Ok, ok, I know this is as complex a subject as you can discuss, but I’m curious about grabbing a few used Japanese chisels. I already have three sets of bench chisels, and I recently grabbed a set of PMV11s. With that said, I’ve always wanted to try the eastern way of hacking wood.

Guy is selling used chisels he picked up second hand in Japan and I’m thinking of going in $300ish to get a few. I was thinking of augmenting my kit with a few paring, mortise, and then a few bench chisels for good measure. This guy clearly knows considerably more than me, but suggested a shinogi and chu tataki if I wanted bigger bench chisels. What sizes are most common and useful?

For the most part I tend to use my 1/4” and 1/2” bench chisels 50-60% of the time followed by my 1” and 2” 30% of the time and probably the 3/4” least of all. Most of my chisel work is squaring up mortises and hacking out dovetail/other joint waste. I’m 90% a power tool user. If there’s a way to do it with a power tool, that is the path I will usually take.