Veritas PM-V11 Butt Chisels

Sharpened mine up on a 1200-grit stone and it took an edge that held through a full afternoon of paring walnut without a single touch-up. The PM-V11 steel really does live up to the hype for detail work.

Chopping out dovetails in white oak used to mean stopping every few minutes to hone, but the PM-V11 steel keeps a working edge through a whole set of pins. The butt length gives me way more control on paring cuts than my old bench chisels.

These things hold an edge far longer than any chisel I've owned — I flattened the backs once and they've stayed dead flat through weeks of paring. The PM-V11 steel really is the real deal for fine joinery work.