Why You Shouldn't Buy Chisels From Harbor Freight

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is price per chisel. If you buy the $11 set from HF it breaks down to about $2 per chisel and if you get the Narex set I use (linked below) it comes out to around $16 per chisel. Most of the time savings are great but in this case… you get what you pay for.

Chat with me on Instagram:
@TheReformationWoodshop

------------------------------

[kodoan]

The ferrule on the end of the Harbor Freight chisels (and all chisels with a metal ring on the hilt) are supposed to be loose.

Traditionally, tools were made to a "generic" shape and each carpenter "fine tuned" them to their individual needs and wants.

The harbor freight style of chisel is quite traditional and here is how to "finish" them to your liking:

If you need paring chisels, saw off the hilt ferrule and sand to your liking.

If you are going to be doing "rough" work such as mortising, then soak the hilt of the Harbor Freight chisel in a glass of warm water for about a half hour. Remove from the water, clamp chisel (edge down) in your vise and gently smack the edge of the (now water logged) exposed handle above the ferrule. This will mash down the protruding part of the chisel hilt and "anchor" the ferrule in place.

It was not a design flaw or a mistake in manufacturing - it is traditionally how chisels were sold and "finished".

Also, if you are doing "rough" chisel work, not much needs to be done to the rest of the chisel.

However, if you are doing delicate work such as dovetails, take down the side bevel until it's nearly sharp.

Again, that thick side bevel is not a design flaw - you only want sharp side bevels for delicate work.


With Harbor Freight, you can get a set of chisels and set it up for rough work (like Japanese Tataki Nomi), and get another set and set it up for delicate work.

For about 20 bucks and some fine tuning, you can get two sets of chisels and set them up to do 98% of all your traditional woodworking chisel tasks.

[qzwxecrv]

Not sure if you left this part out or didn’t do it to the cheap chisels, but surfacing the back of your chisel is important as well

It is a big factor in performance to keep the blade straight and cutting vs tearing

[aball]

Is there really ever a disagreement between cheap tools and quality tools ? I don't think so. You would never say a Ryobi table saw is as good as a Sawstop.
If I was using a chisel on a broken down pallet I would be ticked when my $200 chisel hit a nail but if my junk chisel did I wouldn't lose any sleep.

[watermain]

Admittedly I'm a chisel junkie and have way too many. I have a set of the HF chisels and they are certainly not the best, but when they are prepared properly they are capable of doing proper joinery. I'm wondering if your set of HF chisels needed better preparation before you put them to work. I am a fan of Narex chisels as well, and their Richter series are some of the best out there.

[boydstongrove]

Great vid, love all the info. Plus, just noticed your aerial shot of your shot, really cool.

[mikebraden]

I like the comparison between Hf & name brand. This would make a good series of videos

[mcally]

Be very careful when using the stabbing motion with a chisel, particularly the non-dominant hand holding the piece. It should be nowhere near the line of attack. I had to learn it the hard way and my fingertip is still numb two years later.

[brucewelty]

I would love the Narex. I would also love a picyup truck that is only 10 years old. I, however, have a 2000 Camry. I do have Gidabrand and they are a LOT better than the HF. I use the HF for rough stuff,

[josephdolderer]

Man! At 5:53
ran out thinking my kid fell off the chair or something! Sounds exactly like my kid!

[plakor]

However. The dogmeat chisels are endlessly handy in the shop for all kinds of things.

[jslenk]

You must have gotten a bad set from Harbor Freight because the ones I have are amazing right out of the package .

[darodes]

I’ve been looking at these vs the Stanley 5002 and wondering what the usable difference between these and the Richter is… especially as a hobbyist. Still very curious between these or splurge for the richter line!

[Phyoomz]

Yeah, the amount of sharpening required for cheap chisels makes them really not worth it.

[explosionsandstuff]

I was told that the HF chisels are good for beginners. Not because they're good quality chisels but because they hold an edge so poorly that the owner would get a lot of practice at sharpening them. That's why I bought a set. If I screw up sharpening one and ruin it, who cares? The whole set of 6 was less than $10.

[woodrowsmith]

Never bought HFT chisels. They never looked like REAL chisels...more like cheap knockoffs. Own a set of Stanley's I bought like thirty years ago, and some Irwin's I bought two years ago. Both sharpen relatively easily, hold an edge and feel good in my hand. Might score some Narex someday, but not losing sleep over not having them now. Not really a big chisel user anyway.

For construction I have a one inch Nicholson (the file people). I got it about fifteen years ago, and carry it with my flooring kit bag. It is big, beefy, has a capped thru-tang, and rasps along the arched front and flat back side. I don't keep it razor sharp. Still... anytime I need to square up a HVAC vent or clean up a dried gob of glue, it works just fine. I think I paid $12. I know...the same price as an entire set of HFT chisels. But...I still have and use the Nicholson after fifteen years. Could I have said the same about the HFT? Don't think so...

[bryandraughn]

Well as long as I don't get calluses.

[brantleyksmith]

Vanadium is what Captain America’s shield is made of, right?!

[toscodav]

People buy chisels to open paint cans? NOPE

[thedieiscast]

Pointless video, do you really expect harbor freight to perform as well as Narex costing way more. You found the obvious.