Owning specialty chisels (fishtail, skew, mortise, etc.) can feel like a luxury. Often, with just a little more work, you can make regular bench chisels work just fine for the job at hand. There is one area where I need a specialty chisel, though, and that’s flush paring. The new flush-cutting chisels from Veritas are spectacular. I’ve tried other paring chisels—all of which were generally bench chisels with longer handles—and been disappointed. The Veritas flushing chisel, however, has a long, flat blade with an angled, threaded insert for the replaceable handle. This long blade is a fantastic reference surface and the angled handle gives you great control while allowing you to reach where other chisels or planes cannot.

The backs were flat out of the box. I put these chisels through their paces over a month making multiple booths for a restaurant. The booths are constructed with various types of plywood and solid white oak and several corners in which odd angles intersected that needed exactly this kind of tool. The PM-V11 steel held a fantastic edge.

The handle came loose a few times as I twisted my wrist and the tool to remove the waste, but it wasn’t so bad as to sour me on the tool.

—Adam Godet is a furniture maker in Washington, D.C.

Photos: Shawn Bruce 

From Fine Woodworking #288

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Tite-Mark Marking Gauge

These gauges can be easily and precisely adjusted with one hand, which allows you to set the tool while holding a ruler or workpiece in the other. The quality is exceptional, and all have sharp cutters that offer great visibility.

Buy at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks

Stanley Powerlock 16-ft. tape measure

With its smooth lock, tough case, compact size, and excellent accuracy, this Stanley tape is perfect for workshop use.

Buy at Amazon

Veritas Precision Square

This precision square is incredibly versatile, from checking squareness to dialing in machine setups.

Buy at Lee Valley