For ordinary work, the bevel is correctly ground to an angle of about 20 deg.

The chisel is a necessary tool in making almost every kind of joint.

It may almost be said that one mark of a good workman is his preference for the chisel.

Indeed an excellent motto for the woodworker is: "When in doubt, use a chisel".
In general, there are two uses for the chisel (1), when it is driven by a push with the hand, as in paring, and (2), when it is driven by blows of a mallet, as in digging mortises.
In relation to the grain of the wood, it is used in three directions: (1) longitudinally, that is with the grain, called paring; (2) laterally, across the surface, called cutting sidewise; (3) transversely, that is across the end, called cutting end-wood.
1.

_Paring._ To remove shavings rapidly, the chisel is held flat side up, the handle grasped by the right hand, with the thumb pointing toward the shank, and the blade held in the left hand, as in Fig.