In this Stanley Sweetheart chisels review, I want to talk about my experiences using the affordable socket chisels set by Stanley. At the time of this review, I’ve owned and used the Stanley Sweetheart chisels for about three weeks.
As you know, since I started woodworking as a hobby I only owned a set of cheap Rolson chisels, which I’ve upgraded by making new chisel handles from wood.
The Stanley Sweetheart Chisels are definitely an upgrade. It took me a while to decide and finally hit that Checkout button though, as there were definitely many options. At the end of the day, my decision came down to three important factors:
- This was the only set that had a 1/8 chisel which I really needed to clean the grooves I cut with my single-blade Bosch table saw.
- None of the other options I was looking at, including the beautiful Walnut-handle set from Imothecom had a 1/8 size. If you just want the most common sizes, you can get the 4-piece Stanley Sweetheart version.
- At $187 for 8 chisels, it was much more affordable than Veritas, Lie-Nielsen and any other high-end chisel preached by the YouTube gurus.
- It has a 4.7-star rating on Amazon with over 500 reviews.
- It came with a leather chisel roll, which could have easily been sold for $30-$35 separately.
A Note About Other Reviews
I’ve watched some YouTube videos for Stanley Sweetheart chisel reviews, but a lot of these were comparing the Sweetheart to the Lie-Nielsen socket chisels.
It doesn’t make any fucking sense. The Lie-Nielsen chisels cost about $55 each. It’s not just “a few bucks more”. It’s a whole lot more.
I’m well aware that this is a reproduction of the classic Stanley Sweetheart 750 series, and that you can still get the older versions on eBay. But I don’t have those so I cannot compare them.
These are mid-range chisels, and I think they should be reviewed as such. Plus, they are made in England, or at least that’s what it says on the box.
Stanley Sweetheart Chisels Review
Firstly, let’s talk about cost.
I bought the 8-piece Stanley Sweetheart Chisel Set from Amazon for about $180. About a week later, Amazon was selling the same set for $20 less, although this looks like a limited promotional price.
Here’s how much the alternatives cost for the same number of chisels:
- Lie-Nielsen socket chisels: About $440
- Veritas 01 bench chisels: About $576
The 4-piece set sells for about $85. Both come with (real) leather rolls. Each chisel was clearly marked and wrapped with plastic. The leather roll felt premium, and I loved the color.
The Hornbeam Socket Handles
The hornbeam handles were finished well and felt smooth to the touch. I’ve seen YouTube videos of a guy refinishing all the handles, and my question is “Why?”. They are good enough, certainly as good as I can possibly finish them.
You’ll need to tap on the handles a few times to seat them in properly. Most of the handles were fine, but a few were loose until I tapped them in. You might have a different experience, as after all wood reacts differently according to the humidity of your environment.
The Chisel Edge & Quality
Each chisel had a sharp factory grind which works well enough on both softwoods and hardwoods. I was able to pare hard maple quite easily. However, I did notice that my cheap Rolson chisels, which I have spent a considerable amount of time honing, was sharper.
In short, the Stanley Sweetheart chisels were sharp enough, but not “scary sharp’ and cannot shave hairs.
Some chisels were about the same length (minus the socket) as my cheap Rolson chisels, while the wider chisels had much longer steel.
The chisels felt very well-balanced and easy to hold. For fine woodworking, this is really important and will help reduce fatigue.
Most modern chisels are shaped with a CNC, meaning you’ll see machine marks. You can certainly see them on the Sweetheart, as you will with Narex or other chisels in this price range.
There’s also a layer of film or lacquer on the chisels themselves, you can feel this with your fingers. I would leave this on since the extreme humidity of my weather will start turning the steel into rust quickly if I remove it.
Stanley Sweetheart Chisels – Conclusion
I have no regrets about getting my 8-piece Stanley Sweetheart Chisel set. It has excellent build quality, sharp enough out of the box, and feels great to use. Plus, it’s completed by the beautiful leather roll.
For a weekend woodworker like me, this is a significant upgrade and I’m sure I will enjoy using them for a very long time. The 4-piece set will be enough for most people, and I would have got that instead of not for my specific need of a 1/8 chisel.
I would recommend them any day.
