Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits Review

If you haven’t heard of them yet, Fisch is a company that was founded and is still based in Austria. They have been manufacturing premium drill bits since 1946. Fisch is especially known for making top of the line Forstner bits such as the Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits. They do this by forging their drill heads which yield extremely sharp edges that stay sharp for a very long time.

Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits Review Overview

People who are into woodworking can tell you that it is a lifetime journey you take to perfecting the craft. Every step of the way you are learning. Whether it be a new technique you learn, a new tool you discover that you must absolutely have or what works best to get the job done, you are always learning.

Forstner bits are one of those tools you learn about quickly when you have a need to make flat bottom holes. At first, you see it as a tool you are only going to need one or two times in your life.  After you use a Forstner bit, you quickly find that it is extremely useful and uses for it seems to pop up everywhere.

Now if you only occasionally use Forstner bits you might think that they are all the same.  This is not true. There are basically three types of Forstner bits such as the sawtooth, continuous rim and wavy continuous rim. The differences in these types come mostly from how the cutting edges are designed. The Fisch Black Shark Forstner bits fall under the continuous rim style bit.

From each design, the performance and life of use will depend on not only how the bit was made, but how it is used. In the text that follows, I hope to show you how and why the Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits really stand out as one of the very best bits produced.

Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits Review Features

First and foremost, the heads on these drill bits are forged.  You may be asking yourself, “Why is a forged drill head better than a cast drill head?” right now. Good questions. A forged head is stronger, more uniform and more reliable than a cast steelhead. Not only is the head better protected from accidental impacts to the cutting edges they will also stay sharp much longer than their cast counterparts.

Extremely sharp cutting edges and flats for great chip removal.

3 flats located on the shaft help hold the drill from spinning in the chuck.

A very prominent centering pin.

These bits are available in both imperial and metric sizes.  For the purpose of this review, I have been using the 16-piece imperial set. These bits can also be purchased separately.

Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits Review Performance

The performance of these Forstner bits is unlike anything that I have ever seen. They cut very clean and sharp holes in both hardwoods and softwoods but were specifically designed for cutting hardwoods. If you ever tried to cut holes in any real hard exotic woods like purple heart, you will quickly realize how hard they are on regular Forstner bits. After a few holes with a cheaper Forstner bit, you will quickly notice that there is more burning of the wood going on than cutting.

The Fisch Black Shark Forstner bits are manufactured in such a way that you can operate these bits at a 25% higher speed than other bits of the same size. This is possible due to the optimization of the cutting edges.

Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits Review Value

Picking a value for these Fisch Black Shark Forstner bits is a little bit tough. At a price of about $399.00 for the complete 16-piece set found online, these can be a very hard sell for someone who is just playing around with woodworking. Most weekend woodworkers are trying to save up for their next piece of shop equipment they need and can’t justify that kind of price tag for a set of bits. Also if you are someone who has never used a bit of this caliber, it’s hard to imagine it performing that much better than a cheap set. This is where years of experience come into play.

For the woodworker looking to take his or her craft to the top level or someone who makes woodworking items for a living, these bits can perform at the level you wish to achieve. In this case, performance and long life can justify the price tag.

Fisch Black Shark Forstner Bits Review Final Thoughts

The Fisch Black Shark Forstner bits are by far the best Forstner bits I have ever used. As a matter of fact, they are THE BEST BITS of any type that I have ever used.

It seems strange to me to be this impressed with a drill bit, but after using these bits, I have come to find out what I have been missing all of these years.

I know many people out there will get sticker shock when they see the price of this full kit, but don’t give up. Chances are you won’t need to use every bit every time. You always have the option to purchase each individual bit when the opportunity arises. That way you can spread the cost of these bits out over time and only buy the ones you really need.

I am truly amazed at how well these bits perform and I am glad to know they will help me turn out beautiful woodworking pieces for a great many years to come.