The handguard saved me a few hits on my fingers and the chisel shows no signs of wear. I definitely recommend this chisel. I'm only giving this chisel 4 stars instead of 5 because the handle loosened after several uses and the chisel almost slipped out of the handle when the chisel was in a vertical position. I had to apply high strength glue to the inside of the handle, put it back onto the shank of the chisel and let it dry overnight before continuing my project.