A chisel is one of the most utilitarian and oldest hand tools for woodworking. And a good wood chisel, in particular, has sharp beveled cutting edges, holds those edges well, sharpens easily, and ...

The “mortise” is the recess where the tenon goes. It can be cut by hand with a mallet and mortising chisel, or mechanically with a mortising machine and a hollow chisel bit. If you don’t have those ...