How Square Do Chisels/Plane Irons Need To Be?

[Andrew Seemann]

I like chisels and plane blades to be square, chisels more so than plane blades. But, I square them by eye on the Tormek jig & stone. I usually don't mess around with a square unless I am having a really bad sharpening day. I figure if I can't see it as out of square, it is close enough. As long as the tool works as well as it needs to, that is all that matters.

I'm not sure if there is an actual benefit to a chisel edge being square. It probably helps when registering the blade against the wood to have the chisel be perpendicular. I know it would drive me nuts if the chisel leaned to one side when I did that, and maybe it would drift when being used.

[Mark Maleski]

I'm not sure if there is an actual benefit to a chisel edge being square.

Absolutely there is! Imagine cleaning out the bottom of a dado with a skewed chisel. Or chopping dovetails. Or squaring off mortise walls. Or...

[Andrew Seemann]

Absolutely there is! Imagine cleaning out the bottom of a dado with a skewed chisel. Or chopping dovetails. Or squaring off mortise walls. Or...

Yep, that is probably why out of square chisels drive me nuts

[Prashun Patel]

I don't check for square after honing - only while establishing the bevel.

[Jim Koepke]

[edited]

I'm not sure if there is an actual benefit to a chisel edge being square.

Absolutely there is! Imagine cleaning out the bottom of a dado with a skewed chisel. Or chopping dovetails. Or squaring off mortise walls. Or...

Except for chopping, my skew chisels do come into play when cleaning out the bottom of a dado, cleaning mortise walls and removing waste in dovetails, especially half blind dovetails.

jtk

[Derek Arita]

I don't check for square after honing - only while establishing the bevel.

+1. That's when I check as well.

[lowell holmes]

You might consider easing the bevels at the outside of the edge to eliminate tracks. I do this on plane irons.