Warning: cheap chisel exploded on me mid-mortise yesterday

Was chopping a hinge mortise in some red oak and the handle just split in half on the third mallet hit. Nearly took out my thumb. Anyone else had a tool fail like that out of nowhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_perry10d ago

Exactly what happened to me with a no-name brand chisel from the hardware store. Was working on some soft pine and the handle shattered on the second tap. The blade flew off and hit the wall behind me. Scared me enough that I stopped using that chisel forever. Now I only buy chisels with socket handles or metal ferrules that go way up the handle. The cheap ones just use a glued on wooden handle with no reinforcement, so they split at the first real impact. It's not worth saving twenty bucks when your thumb is on the line.

iris_dixon9110d ago

Jeez @emma_perry, that's exactly what I've been reading about on a woodworking blog last week. They said the glue on those cheap handles dries out and cracks over time, so even light use can be sketchy. Socket handles or good metal ferrules are the only safe bet, no question.