Axminster Rider Chisels... The Story

From planes to chisels

If you were to name two types of tools any woodworker would need, most of us would say planes and chisels. Developed by and exclusive to Axminster, Rider planes have quickly established themselves as the go-to plane for both the tradesperson and DIY-er alike.
Made from quality materials, beautifully presented and ready to use straight from the box, it's easy to see why.

With Axminster Rider planes, we've changed the game for affordable quality tools. But we didn't just want to stop at planes. We wanted to do the same for chisels. So we have.

They certainly knew how to
make tools in the old days

First things first, we found everything we liked about a good chisel and there's no better place to do so than at second-hand tool shops. Quality chisels and planes stand the test of time and we want Rider tools to do the same. All of our Axminster Rider Chisels are made in Czech Republic.

Axminster Rider Chisels - Old Tools

Let's take a look at the
makeup of a Rider chisel

The handle

An extension of the hand, the handle needs to be both comfortable and durable. We've chosen the dense European grown hornbeam, predominantly for its resilience, sanded it smooth and given it a light oil finish for protection. We've also fitted the wider chisels with a larger handle, to maintain balance throughout the range. This makes each size chisel feel just right in the hand. In fact, the more you use the chisels, the more comfortable they will get!

Prefer a softer grip?

We understand that wooden handles aren't for everyone; especially if you're working on site, where they can be subjected to some less than favourable conditions. With this in mind, we've produced a range of Bevel Edge chisels with a two part soft-grip handle; an oval designed with softer ribbed inserts, giving you a secure, comfortable grip.

The blade

Blades on the Bevel Edge and Butt Chisels are forged and made of fine-grained, chrome manganese steel and tempered to 59 HRC, for strength and a long lasting edge. They are then finely ground and finished with a 25 degree bevel. This means that all Axminster Rider chisel blades only require a final honing once received to achieve a fine, long lasting edge. We would suggest the addition of a 30 degree micro bevel, making sharpening much quicker.

Superior grind

Our Bevel Edge chisels also have a superior grind. This allows greater access into tighter spots, such as the corners of dovetails.

Mortice Chisel Blade

Axminster Rider Mortice Chisel blades are forged from fine-grained chrome manganese steel. The steel’s fine grain ensures a keen, long lasting edge giving you more time using them and spending less time sharpening. Unlike some mortice chisels, Axminster Rider Mortice Chisels are tapered ground, in both cross section and length, ensuring the chisel doesn’t jam in the mortice and the wood doesn’t split.

Corner Chisel blade

The Axminster Rider Corner Chisel has a 10mm square blade with a forged tang and bolster, for strength. It is CNC milled, ensuring the corner is perfectly accurate to 90°.

Axminster Rider Bevel Edge Chisel Hornbeam Handle

Perhaps the most popular type of woodworking chisel and a favourite of the cabinet maker. You can't not like these chisels; they feel comfortable whatever your hand size and from 16mm upwards the handles are larger, allowing perfect balance to be maintained. They feature a large stainless steel ferrule to protect the handle from splitting.

Our hornbeam Axminster Rider Chisels have our signature stainless steel ferrule, making the chisel less likely to split. And, if we may say so, look rather beautiful, especially with our laser marked Rider logo on them!

Bevel Edge Chisels - Hornbeam Handle

Available in individual sizes 6-32mm

Choose your size

Bevel Edge Chisel Hornbeam
Handle 6 Piece Set

Set including; 6, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 25mm chisels with a wooden box.

More information

Axminster Rider Bevel Edge Chisels - Soft-Grip Handle

Designed for the tradesperson who does a lot of site work, these chisels are made to the same high standards as their Hornbeam handled cousins. The main difference between them is the two-part soft-grip handle and the strong steel striking cap allowing them to struck by a hammer if needed.

Bevel Edge Chisel Soft-Grip Handle

Available in individual sizes 6-50mm

Choose your size

Bevel Edge Chisel Soft-Grip
Handle 5 Piece Set

Set including; 6, 12, 19, 25 and 32mm chisels with a wooden box.

More information

Axminster Rider Butt Chisels

The butt chisel is primarily designed to use in cutting and paring tasks. They are shorter than the bevel edge chisels and designed to be used in the palm of the hand. Again, they utilise the resilient and comfortable hornbeam handle and have a flat on one side to prevent the chisels from rolling off the bench.

Butt Chisel

Available in individual sizes 6-25mm

Choose your size

Butt Chisels 4 Piece Set

Set including; 6, 12, 20 and 25mm chisels with a wooden box.

More information

Axminster Rider Mortice Chisels

A mortice chisel is, for want of a better term, going to get some hammer. They can be struck with heavy consistent blows when chopping out mortices or cutting other joints. Unlike some mortice chisels, Axminster Rider Mortice Chisels are tapered ground, in both cross section and length, ensuring waste material can clear easily. A strong stainless steel hoop at the top of the handle stops splitting. The end of the handle projects above the hoop to minimise damage to the mallet. These blades are forged for extra strength.

Available in individual sizes 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12mm.

Choose your size

Axminster Rider Corner Chisel

The corner chisel is used predominantly for trimming and final squaring; cleaning the corners of mortices, trimming hinge recesses and being used as a marking out tool. The Axminster Rider Corner Chisel has a 10mm square blade and, like all Rider chisels, has a forged chrome manganese steel blade which is tempered to 59 HRC.

Find out more

Axminster Rider Sharpening Station Kit

Keep your chisels and planes sharpened, honed and ready to use with the Axminster Rider Sharpening Station Kit. Consisting of a double sided diamond stone (1000 grit and 400 grit), leather strop and honing compound all housed within a specially designed board, complete with all the sharpening instructions you need for the ultimate edge. We recommend a 30 degree secondary bevel on our chisels.

Shown with optional honing guide.

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