Hand tools are for enjoyment. No power tool gives the satisfaction of splitting a line with a handsaw or planing off paper-thin wisps of wood. That said, I never liked mortising by hand: At best it was tedious; at worst it ruined a good bench chisel.

But I recently had the pleasure of trying some new English-style bolstered chisels (unromantically called “pigstickers”). Pig-stickers are shorter, beefier versions of the more common “sash” style mortising chisels. These production versions (sold at www.toolsforworkingwood.com), are handmade in Lincolnshire by Ray Iles, scion of an old Sheffield tool-making family. They are beautifully fitted with tapered oval handles that fit comfortably in hand. Thick of shank and steeply beveled, these tools are useless for anything but mortising. But what a job they do at that! They are meant to be driven deeply into hardwood by stout blows from a heavy wooden mallet and to lever out chips with impunity. The steep cutting-edge bevel holds up well to the abuses of the job. I can whack out a small run of mortises faster with a pigsticker than I can make a jig and set up my router to do the job.

Available in 1/16-in. increments from 3/16 in. to 1/2 in., a full set costs $400, and individual tools range from $54 to $100. But most woodworkers would use the 1/4-in. or the 3/8-in. chisel, and the pair costs only $140. Not bad for two chisels that will outlast you.

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