Customer Reviews

Footprint 465 123014 4-Piece Beech Handle Wood Chisel Set 1/4-Inch, 1/2-Inch, 3/4-Inch, 1-Inch

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just cut a bunch of half blind dovetails in cherry with these. They were easy to sharpen (backs were nice and flat) and stayed sharp. Wood handles are a little square so they don't roll away and they really took a beating. They're also comfortable to hold. Blades are thin enough to fit into the corners of the dovetails. I first ordered the set but had to switch to getting them one at a time when the set was out of stock. Would somebody please ask them to make one in 1/8 inch?

These Footprint chisels were highly rated recently by Fine Woodworking Magazine. In their tests the Footprint beech handle chisels held their edge better than Lie-Nielsen! That's hard for me to believe, but that was their test result. I bought a set. They really are excellent! Excellent steel that was easily honed sharp enough to shave with. And they appeal to woodworkers because the handles are beech, not plastic. They are round with a flat area on top and bottom. This prevents them from rolling off the bench. Finally, you get a set of four for under $50! Very happy with my purchase!

Made very well, I used them to cut dovetails in curly maple with no problems. They held their edge well. Also these are made in England not in China like the Irwin Marples.

These scored very highly in a FWW article comparing chisels and are way cheaper than most of the other sets.

I spent about 10 minutes on each chisel flatting the back and putting a good edge on and have been very pleased. Don't expect these chisels, or any, to come sharp out of the box.

They feel very good in my hand and have stood up to quite a bit of hitting with a wooden mallet.

Would purchase again.

Chisel handles are comfortable oval shaped. They seem to have good balance. Definitely not ready the way they came in cheap plastic packaging. Each requires about 30 minutes of flattening the back and honing. For comparison, my Lie Nielsen socket bevel-edge chisel costs more than this whole set and still requires 10 minute.

Good steel when properly honed and keep its edge well

Bought the set of four. Sadly, quality control on fit and finish of the handles was marginal.

Two had the blade slightly misaligned with the handle. I'm right handed, they dog leg left so they are usable (if I was a lefty I'd have to return them). One of these had a poor fit between the blade bolster and ferrule. One handle had a small check in it that was repairable. Two required minor flattening of the back during sharpening.

That said, I bought them for the quality of the steel and they do sharpen up well, you can tell they are the real deal, forged English steel.

My intention is to use them as an expendable job site paring chisel (I'm a professional finish carpenter/cabinetmaker). I would not hit them with anything harder than my hand (even my head is too hard) given the quality of the handles.

They will never replace my old Sorby's or Marples for bench use in the shop, that wasn't my intention, and for the price are better than the Irwin or Stanley sets, which I also own and routinely abuse.

Conclusion? Good steel that holds a lovely edge, marginal handles that you may end up replacing at a price that won't leave you sleepless if one goes missing.

After reading the Fine Woodworking review I put together a set of 7 of these. I haven't had a lot of time with them but they seem to be a fair set for the money. I put a finish on the handles and gave them a quick once-over. They are beveled at 25 degrees not 30 as stated. They take a keen edge but come with nicks in some of those edges. The edges don't hold that well at 25 degrees so I'll take them to 30 in the near future (which is where they were tested at). This was working in oak so take that into account. I like the feel of the handles and they hold up to a mallet (so far). I think with a little work this will become a nice set, 3 stars now but they have real potential.

The chisels I recieved were the worst looking tools I have seen in a while. The brass rings were rusting, and they didn't seem to line up right with the handle. The handles looked like they had been rushed through production, there were rough edges that needed sanding and the stamped name was smeared. The business end of the chisels looked awful, I only took out one chisel for inspection and that one had a small chip in the cutting edge. To top it all off, the packaging was for a set of plastic-handled chisels. It is obvious to me that whoever makes these chisels doesn't care at all about their product, so back to Amazon this one goes -- thanks for wasting my time Footprint. I went out to Lowes and got myself a set of stanleys that aren't great but they are a whole lot better than these, and cheaper too.