KAKURI Japanese Wood Chisel Set [Long Handle] 3 Piece for Woodworking, Made in JAPAN, Japanese Oire Nomi for Carve, Mortise, Dovetail, Sharp Japanese Carbon Steel, Red Oak Wood Handle

These are high-quality chisels for sure, but help yourself and sharpen them more before using them!

Hardness not consistent through all three chisels-larger two sizes much harder than the narrow one (please note this is a subjective analysis, determined when I flattened & honed the chisels-the narrower of the three was much softer). Setting of the rings was not bad, as the fit of the rings was accurately done, and took no more than five to ten minutes for each (yes, on Japanese chisels, the rings at the top of the handle, must be set). After sharpening, all three did an equal job of paring end grain of pine (remember, Japanese tools, used in Japan, are typically used on softer woods than in the states), including the narrower chisel. The larger chisel had a bad grinding on the flat (the hollowed side) and it will take a fair number of sharpenings to get all of that hollow area (located near the edge) 100% flat.For the reasons stated above, I'm giving these chisels three out of five stars. If the larger chisel had not had such a bad grinding of the back, these would be a solid four out of five, even accounting for the bit of softness in the narrow chisel (again, this was a subjective impression). For about $14.00, these chisels are cheap! After I use them for a few weeks, I may update my review and star ratings.Ok-I'm increasing my rating by one star to four stars. I've had these for a year, and though they're not my goto chisels, I've used them more than enough to search out this type (bench) for a specific size. Edge retention, after sharpening back a bit, is excellent. Hoops are well set, permitting mallet use. Again. At $45 for a set of three, these are a bargain, and merit serious consideration. Again, I was a professional carpenter and since 1989, an advanced hobbyist woodworker.Another update to my review, first was three stars, then four and now FIVE stars! The mid-sized chisel has become my go to bench chisel. As previously mentioned, I have sharpened back a bit and the edge retention continues to improve. The style of a Japanese chisel permits mallet use, and, being a bench chisel, I have struck this mostly with a 16 oz. claw hammer, to absolutely no detriment to the edge (sharpened around 25 degrees). They take a licking and keep on ticking! At $45 for a set of three, these are definitely a great buy.As I have previously mentioned, I was a professional, and now at 67, a hobbyist. I use my tools and see their value in the job they do. My Lee Valley, my Lie Neilsen, my various boutique saw get used and not pampered. I have some better Japanese dovetail chisels that are beyond superb, but each cost more than triple the price of a set of three of these. I would bet, that if careful not to overheat the steel, I could grind bevels on the side lands of these and end up with a superb dovetail chisel.Another update: the largest of the three chisels is now a constant companion of mine in my shop! Edge retention is great! Honing or sharpening is not bad at all! To my way of working, edge retention is as good, if not better, than most modern chisels (LN, Ashley Iles, etc.) and as good, if not better than my vintage (Witherby, Ward, Buck, etc.). To me the total cost of all three in this set, is less than what, to me, the value of this one chisel of this set is worth!

My first reaction was, "The handles are kind of small." But despite my larger-than-average hands, I've found them a delight to use. The price is nice. They sharpen quickly and easily (though they're pretty doggone sharp out of the box). And for the price, I'm quite pleased with my purchase. I like Kakuri's products. Good quality without crazy prices. I have a couple of their planes as well.

These aren’t going to be very good chisels or last very long as there doesn’t appear to be very much steel laminated to the iron, but to practice techniques and begin learning to sharpen, these are hard to beat. For the best value after you know what you’re doing, consider fujikawa chisels. But these run 30-70 dollars apiece compared to getting these for a third of that. Set up wasn’t too bad and didn’t take long to set the hoops and sharpen. I have chipped one but it was quickly repaired. They don’t hold their edge very long either, but that’s to be expected for high carbon steel. I’ve gotten a day of use making a few joints before they’re almost too dull to pare well. I highly recommend getting or making a kannaban (extremely flat piece of low carbon steel) to really get optimal use from these by having a flat, polished back.Do expect to need a few tools to set these up. Mandatory: 1000 and 6000 or 8000 grit stones, flattening stone/ glass and sandpaper to flatten stones and bevel of chisels, file to remove burr from hoopOptional but very helpful: 3000 and 10 or 12000 grit stones, kannaban (flat steel can be had from McMaster-Carr), diamond stone.Set up:Remove hoop, remove burr if present; file handle until the hoop slides on freely to be flush with top; rolling the handle over anvil or sidewalk etc, hit firmly with hammer evenly all over, compressing the wood fibers until the hoop slides 2-3 mm beneath the top of the handle, “mushroom” the top of the handle around the hoop by striking downwards and outwards around the rim until the wood is mushroomed around the hoop, thus preventing the wood from splitting.Next, flatten the back of the blade on 1000 stone or kannaban until evenly polished, then begin flattening the bevel (if bad, use low grit sandpaper on glass or diamond stone) then sharpen on your stones until there is an even burr across the blade. Then use the highest grit stone to remove the burr.Source: tons of videos on YouTube, Toshio Odate’s book on Japanese tools, and The Complete Japanese Joinery. All of which I can’t recommend highly enough to those looking to learn.

When they finally came, one of the chisels was chipped. In my case it wasn't bad enough to send back, but it takes longer to sharpen if you have to correct a blade. And they did need to be sharpened, as mine were not sharp out of the box.If you're not at ease with putting blades to stones, look for something else.

Had these Chisels for a few months now and haven't had to sharpen them since I first got them, and they're still super sharp!! Definitely worth the money.

Excellent japanese craftsmanship. I'm happy that the blade covers look like they're going to last because, you know, DANGER!! Very sharp chisel tips : ) Beautiful natural wood handles as well.

They meet at my qualifications has been a top product