Irwin Marples M444/S4 4-Piece Blue Chip Bevel Edge Woodworking Chisel Set

by Irwin

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Irwin Marples M444/S4 4-Piece Blue Chip Bevel Edge Woodworking Chisel Set includes 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch bevel edges, all of which are made from solid-forged high-carbon steel for maximum edge retention. They use a longer blade and handle to give you added leverage, and are ideal for hand or mallet work. Irwin backs these tools with a lifetime warranty.

Product Description

4-pc. Blue Chip Bevel Edge Chisel Set

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Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000457K2
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: M444/S4
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,560 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cut a fine bargain with these, September 7, 2001

By 

Jack Lewis, Jr. (Seattle, WA, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irwin Marples M444/S4 4-Piece Blue Chip Bevel Edge Woodworking Chisel Set (Tools & Home Improvement)

Are these the world's best chisels? In a word, "No." But at this price they may be the world's best chisel value -- at least six stars out of five.
I own chisels that cost two-and-a-half times as much for ONE TOOL as this set of four. And there are true advantages to the Blue Chips, such as:
1) The handles are indestructible. You can bash away at them with the biggest mallet you can muster, or even a steel hammer.
2) Handles are NOT round. These tools never roll off my bench directly onto my edge-chipping concrete floor like some chisels that shall remain nameless.
3) They should last, basically, forever (meaning beyond my lifetime), because they're hardened virtually all the way up to the shank
The edges can get shaving sharp, so watch it -- they cut meat, too! I sunk the 3/4" over an inch deep into my left hand (doh!). However, the edge doesn't last as long as some pricier brands. Also, the backs are far from perfectly flat, and take some time to properly refine on a stone. In fact, the extra-wide Blue Chips are almost impossible to flatten completely -- but then, this set doesn't include any chisels over an inch.
These are very small gripes. Buy this set and be happy for years, maybe forever. Even if you move along to better (i.e. several times as expensive) frogslashers as time goes by, you'll never regret owning these. You can always use them to clean off extra glue -- or "demote" them to the secret depths of your tote-around toolbox, and hang fancier ones over your bench to impress your buddies.
You absolutely cannot go wrong with these chisels.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars for Value, August 19, 2000

By 

Al Mann (Homestead, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irwin Marples M444/S4 4-Piece Blue Chip Bevel Edge Woodworking Chisel Set (Tools & Home Improvement)

...I got four excellent chisels. They were ground sharp enough to use, but need to be sharpened on a stone for a really good edge. Haven't had them long enough to judge durability, but they look like they'll hold an edge. There are plastic covers for the tips to protect them. They have a nice balance, and should be adequate for my amateur woodworking skills. When my abilities exceed their capabilities, I'll move up to a better (and more expensive) set.

On the down side, the chisels were coated with a sticky preservative that needed to be removed (no big deal). And the edges of the tapers still had a burr from being ground. A few strokes with a stone removed them. On the whole, an excellent value for a set of decent chisels.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb value!, August 6, 2003

By 

Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Irwin Marples M444/S4 4-Piece Blue Chip Bevel Edge Woodworking Chisel Set (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought my Marples chisel set after reading how well they performed against far more expensive chisels in a Fine Woodworking review well over a decade ago. I still have the chisels, and they still hold an edge beautifully. This is an excellent set for the beginning cabinetmaker that's still good enough for the expert.

If you're looking for cheap chisels you can hit with a hammer and pry open paint cans with, buy the cheap Stanleys. But if you're looking for precision tools that can last a lifetime, you won't find a better bargain.