Marples is a name that has been well known in woodworking circles for going over 150 years. As early as the mid-1800's one could find a variety of Marples fine hand-made woodworking tools built in Sheffield, England, an area with a history of making swords and knives (due primarily to the quality of the raw materials available in the area).
That Marples name still stands today, although in the early 2000's, Marples Chisels were acquired by Irwin Tools, manufacturer of the popular Irwin Quick Grip Clamps, circular saw blades and more. It is from this line that the Irwin Marples Bevel-edged woodworking chisels evolved.
That Marples name still stands today, although in the early 2000's, Marples Chisels were acquired by Irwin Tools, manufacturer of the popular Irwin Quick Grip Clamps, circular saw blades and more. It is from this line that the Irwin Marples Bevel-edged woodworking chisels evolved.
The Irwin Marples 1769179 3-piece Woodworking Chisel Set contains three Irwin Marples bevel-edged woodworking chisels:
While these 10-inch long chisels are no longer made in Sheffield, England (these are manufactured to Irwin's standards in China), they do carry on the features long found in their chisels. These include a comfortable 4-3/4 inch long contoured blue impact resistant polypropylene handle (that can withstand the rigors of being struck with a wooden mallet of the heel of the user's hand) and a hardened steel blade that measures over four inches in length and comes pre-honed at 25-degrees for immediate use out of the package. Each chisel also includes a removable tip guard to protect against accidental damage to the chisel, or more importantly, to the user when the chisel is not in use.
While not included in this set (model #1769719) of three chisels, Irwin Marples has a wide variety of other sizes and styles of bevel-edged woodworking chisels available, such as construction chisels (with a large, metal strike cap on the end of the handle to withstand strikes from a steel hammer), high-impact bevel-edged chisels (with a forged steel core for heavy-duty strength and durability, allowing the chisel to be struck from a variety of angles, making it ideal for construction sites) and even sets that include up to ten sizes of chisels, a wooden mallet or a sharpening stone.
- a 1/2-inch (13mm) chisel
- a 3/4-inch (19mm) chisel
- a 1-inch (25mm) chisel
While these 10-inch long chisels are no longer made in Sheffield, England (these are manufactured to Irwin's standards in China), they do carry on the features long found in their chisels. These include a comfortable 4-3/4 inch long contoured blue impact resistant polypropylene handle (that can withstand the rigors of being struck with a wooden mallet of the heel of the user's hand) and a hardened steel blade that measures over four inches in length and comes pre-honed at 25-degrees for immediate use out of the package. Each chisel also includes a removable tip guard to protect against accidental damage to the chisel, or more importantly, to the user when the chisel is not in use.
While not included in this set (model #1769719) of three chisels, Irwin Marples has a wide variety of other sizes and styles of bevel-edged woodworking chisels available, such as construction chisels (with a large, metal strike cap on the end of the handle to withstand strikes from a steel hammer), high-impact bevel-edged chisels (with a forged steel core for heavy-duty strength and durability, allowing the chisel to be struck from a variety of angles, making it ideal for construction sites) and even sets that include up to ten sizes of chisels, a wooden mallet or a sharpening stone.
Cutting with the Irwin Marples Chisel
Most of the time, the type of cuts one would need to make with an Irwin Marples Chisel would either be paring cuts (either horizontally or vertically) or mortising cuts. As the name would imply, mortising cuts are used when cutting out the mortise of a mortise and tenon joint. To make a mortising cut, place the beveled edge of the chisel flat on the wood, and push forward (or tap the end of the chisel with the heel of your hand or with a wooden mallet). Adjusting the angle of the chisel will determine the aggressiveness of the mortising cut. To make a more aggressive cut, raise the handle away from the stock (to create a steeper angle of attack), or, for a finer cut, lower the handle and reduce the angle at which the stock is being cut.
Horizontal paring is when the flat side of the chisel (opposite the beveled edge) is placed against the wood and the chisel is pushed through the stock to make the cut. The handle will typically be parallel to the edge of the wood, so this type of paring is less aggressive than mortising cuts, and is commonly used for finer cutting, or cleaning up a more aggressive cut.
Finally, vertical paring is where the chisel is held at a right-angle to the surface of the wood, and the chisel is driven directly into the stock. This is more of a direct cutting motion, and a sharp chisel should yield a very cleanly-edge cut.
In testing the chisels in the Irwin Marples 1769179 3-piece Woodworking Chisel Set, I noticed that of the three tasks outlined above, the chisels seemed to perform the task of horizontal paring the best out of the three. Vertical paring was the area where I felt they performed the weakest. (Keep in mind that this is commonly true for most chisels, as vertical paring is the most difficult task of the three, as the chisel is likely to be cutting directly against the grain of the wood).
Horizontal paring is when the flat side of the chisel (opposite the beveled edge) is placed against the wood and the chisel is pushed through the stock to make the cut. The handle will typically be parallel to the edge of the wood, so this type of paring is less aggressive than mortising cuts, and is commonly used for finer cutting, or cleaning up a more aggressive cut.
Finally, vertical paring is where the chisel is held at a right-angle to the surface of the wood, and the chisel is driven directly into the stock. This is more of a direct cutting motion, and a sharp chisel should yield a very cleanly-edge cut.
In testing the chisels in the Irwin Marples 1769179 3-piece Woodworking Chisel Set, I noticed that of the three tasks outlined above, the chisels seemed to perform the task of horizontal paring the best out of the three. Vertical paring was the area where I felt they performed the weakest. (Keep in mind that this is commonly true for most chisels, as vertical paring is the most difficult task of the three, as the chisel is likely to be cutting directly against the grain of the wood).
Sharpening and Safety
As with all woodworking tools, woodworking safety should be the foremost concern. This includes wearing safety glasses and comfortable, yet appropriate clothing.
With chisels (or any other cutting tool, for that matter), a sharp woodworking tool is far safer than a dull one, as sharp tools require less effort to operate the tool. There are a few ways to sharpen a chisel, but my favorite is to use a wet stone grinder with a stropping wheel to not only grind the tool, but hone the edge and remove any burrs that might inhibit the cutting action. A wet stone grinder with a plane camber jig will sharpen your Irwin Marples chisels quickly and easily.
With chisels (or any other cutting tool, for that matter), a sharp woodworking tool is far safer than a dull one, as sharp tools require less effort to operate the tool. There are a few ways to sharpen a chisel, but my favorite is to use a wet stone grinder with a stropping wheel to not only grind the tool, but hone the edge and remove any burrs that might inhibit the cutting action. A wet stone grinder with a plane camber jig will sharpen your Irwin Marples chisels quickly and easily.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
