make me feel like an idiot for waiting so long.