[Bruce Sexauer]

Speaking of cutting plumb to the bench, I have to modify my 98% thought as I realize I use the middle size Chinese $2.20 chisel, perhaps 25 mm, to split my peone which I use to connect the top to the ribs. That’s another 1 to 2% of the chisel use in a guitar. My main chisel job is both shaping and paring the ends of the spruce bracing, all the 3/4” English one. The Chinese ones hold their edge at least 4X the English one, but using diamonds as I have been for years to sharpen them all, I haven’t noticed any difference it time unless I have nicked an edge. I rarely do that, and then rarely bad enough to go to the grinder. The English chisel’s nick might remove in 3 or 4 minutes, but the laminated Chinese chisel takes so long I blot out the memory.