I cut as a hobby and I know I need a decent tool set for rock hunting. This 12" chisel has a hand guard and is 0.9" wide at the sharp end. It will crack brick or stone just fine if I hit the end properly with a 4 lb engineer's hammer or lighter rock pick. Be sure to cut off any mushroom-shaped growths on the end that gets hit. Steel splinters can fly off the end of the mushroom and cause injury. For safety reasons, it pays to keep my tools in good condition! I recommend this Genubi Industry Handguard Masonry Chisel, 12" Flat End, Heavy Duty Concrete Mortar Chisel for demolition, carving, splitting, breaking, hunting. Good value for money! I hope you found the information and my review helpful.