Appreciation post: Took a class at Rockler and realized my chisel angle was way too steep

I've been sharpening chisels for like 15 years and never understood why they chipped so fast, then the instructor said try 25 degrees instead of 30 and it cut through oak like butter. Has anyone else had a basic tool habit that you just never questioned until someone showed you different?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_butler111d ago

Honestly I never tried 20 degrees on my mortise chisels so thanks for that.

kevinc8411d ago

Whoa, I gotta push back on that. 20 degrees is way too shallow for mortise work, you'll end up with chipped edges and a tool that dulls twice as fast.

adam_robinson11d ago

My bench chisels live at 25 degrees and I don't really get the panic over 20 vs 30. I've got a set of two cherries that I've sharpened freehand for years and they hold up fine in pine and poplar. Seems like people get real intense about angles but unless you're doing heavy mortise work every day it probably doesn't matter that much.