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Ashley Iles have been forging and grinding chisels by hand since 1949, when a Sheffield pattern maker of the same name set up on his own with a small rented workshop and a determination to make edge tools properly. That business is still family run today, now based in Lincolnshire, and remains the last maker in the British Isles to hand grind its chisels individually rather than relying on mechanised production. It shows in the finished tool: thin, precisely ground blades, a correctly executed hollow back, and a heat treatment consistent enough that woodworkers have come to trust Ashley Iles chisels as a benchmark for quality.

Every chisel in the range is forged from O1 high carbon tool steel and hardened to RC60-61 right through to the shoulder, then finished with a low primary bevel of around 22 degrees, ready for you to hone a secondary bevel to suit your own work. All are backed by Ashley Iles' unconditional lifetime guarantee.

This category brings together three of the core Ashley Iles chisel patterns:

• Bevel edged cabinetmakers chisels: thin, light and finely tapered on the sides, designed primarily for paring but robust enough for gentle mallet work. Ideal for cleaning up joints, paring end grain, fitting drawers and general bench work where control matters more than brute force.
• Butt chisels: a shorter, more compact pattern intended to be pushed rather than struck, with a deliberately top heavy balance that improves feel when working close to the material. Well suited to fitting hinges and locks, trimming joints in confined spaces and any task where a full length chisel is too unwieldy.
• Dovetail chisels: ground with an oval section and rounded back rather than flat sides, so the corners of a joint can be cleaned out without the shoulders of the chisel fouling the wood. A natural choice for cutting and paring dovetails, but equally comfortable held in a pinch grip for any fine detail work.

Whichever pattern you choose, the same hand grinding and heat treatment stands behind it, tools built to be sharpened, used and passed down rather than replaced.