A good chisel is a must for any woodworker. The tool a woodworker uses first is the chisel. Over time, someone becomes more skilled with a saw, for example. Hand tools are really versatile and you can always find them sitting by the side or around someone’s apron pockets. They come in handy more often than not.
Small, handled blades are responsible for many of the mortise and tenon joints, smooth surfaces, and detailed work seen on cabinets, hutches, framework and molding.
They are great for tasks where you'll be needing to cut out recesses or strike plates.
When starting a project, freshly sharpen any of the various sized chisels you'll need for that task.
Buy one with an impact-resistant plastic handle. These things are virtually indestructible. Good quality chisels don’t cost much and it's worth investing in one that is of a similar size to the end product you are creating. This will give you a great starter set of three different sizes 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch and 1-inch.
However new chisels may need resharpening. Simply polish up the first inch of the back of your chisel to remove any machine marks and sharpen a bevel on your cutting edge. You should store these tools in a protective covering when not in use to increase the lifespan of these versatile woodworking tools!