Question about bench chisels

[scott spencer]

Hi all - I've got a variety of chisel brands and sizes...nothing highend...couple of Stanleys, Narex, Irwin/Marples, and some cheapies from Big Lots. All my better chisels have fairly long handles and really long blades, and I find the longer ones harder to control than cheapies that are much shorter.

Two questions come up....why do so many of them have such long blades? Does anyone make a quality chisel that has shorter blades? (As in 3" or 4" of blade below the handle instead 5"-6")

[Dan Barr]

hi there,

after youve been using any chisel a while, control will come naturally. you'll want the longer blade for a longer life of the chisel. sharpening and grinding a bevel takes a toll all too fast sometimes.

ciao,

dan

[scott spencer]

Thanks Dan. I wondered if the length was partly for the benefit of getting more sharpenings....hard for me to fathom sharpening a blade down that far with my usage, but I suppose if I used them alot and sharpened often it could happen! I'll let you know what I've created a "stubby". :D

[Mike Henderson]

Butt chisels are shorter and available. I think Lee Valley sells some that people have given good reports on - I haven't used them so I can't comment.

I'm sure other companies make butt type chisels but I've not searched for them. Maybe someone else will chime in with some recommendations.

Mike

[Brent Smith]

Hi Scott,

I find the opposite to be true for me. Longer handles and blades give me more control over the cut. Crown makes some decent butt chisels. The steel's not the best, but it's serviceable. I think Hartville tool sells them, and maybe Woodcraft.

[Phillip Pattee]

Ashley Iles makes some shorter chisels. You can find them at "The Best Things," and "Tools for Working Wood." These are slightly longer that true butt chisels and are top notch.

[Wayne Cannon]

The shorter chisel blades are designed for chopping with a mallet, while the long chisel blades are designed for paring.

Many manufacturers don't pay a lot of attention to balancing the handle length and shape with its use (e.g., such as long, rounded-end handles on short blades), resulting in the recommendation to shorten their handles.

[scott spencer]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Those Ashley Iles chisels look nice....maybe I can find them on sale some time and grab a couple. :)