Craftsmanship & Production
A KIRSCHEN chisel passes through a sequence of specialized operations before it reaches the bench. Each stage prepares the steel for the next and contributes to the tool's final strength, accuracy and finish.
From steel blank to finished tool
- Heating: the blank is cut to size and heated to forging temperature.
- Forging: the hot blank is shaped under a drop hammer, then cooled and trimmed.
- Hardening and tempering: controlled heat treatment develops the required balance of hardness and toughness. Standard KIRSCHEN chisels target approximately 61 HRC.
- Straightening: the blade is aligned by hand with a specialized hammer.
- Machining: the neck and transition areas are accurately formed.
- Grinding: the back, bevels and cutting edge are ground to the tool's specified profile.
- Testing and marking: blades are checked for hardening faults, then marked with the KIRSCHEN name and size.
- Polishing and protection: the steel is polished, cleaned and sealed against corrosion.
- Final assembly: the handle and edge guard are fitted and the completed tool receives its label.
Why forging matters
Forging reshapes the steel under heat and pressure, helping produce a dense, fine-grained structure with the strength and toughness expected from a woodworking edge tool.
Inspection is continuous
Quality control happens throughout production. Work that does not meet the required standard is identified before final assembly; where possible, material is reworked within the production cycle rather than discarded.