They come in very handy when sharpened, sharpened and sharpened to the correct bevel angle. Please watch the attached video. Before the final use, the chisel was ground and cleaned accordingly. The wood I use is pine, which means it's pretty soft. I use the chisel in and against the direction of travel. A chisel is said to be sharp if it can cut wood when you go against the grain. I'm pretty sure it would dull if used with a hammer on oak or maple. But I didn't try. For the price, however, they simply can't be beat. One of these chisels from a company like Pfeil costs about $45. But these, once sharpened, are amazing. But I use a few tools to make them usable. If you are serious about wood carvings, you still need to buy them. I mean you shouldn't get frustrated if you have to buy more stuff to make it work. You'll need a bench grinder, and depending on how steady your hands are, you'll need a bespoke accessory to keep the chisel from slipping and the bevel straight. To customize this, you'll need a few more tools. Anyway, I hope the short video I made gives you an idea of how to turn them into rappelling tools.