Narex 8116 Cabinetmakers Chisels (black)

The Narex 8116 range brings genuinely accurate grinding and close tolerance backs to a price point most "affordable" chisels don't get near. These aren't cheap chisels cutting corners, they're chisels where the value comes from what you get for the money rather than a low price alone.

Each blade is forged from Chrome Manganese (CrMn) spring steel, isothermally hardened to a consistent bainitic structure at RC59 +/-1. That treatment gives an edge that behaves much like carbon steel in use, while being a more efficient steel for Narex to produce at scale. Sides are ground to around 1mm with almost no taper along their length, keeping your sightlines clear and leaving enough clearance to work right into a dovetail socket for the working life of the blade.

Handles follow a shape Narex last made in the 1930s, turned from dense European hornbeam and fitted with a solid brass ferrule. Workshop Heaven have had a smaller version of the handle made specifically for the 26mm chisel and narrower sizes, refining the balance so the tool feels right rather than bulky. The hornbeam here is lightly stained rather than waxed, giving the set a darker, more uniform look across every size while still protecting the timber and keeping its natural feel in the hand. It takes mallet work without marring or becoming uncomfortable over a long session of chopping.

Well suited to workshop or classroom use, whether that's chopping mortices for a mortice and tenon frame, paring hinge recesses or squaring up housing joints. The darker handles also suit anyone assembling a full set who wants a consistent look, rather than the lighter, honey tone hornbeam takes in its natural state.

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