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 CaseThe 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.

I have used this chisel set for more than a year now for a variety of tasks and woods. I have cut/timmed mortise & tenon joints in mahogany, dovetail joints in rosewood and maple, general trim/fitting of joints with poplar and plywoods, and removal of baseboard molding. In all my uses so far, I have found these tools to be fine for my needs.I am fairly new to woodworking as a hobby and wanted to buy a decent, but not expensive set of chisels. I am very pleased with my choice.The handles have held up pretty well, although use of a standard 13 oz. hammer and really beating on the chisel during baseboard removal has caused a bit of damage. Otherwise, the handles remain tight/in good condition and the blades hold their edge reasonably well.I use the Worksharp 3000 to sharpen these chisels and it isn't difficult to get the edges get nicely sharp. When cutting dovetail joints in very hard wood (rosewood in my experience), the blades need to be resharpened after only a few pins or tails, but I found that I could work for a couple of hours in maple, poplar or mahogany before resharpening.Like any chisel, the backs need to be flattened before the first sharpening and they definitely need to be sharpened before their first use. I like the appearance of the blue handles, the fit of their shape in my hand and that since the handles are not round they do not tend to roll off the bench easily.While there are certainly nicer chisels on the market that will take a keener edge or hold that edge longer, you can buy this set of chisels for what a single one of those other chisels cost. Compared to the standard chisels sold by the big home improvement stores, these chisels take a much sharper edge and hold it much longer. This is exactly the choice I was trying to make.