These days, carpenters and cabinetmakers often use power tools for the joinery, shaping, and cutting tasks they used to do with chisels. But that doesn't mean chisels have become obsolete! Far from it, in fact. Woodworkers typically maintain a whole collection of wood chisels and use them often. Even jack-of-all-trade DIYers keep at least one chisel in their toolbox, and often a whole set.
I'm speaking from experience. I've used my yellow-handled wood chisel — which I call Old Yeller — for tasks as diverse as separating plastic pipes, wedging floorboards together and cutting mortises for door hinges. Not all of these jobs are ones for which the tool was intended — some woodworkers might consider them chisel maltreatment — but it has often been the case that no other tool could do the job better.
Of course, Old Yeller wouldn't be of much use in a cabinet shop unless a fair amount of effort went into re-sharpening it, but that can be done. In fact, that's one of the best qualities of chisels; you can make one last practically forever.
What Is a Chisel?
A wood chisel (not to be confused with a cold chisel used by a stone mason) is a tool woodworkers use to shape and cut wood. It has two parts: a long, rectangular blade that terminates with a sharp bevel, and a wood or plastic handle. The beveled end may be flat or angled.
You can use a chisel in one of two ways. The most common way is to position the beveled end on a piece of wood and strike the handle with a wood mallet to force the bevel into the wood. You can also use a chisel without a mallet by holding it at a low angle and pushing it to remove thin layers from the surface.
