Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

...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.

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.

I've used these chisels in my woodworking business for 20 years. They're the only chisels I've ever needed. If you keep them polished up, they'll look and work like new for a lifetime. Twenty bucks is the best deal you'll ever find.

I purchased the five chisel set about 1 1/2 years ago. I use them every weekend to cut mortices, trim tenons, scrape glue, etc. They take a fine edge (hold it well) and are easily stropped to razor sharpness. I liked them so well I supplemented my set with two of their larger chisels. I love the 2". As with most factory chisels at any price these days, you will need to sharpen them before use.

The previous reviews are correct - these are good chisels at an amazing price. Though I am mostly a power tool guy, I do use chisels a lot for fine tuning mortises, paring tenons, flush trimmimg dowel plugs, etc. I have found that these chisels hold an edge for a good while. Do they hold an edge as long as a 200 dollar set? Of course not, but if you are willing to sharpen a bit more often you can save a LOT of money by buying these chisels. The handles are reliably strong. If I need extra force I always strike my handles with a rubber mallet. I previously owned the six piece set of these chisels. When they were stolen, I decided that the box was not worth much (it is not all that nice) and that for a lot less money I could do without the extra 2 chisels. So I bought this 4 piece set and found it to be a good decision - I don't miss the other two at all!

Buy these - they are inexpensive and a VERY good value for the money.

Used them to carve out a bunch of hinge and lock mortises on a poplar door frame. They're still sharp, even after using them with the edge flipped the wrong way. My brother even cut himself on one that we had used for a while.

I haven't even done the Scary Sharp tricks to tune them yet. I can only imagine how good Japanese chisels are if these are "just good".

Every chisel in this price range will probably take some work but these are taking a lot more than I bargained for. I've lapped and honed the backs of these chisels for at least two hours trying to get them flat. I can live with them now but there are still several spots on all four of them that I didn't get true; The worst spot on the 1" was right on the tip. Based on Marples pre-Irwin reputation, I'm hoping these chisels will redeem themselves enough with use to justify the price, but they definitely cost more than I was expecting. If you equate your time to money, add at least two hours worth to the price listed.

Edit to add: After posting that review I cut a small notch in some plastic with the 1/4" using light taps from a wooden mallet - Believe it or not, it chipped. Back to the stone...

I never owned or used a chisel before so i did not want to buy super expensive chisels just yet. i saw these chisels in a 4 5 and 6 piece set. i decided to go with the 4 piece because for a 3rd of the price you only get 2 less chisels. i was not expecting much for only 22 bucks. since some chisels can cost almost 200 for one! to my suprise i was able to cut clean tenons with these like a hot knife through butter. you could buy more expensive ones but why would you want to? these seem to do the job just fine. they hold a sharp edge much longer then i expected them too. and if you have a sharpening jig it makes using these that much more pleasent. they say only use a mallet but most of the time i did not need to. definatly the best 22 bucks i ever spent. bottom line if you want great chisels get these. you will be convinced like i was.

There simply isn't a better value to be found than these. They sharpen well, and hold an edge well. The handles are very comfortable and durable. I've been working with wood for 15 years, it's currently how I make a living, and I rely on these for the majority of my chisel work. However, SHARPEN THEM FIRST. A dull chisel is a dangerous chisel, and even though IRWIN claims these are already "honed and ready for use" they aren't.