Narex 8116 Cabinetmakers Chisels (natural)

Accurately ground and finely finished, the Narex 8116 series are Cabinetmaker's chisels that punch well above their price point. They are not cheap chisels, they are chisels that give you far more for your money than the price tag suggests, with fine edges and close tolerance backs that hold up to serious bench work.

Blades are forged from Chrome Manganese (CrMn) spring steel and isothermally hardened to a consistent bainitic structure at RC59 +/-1, giving edge holding and sharpening characteristics close to carbon steel while being more efficient for Narex to produce. The chisel sides run to around 1mm with almost no lengthwise taper, so sightlines stay clear and clearance in a dovetail socket remains good even as the blade wears back with sharpening over the years.

The handle shape is a revival of a pattern Narex last produced in the 1930s, turned from dense European hornbeam and fitted with a solid brass ferrule. On the 26mm chisel and below, Workshop Heaven have specified a slightly smaller handle to keep the balance right for a narrower blade, a small adjustment but one that changes how the tool sits in the hand. The hornbeam is lightly waxed, protecting the wood while keeping its natural pale colour, and is dense enough to take mallet blows without bruising or becoming unpleasant to grip during long paring sessions.

A set like this earns its keep on furniture scale work: squaring up hand-cut mortices, paring drawer sides to fit, trimming tenon shoulders and cleaning out the waste from through and lapped joints. The natural handle finish suits anyone building a period piece or working alongside older tools where a stained modern handle would look out of place.

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