No. 05
The Bench Chisel
BEVEL-EDGE CHISEL · 3/4 IN · 25°/30°
PARING · CHOPPING
Bevelled long edges to reach into corners, a flat back that is the reference face.
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- 1Honed cutting bevel
- 2Bevelled side lands
Bench spec
- Blade
- Bevel-edge, 3/4 in
- Grind
- 25° primary bevel
- Hone
- 30° secondary
- Back
- Lapped flat (reference)
On the bench
A bench chisel works two ways — pared by hand it shaves to a line, struck with a mallet it chops waste — and the bevelled long edges let it clean into a dovetail’s acute corner. The flat back is the tool’s reference: keep it dead flat and the edge, 25° ground and honed to a 30° secondary, registers true against the work every time.
Common miss · ✗
Honing over a humped back
A razor bevel on an un-flat back still won’t register true — lap the back flat first, then the bevel means something.
Take it further
Read the deeper field guides, compare vetted picks, or carry the drawing as original merch in the shop.