What Is The Best Stanley Bailey Chisels Review Out

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Woodworking is never complete without the best tools.

You need to have a chisel set and sometimes it is hard to find them without a good product review.

If you are looking for what is the best Stanley Bailey chisels review out there, you have come to the right place because I have pretty much seen it all while doing my own search for the product.

Before I answer that, I would like to give you information on what exactly is the deal with these fine chisels, why are they in demand and why it is a must to own them.

A chisel is every woodworker's best friend.

It helps in cutting and shaping any piece of wood. It is a hand tool made of blade and its cutting edges are beveled. You will need a hammer to strike it with as you shape the wood of your choice.

Chisels are not only for wooden materials though because they are also used to shape and cut stones and metals.

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About the Brand Stanley Bailey

Best Stanley Bailey Chisels Review

Now, it is time to get down to business and tell you what is the best Stanley Bailey chisels review out there.

You need to know this so you are guided accordingly as to why this product is the best because the review that was written was unbiased and it delivers the truth for prospective consumers.

The post by LumberJocks was the best one that I have found out there because they delivered everything that a consumer needs to know about this particular product.

From the price to the quality, they got it hands down accurate.

For their chisels, they have it available as a 5-piece set. It is way better than using chisels that are made of plastic.

Moving on, based on the said review, here is what we have learned so far.

Sale
STANLEY Chisel Set, 5-Piece (16-401)*
  • Micro-precision grind for superior sharpness out of the box
  • Blade lacquered for corrosion protection Hardwood handle for comfort and impact resistance
  • Includes high-quality leather pouch for storage, Contains: 16-975 - Bailey Chisel 1/4-Inch 16-977 - Bailey Chisel 1/2-Inch 16-978 - Bailey Chisel 3/4-Inch 16-979 - Bailey Chisel 1 -Inch 16-980 -...
  • Hardwood handle for comfort and impact resistance
  • High-quality carbon-chrome steel for edge retention

Pros of the Stanley Bailey Chisels

1. Outward Aesthetics

These chisels look good on the outside.

Its design was made perfectly with brass ferrules and it has colors that are very eye-catching. Its handles are stained for a good purpose, which then again contributes to its looks.

This also has a leather roll made of suede that completes the whole collection. You can put all the chisels in this roll so they are remained protected and secured.

2. Blade Durability

For the price, this set is decent enough and it is reasonable to pay for it. It also has marks for metric widths, which could help you measure precisely your project.

Other chisels don't even have that, so this is definitely a plus.

Stanley 16-401 Bailey Chisel Set

3. Bevel

Working on the bevel is quite easy, especially for honing a steep angle.

This will only take a few minutes, so you're definitely going to save time and effort for this part.

4. Clean Edges

You can expect good edges from it and you can marvel on your project's perfectly paring end grain pine.

5. Good Handles

There is no question about the comfort you will get from its handles. Each of them is large enough that your hand would easily fit them.

But don't worry because they are not too big that it would be difficult to get a good grip out of them.

The handles are very sturdy that it won't dwindle as you do your thing with a hammer or a mallet to pound it for your work.

Cons of the Stanley Bailey Chisels

1. Markings for Measurement

Although this is already considered as a plus for this product, which is actually a good thing, some may find it rather confusing. It is because this part doesn't really align with how they advertised it on their website.

They said that the markings will have both in inches and the metric system when in reality, they are in metric widths only.

2. Flattening Difficulty

It takes time to flatten the back part and you will need a lot of effort to exert to make this happen.

Some could take just 2 to 3 minutes, while this one could take up to 10 minutes. It would appear that they didn't manufacture it will while it was in the factory.

Stanley 16-401 Bailey Chisel Set

3. 1/2 Inch and 1 Inch

These particular chisels could chip during chopping time, especially if you use a wood made of SPF and then work on its mortises.

This shows that you can't control much of the tempering and the hardening of the said process.

4. The Top Dilemma

You will notice that as you use it, handles' tops would dwindle and it the lacquer could just detach on its own.

This is actually an annoying thing about this tool because it happens while you try to pound it with a hammer or a mallet.

5. Color Change

You will see that some of the colors of the chisel will come off as you hammer it. This would result to the entire handle having two tones of colors, which could be annoying.

The dust of the color could also land to your project, which could, later on, be a pain to be removed.

FAQs

Are Stanley Bailey chisels any good?

It is a tricky question to give an answer to since it mostly depends on the specific set you wish to purchase.

In general, Stanley’s chisels have excellent endurance, and they’ve proven to be an excellent tool in tackling various materials.

However, as we mentioned in the article, the markings for Stanley Bailey chisels are only in the metric system, which is naturally troublesome for the American population.

On the other hand, these chisels are capable of providing extremely clean edges, which is one of the main characteristics of a quality chisel set.

So, all in all, they’re not the greatest, but they surely deserve to be a part of your woodworking toolset.


Who uses Stanley Bailey chisels?

Originally, Stanley Bailey chisels come from Sheffield, England, and they’ve first made their way to the European market.

However, over time, their quality and good customer experience have led them all across the world, even the US.

As we mentioned, it is problematic that the markings are only in the metric system, so you’ll generally find them on European soil.

Moreover, you’ll see many professional woodworkers using these chisels, even the ones that work on large projects that are usually done on machines, such as routers.

A good chisel set is always handy since it’ll save you a lot of time by being able to manually clear the edges of your project.

However, many people choose Sweetheart chisels, as well, since they’re more popular and well-rooted in the industry, but more on that later on.


Stanley Bailey vs. Sweetheart chisels - which are better?

It generally depends on your preference since both series have some flaws and cons that could prove to be critical for the user.

For example, Bailey’s chisels are more cost-effective even though they’re practically made from the same materials.

However, there’s a major difference in the chisel design since the Sweetheart chisels have a socketed design that allows the user to quickly replace the head if needed.

Also, Sweethearts are much more popular than Bailey’s chisels since they’ve been around for longer and many people have high regard for them.

Another thing worth mentioning in Bailey’s favor is that their handles are much longer, which some folks prefer.

It is quite practical when working on some larger projects where you’ll be facing wider angles that are out of your natural reach, so it makes sense to purchase Bailey chisels in that case.

Conclusion

It is safe to say that this review is definitely unbiased because of the pointers made for prospective buyers.

Basically, all faults of this product were laid out so it is up to consumers to make the decision if they would still want to buy it. 

But to sum it all up, the Stanley Bailey Chisels are not bad at all and it is still worth your money.

It is not perfect but it does what it does as a hand tool and it gets things done. It is probably not for the extremely meticulous ones like who cares so much about aesthetics after being used.

But for those who are just concern if it actually works, then you don't have to worry about it.

Some might say it pretty pricey for what it can deliver, but then again it is all a matter of experience and preference.

Sale
STANLEY Chisel Set, 5-Piece (16-401)*
  • Micro-precision grind for superior sharpness out of the box
  • Blade lacquered for corrosion protection Hardwood handle for comfort and impact resistance
  • Includes high-quality leather pouch for storage, Contains: 16-975 - Bailey Chisel 1/4-Inch 16-977 - Bailey Chisel 1/2-Inch 16-978 - Bailey Chisel 3/4-Inch 16-979 - Bailey Chisel 1 -Inch 16-980 -...
  • Hardwood handle for comfort and impact resistance
  • High-quality carbon-chrome steel for edge retention

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