After considering all of the below criteria, we nominated the Astro Pneumatic Tool 16-Piece Punch and Chisel Set as one of the best chisels you can buy today. This was the only pick in our guide that featured a blended toolset with punches and chisels. We liked that it was affordable and the only chisel set that could be used for metalwork.
To determine the best chisel, we looked at a range of features that included project purpose, type, durability, and the handle. Depending on the materials you’re working with, you’ll want to cater your chisel to best fit those mediums. But in our guide, we prioritized woodworking chisels. We also looked at durable options that included chrome vanadium steel alloys while also looking at handles made from wood and plastic that are gentler on your hands. Keep reading to learn more about the rest of our top picks.
Top 5 Best Chisels
#1 Astro Pneumatic Tool 1600 16-Piece Punch and Chisel Set
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: An affordable chisel and punch set made from chrome vanadium alloy makes it ideal for experienced DIYers and beginners.
- Best on a budget
- Ideal for metalwork
- Includes chisel gauge
- Blade edges dull quickly
Whether you’re a seasoned hobbyist or are just getting into the world of woodworking, you’re going to need a good set of tools to get the job done. We’ve nominated the Astro Pneumatic Tool 16-Piece Punch and Chisel Set as our Top Pick and Best Budget recommendation. These are also the only toolset in our guide that features cold chisels designed for use with metal.
We liked that this was a 16-piece set that includes a canvas pouch to keep your tools organized. This set includes taper, pin, and center punches as well as three cold chisels. You’ll also like the chrome vanadium alloy construction that makes these tools lightweight yet durable. And there’s an included chisel gauge to help you maintain your blade edges. Speaking of blades, your yard may need the best chainsaw as well.
#2 VonHaus 8 pc Craftsman Woodworking Wood Chisel Set
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Vonhaus wood chisels is a six-piece set of chrome vanadium steel alloy tools but comes with a honing guide and sharpening stone for easier use and maintenance.
- Includes sharpening stone & storage case
- Storage case included
- 6 chrome vanadium steel alloy chisels
- Inconsistent customer service
If you’re a woodworker, you need a serious set of chisels and the proper tools to maintain them. We nominated this set of Vonhaus wood chisels as our Honorable Mention selection because it’s a six-piece set that includes a honing guide and sharpening stone as well as a durable storage case to keep your tools organized. These bevel edge chisels are great for hobbyists or professionals.
The ergonomic handles feature a comfort grip for improved control but you’ll like that you have six chisels ranging in size from ¼ of an inch to 1 ½ inch. We like that this set has blades that are made from durable heat-treated chrome vanadium steel alloy and that the blades have narrow side bevels. The best fine tip paint brush will also come in handy for projects.
#3 REXBETI 10pc Premium Wood Chisel Set
Award: BEST PROFESSIONALS
WHY WE LIKE IT: A professional wood chisel set with a strong handle grip for improved control and a chrome vanadium steel alloy blade that has improved edge retention for better durability.
- Excellent durability & strong grip handle
- Storage case included
- Honing guide & sharpening stone included
- May rust easily
No one wants a chisel that falls apart shortly after you buy it. We nominated this 10-piece wood chisel set from Rexbeti as a professional wood chisel set that’s the most durable option because of the chrome vanadium steel alloy blades. We liked that this set comes with six wood chisels that range from ¼ of an inch to 1 ½ inch wide, a honing guide, sharpening stone, a durable storage case, and six protective caps to protect the blade and prevent accidents.
But you’ll like that the honing guide gives you the control to sharpen the blade at a 25 or 30-degree angle. And that means that you can use your sharpening stone for more than just these chisels. We also liked that these chisels have a heavy striking cap in the handle, making them durable enough to stand up to repeated strikes from a mallet or hammer. And the ergonomic handle means you have improved control for more precise movements. A good chisel is every bit as useful as the best nail gun.
#4 DEWALT DWHT16063 Short Blade Wood Chisel 4piece Set
Award: BEST FOR CONSTRUCTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: A streamlined set of chisels that make a great addition to an experienced craftsman’s toolset.
- Ergonomic bi-material handles
- Chrome carbon steel
- Durable hardened strike cap
- Lacks accessories
If you already have a fairly extensive set of tools, you might need the complete case sets from our other recommendations. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t want a quality set of chisels. This four-piece set from Dewalt is the perfect solution when you already have tools, making it the best chisel for construction sites, but you need to make some additions. We like that this set includes a range of chisels from ¼ of an inch to 1 ¼ of an inch.
