I bought this to build a stone retaining wall. This was my first stone and chisel project. I can count the number of times I've missed the bit head and either dodged or stuck straight into the guard - the guard worked perfectly, I didn't hurt my thumb or hand. In terms of build quality, there were some chips on the bit itself, but only cosmetic ones (hopefully). The glued end was quickly chipped off and stripped of paint, so the guard in the picture is actually flush with the yellow pin (now unpainted); It didn't seem to affect the function of either the guard or the chisel, so it doesn't bother me.