WoodRiver has entered the bevel edge socket chisels market with a full range of sizes, including the basic four-piece set (1/4 in., ½ in., 3/4 in., and 1 in.), which I tested for this review. For someone looking for a bevel-edge socket chisel at a lower cost, these are a solid option.

Out of the box, there was a lot to like about these tools. They’re well balanced, with a light-weight handle that makes gripping them down by the edge during chopping less fatiguing than many other chisels. WoodRiver’s advertising boasts of the extra attention paid to the flatness of the backs during the manufacturing process, and this proved true in my experience. Each chisel only required a few minutes of work before its back was polished and ready to go. Similarly, the bevels all had a consistent grind that was quick to hone to razor sharpness. The smartly shaped beveled edges give the tool good mass, but with a very fine, consistent land (the flat between the side bevel and back) that won’t interfere with working in confined spaces—e.g., dovetail sockets. The edges were too sharp right out of the box, but less than a minute with sandpaper cured that on each chisel.

WoodRiver Bevel Edge Socket Chisel Set

These chisels are well balanced, with a light-weight handle that makes gripping them down by the edge during chopping less fatiguing than many other chisels. Each chisel only requires a few minutes of work before its back is polished and ready to go. Similarly, the bevels all have a consistent grind that is quick to hone to razor sharpness. The smartly shaped beveled edges give the tool good mass, but with a very fine, consistent land (the flat between the side bevel and back) that won’t interfere with working in confined spaces.

Price: $189.99 at the time of writing

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An ideal bench chisel should excel at both chopping and paring wood, so I put the WoodRivers through their paces in both tasks in pine, cherry, and walnut. The CR-V steel blades took a fine edge and held it well in paring work, which allowed me to create glassy surfaces on white pine end grain for quite a while before any noticeable degradation of the cutting edge—a commendable feat. When it came to chopping, the WoodRiver chisels were less promising. The edges broke down faster than I’d like with moderate striking force from the mallet. Typically, while clearing waste between dovetail pins, the edges became noticeably fractured or rolled over somewhere between my third and fifth pin in ½-in. thick pine, though I would usually not get badly crushed end grain until somewhere between the eighth and tenth pins, which itself isn’t too bad.

The chisels come in sizes from 1/8 in. to 1 in. and range in price from $35 to $45.

More on FineWoodworking.com:

• The Secret to Better Chiseling – Take light cuts to increase precision and preserve the keen cutting edge
• How to Turn Chisel Handles that Fit Your Grip – Transform your old chisels with homegrown handles
• Choosing and Using Japanese Chisels – What you need to know about these superior tools