• German Bohler HSS blades, cryo treated to 60-62 HRC hardness, precision ground and hand polished

• Lathe turned Brass sockets/ferrules and hoops from solid brass bar

• Handles are hand turned Figured Yarran, an Australian hardwood

• Sizes included are 3/16”, 1/4”, 5/16”, 3/8”, 1/2”, and 5/8”wide

• Overall length varies depending on width of blade but between 10 3/4” to 11 3/4” long

• Handle is approximately 1 1/8” at its widest

• Handle length varies depending on width of blade; each is sized to balance the blade

• Blades taper in thickness from 1/2” thick to approximately 7/16” thick where primary bevel begins

• Handmade in Australia

• Questions? Please contact us.

As a keen woodworker and student of Richard Finch Fine Furniture, Trent Powrie noticed it was hard to get high quality chisels in Australia. With a mechanical and engineering background, he knew it was possible, so he started using D2 steel with some success. Wanting even better results, he started experimenting with HSS M2 with varied results. With persistence he worked out the specific heat treatment regime required to utilize the wear resistance of HSS and create the toughness required for chopping with a chisel. Provided you don’t hit a nail or drop them on the floor, these chisels hold their edge 5 times longer than tool steel and 7-10 times that of carbon steel. They are surprisingly easy to sharpen considering the steel’s wear resistance. If you think about other HSS applications in woodworking, they are demanding so in a hand tool cutting they really shine.

Harold & Saxon starts with German Bohler S600 HSS round bar. They turn the round tang & thread for attachment to the socket. Then they hand-machine all six surfaces of the chisel slightly oversize to allow for small movement in heat treatment. Heat treatment is done by a state-of-the-art computerized vacuum furnace; the time, temperatures, and cycles must be precise for HSS, especially for the Harold & Saxon heat treatment regime. This includes a cryo treatment and an additional temper to gain the best results. Typically, HSS can achieve high Rockwell hardness up to 65 HRC but these blades are tempered back to 60-62 HRC while retaining the wear resistance of the steel. The sockets and ferrules are turned on metal lathes from brass stainless, all fit to beautiful hardwoods mainly from Outback Australia. Each handle is hand turned and weighted to suit the blade size, making these the only truly handmade Western style chisels on the market. Once the blades are hardened and tempered, all surfaces of the blades are precision ground and hand polished. Finally, each part is assembled into a beautiful, ergonomic hand tool to last generations.