You’ll also like the durable comfort grip handle that gives you more control, and a hardened strike cap for added durability. We like that this set of chisels is made from tempered chrome carbon steel for better edge retention. While this set lacks accessories, it’s a great affordable option for seasoned and beginner woodworkers. You may also need the best socket organizer for your tool kit.
#5 Narex 6 pc Woodworking Chisels Set
Award: EXCELLENT GIFT
WHY WE LIKE IT: This six-piece set Narex wood chisels feature a European beech handle and chrome-manganese steel blade for a professional-grade level of quality. And all of it comes in a high end wooden box, making it a great gift for the tool obsessed.
- Best Quality
- European beech handles
- Chrome-manganese steel
- Expensive
While the Narex wood chisels are the most expensive option in our guide, they’re also meant to turn heads. We nominated them as the Best Quality recommendation because this six-piece set features European beech handles paired with a tempered chrome-manganese steel blade for improved durability.
This set comes with bevel edge chisels that range from ¼ of an inch to 1 1/16 of an inch in width. The bevels are ground to a 25-degree bevel that makes them ideal for woodworking. Plus these chisels are designed to sustain repeated strikes from a mallet. And you’ll like the beautiful wooden presentation box. Speaking of wood, read about the best jigsaw.
How We Decided
Chisels are an essential tool if you want to work with wood. At some point, you’re going to need this critical tool. To create our guide, we looked at the following features in these hand tools — project purpose, type, durability, and the handle.
The project purpose and type go hand in hand. You’ll need to make sure that the materials you plan on working with are compatible with the type of chisel you want to buy. While the bulk of our recommendations are designed for woodworking, our Top Pick is the only option that includes cold chisels for use with cold metal. It’s also the only option that includes punches too. The types of woodworking chisels range from bench chisels to mortise chisels, and pairing chisels, with sizes coming in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1-1/4, and 1-1/2 inches.
Durability is another important feature because no one wants to find themselves frequently replacing a woodworking tool. While all of our options are fairly durable, you’ll want to look for chisel sets that include a sharpening stone to maintain the blade edge. Our Honorable Mention, #3 and #4 picks all include sharpening stones.
And finally, you’ll want to think about the handle. In our guide, the majority of our recommendations feature a plastic-based handle. But our Best Quality pick has a European beechwood handle and our Top Pick features a simple metal handle.
Best Chisel Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Factors to Consider
- Purpose
When most people think about chisels, they immediately picture someone working with wood. While this tends to be the most common use for a chisel, there are also chisels designed for use with metal (further broken down into cold or hot), masonry, and bricks. Picking the wrong chisel can make your workflow significantly harder. So, you’ll always need to think about the materials in your project and select the right chisel based on that. - Type
Speaking of which, there are four main chisel categories: woodworking, cold, masonry, and brick. Cold chisels are specifically designed to work with cold metal and should be harder than the material you’re working with to be effective. Likewise, brick chisels should only be used on bricks to preserve their cutting edge and masonry chisels on stone. However, most people associate chisels with woodworking, so you’ll need to select between the common options in this category — bench, mortise, paring, carving, dovetail, corner, and slick. If you’re just starting with a woodworking chisel, the bench chisel is your best bet as it’s more universal and tends to be made of more durable materials and a larger blade. - Durability
Most wood chisels have blades made from steel. But the way that steel is treated will determine the longevity of your tool. Tempered steel is the cheapest option but these blades tend to go dull the fastest. But if you’re more experienced or open to spending more money, you should consider the best wood chisels that have a chrome or vanadium steel alloy blade which is lighter and more durable. And if you’re looking for a mid-range option, carbon chrome steel is a great option that doesn’t need to be frequently sharpened but is still fairly durable and lightweight. - Style
A chisel is not just a chisel. There are two popular types, western and Japanese. The Japanese chisel tends to be made from harder steel and features a hollowed-out back for quicker sharpening. - Handle
There are two types of handles that you’ll usually see on a chisel, a socket, or a tang. A tanged handle will be lighter, making it ideal for more precise controlled movements. In contrast, a socket handle is often considered to be more durable than a tang handle but they’re also heavier. And that can make it harder to perform more precise actions with this type of chisel. Also, think about the handle materials, do you want plastic or wood. More experienced woodworkers will prefer a wooden handle because it provides great balance without adding extra weight. But if you’re just starting or are budget-focused, then a plastic handle will be cheaper and more durable, giving you the best value for your money.
