STANLEY Sweetheart Chisels Set, 4-Piece (16-791)

I've been really impressed with these chisels. I read the reviews carefully and decided that the people who have actually bought, own and use these chisels were saying some very positive things.Firstly, I was torn between buying the Veritas PM-V11 chisels and these. At the time I bought these chisels, the Veritas set wasn't offered in as comprehensive set of sizes as these Stanley's were so I went with these Stanley Sweet Hearts. You'll note that the Veritas set is significantly more expensive, but price really wasn't the deciding factor. I was interested in the basic overall performance and I was also a bit curious about how these Stanley's would perform.I've had these chisels for almost two years and they are great. Sharpening is very easy. I didn't choose the Lie-Nielsen version of these because I didn't want to use the A2 in those. Sharpening A2 can sometimes be tedious. The steel in these takes a very keen edge and I get all the edge retention that I need for use on the domestic hardwoods that I work with. Razor sharp is very important to me. More than a little longer edge retention.You can scan a plethora of the other reviews and read many comments about the sealer that has to be removed (yes, it's a pain) from the blades. That the overall quality isn't up to Lie-Nielsen's standards and that the beveled edges are too thick for chopping some dovetails. But most importantly, that "Oh my Gosh!" the handles of all socket chisels will come loose (yeah...they're supposed to) especially with changes in humidity. Ironically, my Stanley Sweet Heart chisel handles are seated just fine and I didn't even resort to using the hairspray or shavings tricks to keep them on. Basically just left them completely as stock. There was no reason to touch them.I do pick these chisels up by their sockets and not the handles. I also usually smack the handle against the bench to seat it. Force of habit from using antique socket chisels. I also don't hang socket chisels by the handle. Just the shank or store them in a drawer or tool roll like the excellent leather one that comes with this set.So what do I like about the chisels? Well, I didn't buy them based on their price but they really were a bargain. I planned on turning some longer handles (like the optional Lie-Nielsen ones) but so far I don't feel the need. I'm happy with the tough hornbeam handles that came with these chisels. I've already said I'm happy with the performance of the metal. The overall design is a classic Stanley 750 which has been around forever. They're light and easy to use. This Stanley 750 pattern of chisel is a great design and that's why Lie-Nielsen used it to develop their all of their socket chisels.On the other side of the equation, the chisels were surprisingly dainty for my hands. I'm 6'4" but I don't consider myself to be a giant. These chisels aren't too small for me, but I was a little surprised by their overall size. I'm also slightly on the fence about the thickness of the blade's bevel edges. They are a little too thick but they're also still usable for most dovetails. I would say that if you plan to cut many hundreds of dovetails, the Lie-Nielsen's would offer much better edge bevels and a tougher steel. I don't think this would be an issue for the average home woodworker.Some people have commented about not having the sizes on the chisels. I can pretty much tell the size by just looking at the chisel but you could probably write the size on the blade with a Sharpie Pen or if something a little nicer is needed, then maybe use a metal stamp set into the handle. I'm sure there are other low cost solutions to the lack of sizes on the chisel. Truth is, the sizes tend to wear off of most tools of this type anyway.Other than that, this is a great set that I expect I'll use for a very long time. Who knows, maybe for a lifetime. Whatever the case, I think there are no reasons that these chisels will not outlive me and still be usable for decades to come, long after I've finished with them.

OK, I already had enough chisels. I have new, high quality USA made Lie-Nielsens, Marples and Ashley Isles from the UK, pretty good quality chisels from Narex, and older USA made Buck Brothers. I additionally have a slew of older chisels made pretty much everywhere in the world. A well made chisel from a high end maker like Veritas can go for $80+ these days. You can find good quality chisels from makers like Narex that don't cost as much, but I'm not crazy about the clunky handles on their less expensive chisels. I saw these, and I figured that with this set, the chisels averaged less than $20 each at the advertised price, and the nice suede bag was thrown in to boot. Often when tools are this inexpensive, it is a result of less attention spent by the maker on the niceties like lapping the back and removing tool marks. I prepared myself for hours and hours of tedious finishing work and sharpening. Well, I must say that I was pretty pleasantly surprised. A quick comparison to my Lie-Nielsens: They look similar, but the Stanleys definitely have less steel. This makes them lighter. That may be a plus or a minus. Time will tell. The Stanleys have very light lateral striations on the steel that actually polish out pretty easily from the back of the chisel. The backs of my Lie Nielsen's were dead flat as you would expect. The backs of my Stanleys were also pretty flat, and I was surprised that each one took only a few minutes on diamond lapping plates to fully flatten, and the backs polished up beautifully on my waterstones. They all took a very fine edge, and seem to pare end grain just fine. I saw some of the reviews that complained about the backs not being flat and the owners having to spend a lot of time correcting this. I may have gotten a really good lot, but I really only had to spend a few minutes on each chisel. The handles appear sturdy. I expect they won't hold an edge quite as well as my Lie-Nielsens, but I also expect they will be easier to hone or strop back into shape. I'll use them on a few projects and update this review later. Right now, I would definitely recommend these if you're looking for a complete chisel set that doesn't break the bank.

These chisels are great for doing accurate work!

I purchased these despite having zero need for them. Admittedly, I have a problem, but other comments on here indicate I'm not the only one. First off, I much prefer the Kirschen chisels I've been using, but that's not a fair comparison as those are different steel, different finish and different price. These are very good for what they are. I would class them about the same as the Narex premium range.I've seen reviews that say these are metric chisels. The ones I received are not. They are dead on to the imperial measurements indicated.They were decently machine sharpened and flattened out of the box. In less than a half hour I had all four fully flattened and sharpened to where they would shave arm hair. I test cut a few chamfers in pine across and with the grain, and pared some pine end grain nice and shiny. A few chops in oak did just fine as well.T hey work great and I would recommend them to anyone looking for decent chiseled on a budget. If you don't expect Lie Nielsen or Veritas quality, you won't be disappointed. If you are expecting that level of quality and polish out of the box for $20 chisels...well, I think it would be safe to guess most things disappoint you.For the realist, these are worth the low cost of entry in dollars and prep time needed to have very good chassis in your toolchest.