Those clear plastic guards that come with some chisels are way too easy to lose. Only friction holds them in place and they’re so light, you can’t hear them drop to the floor and bounce under the bench — and you’ll never spot them before the vacuum gets them. And sure they may protect the chisel edge from a few bumps, but how much protection would they actually provide if you dropped the chisel?
You can forget those clear plastic guards, because now you can get hefty galvanized steel guards that stick to your chisels with rare-earth magnets. The guards are designed so any force applied to the tip is absorbed by the chisel face and bevel. They protect the chisel so well Lee Valley claims you can drop your chisel on the floor edge-down without damaging it — this sounds like something I have to try!
Available in 1″, 1-1/2″, and 2″ wide versions, these guards are all less than three bucks a piece. I do see one potential problem: the guard may magnetize your chisel. This would make it harder to remove the swarf when you sharpen the chisel.
Magnetic Chisel Guards [Lee Valley]
